The Holiness Boom
THE COMMONWEAL A Weekly Review of Literature, The...
...But it is really a little difficult imagining women to grow up with an understanding of the church the family as a "means" which can be got hold of or a knowledge of the Master...
...still cling to it, with no matter what peculiarities or If the church were merely a new product, or an im- postulates, in the same manner as the Catholic Church proved form of some commodity, one might hope to adheres to it, able to realize that the work of resell it as one does automobile tires...
...Indeed, Mr...
...Christianity is not...
...He inspiration...
...The Broadway has been built up by industrious advertisers...
...The an irresistible appeal few withstand...
...But in all these cases the human spirit itdows, it touches the heart with sincere emotion and self was the advertisement-the spirit set on fire by the sometimes, at least, stirs it to prayer...
...is an institution as permanent, natural and necessary as The problem of religious recruitment in the United the family...
...The church may mean "religious breadth of modern religion and to indicate that the inspiration" to Mr...
...When the Cardinal of Paris comments that they were august copy-writers...
...There are num- spirit, however, is more important than the letter...
...But there is surprisingly stantial agreement...
...Inevitably they veer through ten minutes of radio or a system of placards to religion as a "good influence" which can be turned preceded by a steam calliope...
...It may be conceded as a matter of course that ad- Martyrs, too, were advertisements because they were vertising can be of assistance to the missionary and witnesses...
...When art with a genuine spiritual appeal way men now do who carry announcements on their draws the eye to sculptured facades or decorated win- shoulders...
...church of the future" will be, if the omens are trusttherefore Christianity needs to patronize-or create worthy, much more like a brilliant at-home than a -similar agencies...
...but there is no room any- to the successful steadiness of a "captain of industry...
...If the churches cleanliness and delicious cake frosting among millions...
...Virtue must acquire a glare of informative, fascinating lights which impel the mysterious charm of pink-labeled cream cheese...
...While occasionally and gently that a definite relation exists schools teach children a sense of loyalty to civic and between them and the hearth-fire...
...It was at can accomplish immeasurably much in redeeming minds home under His hand, in the family that endures from spiritual indifference is to utter the most obvious forever...
...The mind of the Church has been of different mettle...
...Broadway is A system of accounting needs to be installed by all also a thing everybody knows-a thing larger than a denominations interested in "following up" their sales place, more intricate than an art or a business, with propaganda and checking off their "dead ones...
...that they will permanently lift the level of their social Should the advertising program we have outlined thinking and practice...
...In a sense, the upon the good that might be done educationally souls of all the saints have been shining flames...
...But goods which are offered for its consumption...
...If this sufficiently vague pro- succeed, it might have a certain value as a presentation nouncement means anything, it is that the church- of what the Church is not...
...the human herd to luxuries and names...
...go-to-meeting in epochs now out of date...
...THE COMMONWEAL A Weekly Review of Literature, The Arts, and Public Affairs...
...How, then, are men and tisements...
...But if the church organization must begin where the family begins, we is not a farcical non-essential, if, in view of its history, should be in the fullest sympathy with their plans and it is worth a busy person's time, it is because the church hopes...
...One might, perhaps, suggest to children States today is a problem of education...
...erous replicas of Broadway, but all are alike in this "The church must have as much faith as business has...
...Bruce Barton, master of advertising, may necessitate a complete change of method...
...It is hoped that through this campaign has acted exactly as a little girl would who knew her such high standards of service will be held before the family only as a "source of uplift" revealed through churches and the people in the various communities a picture in her copy of The Three Bears...
...It went after the erring, but it was certain of platitudes...
...And doubtless all these instruments about the place to which it wished to bring them...
...the earnestness of a spiritual summons is missing from The General Electric Company spends millions of doltheir tumultuous clamor, the word "soul" is not lars every year in its laboratories, knowing that any spelled in electrical fire...
...And so it was, perhaps, day a scientist may come forth with a discovery that natural that Mr...
...Sonnets...
...Children have been on like hot water or imbibed like ginger-beer...
...Thousands of people are now earnestly as a family might be torn apart by storms of temper trying to bring about this improvement and develop- or distress-is not yet at the point where it must ment...
...could be improved and developed to a point not yet A Christendom disrupted by various cataclysmsdreamed of...
...change and with them the reaction of mankind to the Broadway is a going concern...
...To say that the press and the platform of which God had announced Himself...
...to the International Advertising Association-but preThe church is the agency through which religion cisely because it has meant nothing else to the average mainly operates, and in which its members receive their citizen, he has promptly forgotten all about it...
...We have the Infinite Conflagration which has filled the universe greatest respect for those who defend or expound their with love...
...We can imagine a great ample testimony to the patently routine character of variety of luscious posters setting forth the charms a mind which cherishes virtue because it contributes of this version of religion...
...You may modity which one can boost and enjoy as one might differ about formulas, but once try the "pep" and the the music of the Metropolitan Opera Company is results will be convincing...
...It was always very sure that earth, sky, faith in the advertising sections of newspapers and and the soul of man were so many things by means magazines...
...It is difficult to avoid the irreverence which spiration" via ten minutes of radio...
...Broadway is not merely general welfare of humanity...
...Ernest Brennecke, Jr., John Eliot, G. K. Chesterton 632 Francis A. Tondorf, George N. Shuster, Failures of Our Higher Schools Thomas W alsh 644 James Burns 634 The Quiet Corner 649 THE HOLINESS BOOM S flakes and shredded cocoanut are not trifles...
...Bruce Barton...
...where on them for the real Church...
...Barton...
...Speer Strahan, Kenneth Slade Mark O. Shriver 630 Ailing, Isabel Fiske Conant, Margaret Bridge Player (verse) John Hanlon 631 The Play Tod Ritter, Harold Vinal, Penfield Royce 641 R. Dana Skinner, T. C. 642 The Course of Conversion, III Books...
...address delivered to the Advertising Club of New ~7 They form the vertebrae of industries which, in York City, outlined with succinct gravity the importaddition to paying respectable dividends, distribute ant aspects of a publicity campaign...
...For times naturally creeps into this well-intentioned concept...
...Why not be prepared for a tal, should write of the Saviour as The Man Nobody future in which men will satisfactorily "get religious inKnows...
...Volume IV New York, Wednesday, November 3, 1926 Number 26 CONTENTS The Holiness Boom 623 Via Lourdes to Locarno Week by Week 625 Bernhard Ragner 637 Jean Cocteau's "Orphee" 628 Leadership and Girlhood Genevieve Garvan Brady 639 Various Party Programs 629 Communications 640 Who Rules These United States...
...Even very con- social institutions, they say never a word about fidelservative people have sometimes ventured to boast of ity to the religious society which is every Christian's family connections with all the gusto of fetching adver- most treasurable heritage...
...Were those sectarian groups which Mr...
...And made to behave by judicious advertising of the wolf thus they are ripe, indeed, for a "holiness boom...
...And fully aware of how familiar the soap flakes and the in addition to faith, the faculty of adjustment is an cocoanut have become to every properly educated mor- immediate requisite...
...But they are not generally kindred spirits with sell out or die...
...Perhaps it may be said of the evangelists the moralist...
...it may signify "breadth" church is simply a means to an end, not an end in itself...
...One of the chief objectives of little evidence to show that even as many as ten wolves our campaign," says the president, "is to point out the ever made a family...
...are to succeed as business has, they must employ busiBut greater than either is the advertising that makes ness methods making for "the progress, happiness, and them possible and profitable...
...The degradation of the like the daily dozen method of physical culture-is a kingdom of Christ to the level of a commercial comcertain formula for getting spiritual "pep...
...And through the motion-picture, he speaks out of an im- certainly when Dominic fastened to the garb of his aginative understanding of the effect which concrete sons the terrible symbol of redemption, he intended and easily interpreted pictures can have upon plastic that they should walk through the world in the same minds...
...Barton, returning to the charge in an With all this the Church Advertising Department 624 THE COMMONWEAL November 3, 1926 of the International Advertising Association is in sub- which eats bad little boys...
Vol. 4 • November 1926 • No. 26
