A RHETORIC OF CHANGE: CHURCH GROWTH AND SOCIAL CHANGE AT THE RICHMOND OUTREACH CENTER

The Richmond Outreach Center “The ROC” is an independent soulwinning megachurch in Richmond, Virginia. This thesis explores how rhetoric plays a role in the rapid growth of this urban church and considers the church’s response—rhetorically and politically—to the city’s social issues. Through a rhetorical analysis of sermons and written texts by Geronimo Aguilar, the ROC’s founder and pastor, it is concluded that Aguilar has generated a rhetoric of change that says social change must come to Richmond and that everyone, both rich and poor, are responsible for change. Aguilar galvanizes an audience to seek social change because he articulates roles for individuals within his vision and links the ideological and material concerns of his congregants and the city’s poor. Aguilar’s rhetorical strategies and rhetorical performances indicate that he follows logics of articulation rather than logics of influence. These findings may be useful to social movement and church leaders concerned with growth.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

English

Year dc:date.available

2010

Author dc:creator

• Holbrook, Rebekah

Contributors dc:contributor

• David Coogan
• Laura Browder
• James Kinney
• Mark Wood

• rhetoric
• religion
• evangelical
• megachurch
• soulwinning
• social change
• Richmond Virginia
• race and class
• audience
• Gramsci
• Arts and Humanities
• English Language and Literature

Statement dc:rights

• © The Author

Identifier

https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/149

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarscompass.vcu.edu:etd-1148