{"id":{"repo_id":"kings","oai_identifier":"oai:kclpure.kcl.ac.uk:studenttheses/6027989b-8a08-48cf-9d99-aa0718254729"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/kings/oai:kclpure.kcl.ac.uk:studenttheses/6027989b-8a08-48cf-9d99-aa0718254729","repository":{"repo_id":"kings","name":"King's College London","base_url":"https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/ws/oai"},"display":{"title":"Importing ‘Faith’: The Effect of American ‘Word of Faith’ Culture on Contemporary English Evangelical Revivalism","abstract":"This thesis is an investigation of three exemplary ‘faith ministries’ that are or have been
recently active in the South-East of England. These ministries have embraced principles
from the American Health Wealth and Prosperity Movement (HWPM).
The author seeks to demonstrate that key concepts and approaches in the self-presentation
or rhetoric of these church leaders have their foundations in popular
American culture that has developed since the early 19th century, and that distinctive
characteristics of these ministries are particular examples of the globalisation of
American culture and, particularly, its distinctive pragmatism.
The three ministries considered are Michael Reid, Colin Urquhart and Jerry Savelle (an
American with an international ministry and offices in the UK).
An interpretative methodology employing two cultural frameworks to deconstruct the
movement’s rhetoric is applied to the writings, webcasts and other teaching materials
marketed by these ministries. The first of these frameworks is a historical, interpretative
theory acknowledging the distinctive influence of Pragmatism, Scottish Common Sense
Realism, the Protestant Work Ethic and neo-Gnosticism that are an explanation of the
roots and the continuing development of this way of thinking in American culture (and
the globalisation of its religion). The second framework is a more religious
interpretation that explains the nature of the movement’s ethos, worldview and
interpretive assumptions. It acknowledges the influence of Positive Thinking,
Subjective Idealism, Transcendentalism and New Thought.
An analysis of the performative rhetoric and teachings of the three persons considered
(and their mentors) examines the use of mechanistic language and concepts such as
principles, steps and keys to describe how their teachings can work for people’s benefit.
The thesis asks: What social and theological construction of reality, and what factors or
reasons, make these ministries appealing to people, and what is the true nature of what
these ministries offer?
After a literature review and initial methodology, the rhetorical analysis proceeds by
considering the nature of the ministries using insights from narrative theory,
psychology, congregational studies, Maussian analysis, organisational theory, and
theories of enchantment, charisma, class and cognitive dissonance. This thesis observes
that while pragmatic religious solutions attract adherents disenchanted by advanced
secularization in modern Britain, this often results in bewilderment when the promises
of the rhetors fail.
The thesis is original in its finding that many of the miracles claimed by such
charismatic ministries are the result of suggestion similar to the miracles of the mind
cure movement of the nineteenth century and any seemingly miraculous financial
provision to leaders is the result of members of their discourse community giving in the
hope that they may receive in return, these miracles are therefore often socially
constructed.","abstract_html":"This thesis is an investigation of three exemplary ‘faith ministries’ that are or have been<br/>recently active in the South-East of England. These ministries have embraced principles<br/>from the American Health Wealth and Prosperity Movement (HWPM).<br/><br/>The author seeks to demonstrate that key concepts and approaches in the self-presentation<br/>or rhetoric of these church leaders have their foundations in popular<br/>American culture that has developed since the early 19th century, and that distinctive<br/>characteristics of these ministries are particular examples of the globalisation of<br/>American culture and, particularly, its distinctive pragmatism.<br/><br/>The three ministries considered are Michael Reid, Colin Urquhart and Jerry Savelle (an<br/>American with an international ministry and offices in the UK).<br/>An interpretative methodology employing two cultural frameworks to deconstruct the<br/>movement’s rhetoric is applied to the writings, webcasts and other teaching materials<br/>marketed by these ministries. The first of these frameworks is a historical, interpretative<br/>theory acknowledging the distinctive influence of Pragmatism, Scottish Common Sense<br/>Realism, the Protestant Work Ethic and neo-Gnosticism that are an explanation of the<br/>roots and the continuing development of this way of thinking in American culture (and<br/>the globalisation of its religion). The second framework is a more religious<br/>interpretation that explains the nature of the movement’s ethos, worldview and<br/>interpretive assumptions. It acknowledges the influence of Positive Thinking,<br/>Subjective Idealism, Transcendentalism and New Thought.<br/><br/>An analysis of the performative rhetoric and teachings of the three persons considered<br/>(and their mentors) examines the use of mechanistic language and concepts such as<br/>principles, steps and keys to describe how their teachings can work for people’s benefit.<br/><br/>The thesis asks: What social and theological construction of reality, and what factors or<br/>reasons, make these ministries appealing to people, and what is the true nature of what<br/>these ministries offer?<br/><br/>After a literature review and initial methodology, the rhetorical analysis proceeds by<br/>considering the nature of the ministries using insights from narrative theory,<br/>psychology, congregational studies, Maussian analysis, organisational theory, and<br/>theories of enchantment, charisma, class and cognitive dissonance. This thesis observes<br/>that while pragmatic religious solutions attract adherents disenchanted by advanced<br/>secularization in modern Britain, this often results in bewilderment when the promises<br/>of the rhetors fail.<br/><br/>The thesis is original in its finding that many of the miracles claimed by such<br/>charismatic ministries are the result of suggestion similar to the miracles of the mind<br/>cure movement of the nineteenth century and any seemingly miraculous financial<br/>provision to leaders is the result of members of their discourse community giving in the<br/>hope that they may receive in return, these miracles are therefore often socially<br/>constructed.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Ackerley, Glyn"],"institution":"King's College London","degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy in Theology","degree_level":"Doctoral Thesis","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Walker, Andrew George"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2013,"date_issued":"2013-11-1","date_published":"2013-11-1","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:44:40Z","subjects":[],"languages":["eng"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["oai:kclpure.kcl.ac.uk:studenttheses/6027989b-8a08-48cf-9d99-aa0718254729"],"render_values":[{"text":"oai:kclpure.kcl.ac.uk:studenttheses/6027989b-8a08-48cf-9d99-aa0718254729","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/studentTheses/6027989b-8a08-48cf-9d99-aa0718254729","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Walker, Andrew George"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Ackerley, Glyn"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2013-11-1"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2013-11-1"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.department","label":"Dc Publisher Department","values":["King's College London"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["King's College London"]},{"key":"dc:relation.isreferencedby","label":"Dc Relation Isreferencedby","values":["https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/studentTheses/6027989b-8a08-48cf-9d99-aa0718254729"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["Doctoral Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationname","label":"Dc Type Qualificationname","values":["Doctor of Philosophy in Theology"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["eng"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["oai:kclpure.kcl.ac.uk:studenttheses/6027989b-8a08-48cf-9d99-aa0718254729","https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/studentTheses/6027989b-8a08-48cf-9d99-aa0718254729"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/files/12997494/Studentthesis-Glyn_Ackerley_2013.pdf"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This thesis is an investigation of three exemplary ‘faith ministries’ that are or have been
recently active in the South-East of England. These ministries have embraced principles
from the American Health Wealth and Prosperity Movement (HWPM).
The author seeks to demonstrate that key concepts and approaches in the self-presentation
or rhetoric of these church leaders have their foundations in popular
American culture that has developed since the early 19th century, and that distinctive
characteristics of these ministries are particular examples of the globalisation of
American culture and, particularly, its distinctive pragmatism.
The three ministries considered are Michael Reid, Colin Urquhart and Jerry Savelle (an
American with an international ministry and offices in the UK).
An interpretative methodology employing two cultural frameworks to deconstruct the
movement’s rhetoric is applied to the writings, webcasts and other teaching materials
marketed by these ministries. The first of these frameworks is a historical, interpretative
theory acknowledging the distinctive influence of Pragmatism, Scottish Common Sense
Realism, the Protestant Work Ethic and neo-Gnosticism that are an explanation of the
roots and the continuing development of this way of thinking in American culture (and
the globalisation of its religion). The second framework is a more religious
interpretation that explains the nature of the movement’s ethos, worldview and
interpretive assumptions. It acknowledges the influence of Positive Thinking,
Subjective Idealism, Transcendentalism and New Thought.
An analysis of the performative rhetoric and teachings of the three persons considered
(and their mentors) examines the use of mechanistic language and concepts such as
principles, steps and keys to describe how their teachings can work for people’s benefit.
The thesis asks: What social and theological construction of reality, and what factors or
reasons, make these ministries appealing to people, and what is the true nature of what
these ministries offer?
After a literature review and initial methodology, the rhetorical analysis proceeds by
considering the nature of the ministries using insights from narrative theory,
psychology, congregational studies, Maussian analysis, organisational theory, and
theories of enchantment, charisma, class and cognitive dissonance. This thesis observes
that while pragmatic religious solutions attract adherents disenchanted by advanced
secularization in modern Britain, this often results in bewilderment when the promises
of the rhetors fail.
The thesis is original in its finding that many of the miracles claimed by such
charismatic ministries are the result of suggestion similar to the miracles of the mind
cure movement of the nineteenth century and any seemingly miraculous financial
provision to leaders is the result of members of their discourse community giving in the
hope that they may receive in return, these miracles are therefore often socially
constructed."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Importing ‘Faith’: The Effect of American ‘Word of Faith’ Culture on Contemporary English Evangelical Revivalism"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Walker, Andrew George"],"dc:creator":["Ackerley, Glyn"],"dc:date":["2013-11-1"],"dc:date.issued":["2013-11-1"],"dc:description.abstract":["This thesis is an investigation of three exemplary ‘faith ministries’ that are or have been
recently active in the South-East of England. These ministries have embraced principles
from the American Health Wealth and Prosperity Movement (HWPM).
The author seeks to demonstrate that key concepts and approaches in the self-presentation
or rhetoric of these church leaders have their foundations in popular
American culture that has developed since the early 19th century, and that distinctive
characteristics of these ministries are particular examples of the globalisation of
American culture and, particularly, its distinctive pragmatism.
The three ministries considered are Michael Reid, Colin Urquhart and Jerry Savelle (an
American with an international ministry and offices in the UK).
An interpretative methodology employing two cultural frameworks to deconstruct the
movement’s rhetoric is applied to the writings, webcasts and other teaching materials
marketed by these ministries. The first of these frameworks is a historical, interpretative
theory acknowledging the distinctive influence of Pragmatism, Scottish Common Sense
Realism, the Protestant Work Ethic and neo-Gnosticism that are an explanation of the
roots and the continuing development of this way of thinking in American culture (and
the globalisation of its religion). The second framework is a more religious
interpretation that explains the nature of the movement’s ethos, worldview and
interpretive assumptions. It acknowledges the influence of Positive Thinking,
Subjective Idealism, Transcendentalism and New Thought.
An analysis of the performative rhetoric and teachings of the three persons considered
(and their mentors) examines the use of mechanistic language and concepts such as
principles, steps and keys to describe how their teachings can work for people’s benefit.
The thesis asks: What social and theological construction of reality, and what factors or
reasons, make these ministries appealing to people, and what is the true nature of what
these ministries offer?
After a literature review and initial methodology, the rhetorical analysis proceeds by
considering the nature of the ministries using insights from narrative theory,
psychology, congregational studies, Maussian analysis, organisational theory, and
theories of enchantment, charisma, class and cognitive dissonance. This thesis observes
that while pragmatic religious solutions attract adherents disenchanted by advanced
secularization in modern Britain, this often results in bewilderment when the promises
of the rhetors fail.
The thesis is original in its finding that many of the miracles claimed by such
charismatic ministries are the result of suggestion similar to the miracles of the mind
cure movement of the nineteenth century and any seemingly miraculous financial
provision to leaders is the result of members of their discourse community giving in the
hope that they may receive in return, these miracles are therefore often socially
constructed."],"dc:identifier":["oai:kclpure.kcl.ac.uk:studenttheses/6027989b-8a08-48cf-9d99-aa0718254729","https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/studentTheses/6027989b-8a08-48cf-9d99-aa0718254729"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/files/12997494/Studentthesis-Glyn_Ackerley_2013.pdf"],"dc:language":["eng"],"dc:publisher.department":["King's College London"],"dc:publisher.institution":["King's College London"],"dc:relation.isreferencedby":["https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/studentTheses/6027989b-8a08-48cf-9d99-aa0718254729"],"dc:title":["Importing ‘Faith’: The Effect of American ‘Word of Faith’ Culture on Contemporary English Evangelical Revivalism"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"dc:type.qualificationlevel":["Doctoral Thesis"],"dc:type.qualificationname":["Doctor of Philosophy in Theology"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:44:40Z"}