Oral-Formulaic Theory: Annotated Bibliography

Bruce A. Rosenberg. "The Psychology of the Spiritual Sermon." In Religious Movements in Contemporary America. Ed. Irving I. Zaretsky and Mark P. Leone. Princeton: Princeton University Press. pp. 135-49.

Describes oral composition among folk-preachers in the "marginal" churches of the South and Southwest in psycholinguistic terms. Recognizes the importance of rhythm, patterned language, and narrative structure, as well as the active role of the audience.
Area: US, FP, CP