The Age of Mass Media

Turner suggests that the scientific developments around the turn of the century (in psychology, specifically) changed the way religion functioned (as do many scholars of religion) [8]. Turner compares Hell to the “existential wastelands” that appear in pop culture hits like Apocalypse Now and Catch 22 and implies that Hell of the 20^th century is more of a psychological battleground than a supernatural land of physical torment [8]. Like generations before it, this new pop culture twist effects the imagery used by religious leaders as well.

In the first half of the 20^th century Evangelicalism was on the decline as non protestant immigration, inner city cultural growth, and secularization of higher education were on the rise [7]. Some groups, however, did expand during this time, like the Moody Bible Institute, a religious education center, and some smaller local church communities [7]. Also during this time, evangelicals starting pressing for radio time, bringing a new era of evangelizing. By the 1950’s when religious leaders like Billy Graham took the stage, and loosened some of the more strict facets of fundamentalism, creating a more positive image of evangelicalism, these groups started to grow, especially in the public eye.

Since modern evangelicalism is so diverse, beliefs about Hell among evangelicals must vary. For some fundamentalists, the lack of Biblical proof of Hell’s existence is enough grounds for its rejection, while other Christians find it necessary to justify evil in the world. Still others argue that it’s incompatible with the loving God that evangelicals believe in.

For example, Billy Graham told Robert Schuller in a 1997 interview that he believes everyone who knows Christ, even non Christians who may be unaware, are saved and will go to heaven [6]. An influential evangelical leader, Graham didn’t want to fully reject the doctrine of Hell that’s become common Christian tradition, but he didn’t want to focus on it either.

Early evangelicalism was more reflective of its Puritan ancestors, and as they could have learned from early Christians, Hell is an effective tool of evangelism. However, as evangelicalism took its own form, emphasizing the goodness of God and the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, Hell was no longer a compatible focal point. In other words, newer evangelicals have chosen the love over the fear route to sell their religion, and it turned out to be incredibly effective in the age of mass media.