Religion: Method Preaching

Too many pews may be empty in England, but the easy chairs, sofas and hassocks in front of television sets are well warmed. What is more, TV producers want more clergymen to man their panel-discussion programs. This chance to talk to a vast new congregation is hampered by one handicap: pulpit-trained preachers and priests often show up as poor performers on the TV screen.

Last week a Manchester school set up by Britain’s commercial ABC Independent Television Co. to teach show business to clergymen graduated its third class: 13 Roman Catholic priests, including two principals of theological seminaries. Similar five-day courses have been given to 13 Anglican (including two bishops) and twelve Free Church preachers.

For the most part, the clergymen were eager to learn—not that it is easy for a bishop to be told that his diction is bad, his talk diffuse, his eyes shifty, his breathing jerky, his harrumphs, ums and ahs distracting. “No. no,” cried a producer as one of his pupils monotoned the words “which Thou hast ordained.” “Put some feeling into it. This is God we are talking about. ‘Which THOU hast ordained.’ ” Obediently, the pupil tried again. “All right,” cried the producer, “I’ll buy that.”

Said Father Wilfrid Kelly of Crewe, Cheshire last week: “This is difficult to do, but the necessity for it is perfectly understandable. Think of Cardinal Newman’s reference to the slow dance of the Mass. Read how God told the Israelites to build the tabernacle in the desert, and note the tremendous visual detail in his instructions. Our Lord’s methods were perfect television, in three dimensions.”