Postcards can yield insight into persuasion strategy, religious events, and social situations. Rally Day postcards reveal how churches at the start of the 20th century characterized a pivotal day in the life of many churches—Rally Day, the start of a new church year; how churches framed their messaging to communicate with congregants; and how churches solicited involvement from members. This present analysis surveys a sample of twelve Rally Day postcards. The postcards were repeatedly read by the author to discern consistent themes. Four themes emerged: (1) Celebration; (2) Learning; (3) Community; and (4) Avoiding Failure. These themes are described, with representative data from the postcards offered as examples, followed by a discussion of findings and suggestions for future research.
Compton, J. (2023). Persuasion strategies in vintage Rally Day postcards: Postal religious communication. Religious Communication Association, Washington DC.
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