The Itinerant Pulpit Of The Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (Wctu): Teachers Or Preachers?

Abstract

This chapter introduces the concept of the itinerant pulpit, particularly the ambiguous borders of teaching and preaching, exemplified by the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). Following the conceptual frame of the itinerant pulpit, the chapter introduces the WCTU teachers and preachers with an overview of my historical research method known as feminist genealogy. The author applies this method to locating the women's temperance pulpit historically, spanning its Methodist antecedents in England, its alliances with other social movements, sponsors, and mentors, focusing on North America, where the WCTU flourished in the 19th century under the leadership of Frances Willard. The chapter culminates with historically situated exemplars of the alternative forms of WCTU sermons, drawing out some implications of the women's temperance pulpit for present-day women preachers and laity addressing similar social and moral issues. Keywords: itinerant pulpit; sermons; Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU)