Kairos of The Sacrament

An appeal to kairos uses timing to gain an advantage in influencing the minds of others. This appeal is an especially powerful tool when used by cult leaders to influence and control the minds of their followers. In The Sacrament, followers are tempted to join because they are at desperate times in their life, dealing with afflictions such as drug addiction or abuse. Therefore, in the eyes of the commune’s leader, Father, they are perfect - easily persuadable targets with low spirits that provided the perfect opportunity for him to “save them” with promises of hope and salvation through membership into the commune.In the same way, many other cult leaders use appeals to kairos in order to attract and influence their followers. For example, the Children of God cult utilized the “hippie” spirit of the 1960s and early 1970s to draw people into joining their commune. As noted by Joaquin Phoenix, people at the time were eager to do something different and escape the materialistic mindset of the time. Therefore, by taking advantage of this time’s mindset, cults such as the Children of God were able to persuade people into joining by leading them to believe that they offered an answer to the liberated lifestyle that they were searching for. By playing upon the opportunities presented by timing, these cult groups were able to use appeals to kairos as a chief method of garnering followers.

Stasis Theory Within "The Sacrament"

The creators of "The Sacrament" decided to keep a steady theme of action and jurisdiction throughout the movie to highlight the main conflict of the film. The storyline follows two journalists who decide to film a documentary about a seclusive religious cult. However, what they find is not so pretty. The journalists notice multiple red flags throughout their time there, until finally a little girl spills that there is a group of individuals who want to escape. The protagonists are then stuck with a choice to take action or leave the incarcerated behind. The decision to take the initiative to try to save these followers set up the entire plot for the movie. Without this stasis set up, the movie would lose its direction and vision. The directors set off to represent the horrors behind some cult movements, and without the main characters looking to save victims, the movie would be unable to convey the message that cults can be extremely dark and dangerous. 

Not only is action and jurisdiction used to align the main ideas of the movie, but also cause and effect. When the protagonists decided to take the initiative to save those who were bound to the religious sect, the effects are irreparable. The "Father" of the cult orders a massacre of all who intended on leaving. If the journalists had never come, these events probably would not have occurred. It was crucial to portray the cause and effect of what happens when outsiders realize the horrifying truths that lurk behind the happy exterior of idolizing one being without question or reason. The stasis of the film kept the audience engaged and helped them to realize the director's concept of "The Sacrament". 

Stasis in Elmer Gantry (1960)

Within our text, Elmer Gantry, the primary stasis of action is employed in order for the cult leader, Elmer Gantry, to persuade his followers that they need him in their lives. In the trailer, to convince the religious leader Sister Sharon Falconer, loosely based off of Aimee Semple McPherson, of his intentions, Gantry says "I'd show you what heaven is like...just ecstasy." Through utilizing religion and sex, Gantry calls to action the need for him within her organization. Once he is able to preach to his audience, he begins to ask for money by convincing everybody that it is the only way to get to heaven. In order to emphasize this, Gantry says that they are "all sinners" doomed to "perdition." In the trailer, Falconer, under the influence of Gantry, asks the congregation what they think will get them into "God's own glorious heaven," following with the question "Your bank book?" In the blog, "Elmer Gantry: The Trap of Hypocrisy and Greed," it is said that Falconer in fact "knows Gantry is lying but allows him to continue preaching" because she believes they are meant to be. Through the powers of sex and guilting his audience, Elmer Gantry manages to convince his followers that the action they must take in order to not perdition is through him.

Kairos of Elmer Gantry

Kairos refers to the timing in which a rhetorical text is made. This can mean when an argument is presented during the most pertinent time possible, such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. presenting his "I Have a Dream" speech during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. The kairos of the film Elmer Gantry is largely derived from the eponymous novel of which it is adapted from.

The 1927 novel Elmer Gantry was based on the career/actions of Aimee Semple McPherson. McPherson was the founder of the Pentecostal Christian movement known as Foursquare Church. As stated previously, this was around the era of American history where there was a sharp advent of religious movements. The author Sinclair Lewis likely wrote his book to satirize such. He also wrote literature critical to capitalism and the wars taking place in his time. It is also good to note that McPherson was a critic of communism, as she believed it had the goal of "ruling without God," while also opposing fascism. The controversial movements introduced in the times of both the novel and the film were the driving force in their creation.

Pathos in "The Sacrament"

For cult leaders, preying upon pathos is a unique and powerful method of controlling and attracting followers. Appealing to the sense of emotion is an especially important tool, as the way we feel truly does have the power to influence the way we act, behave and view the world. In The Sacrament (watch the trailer here), this is seen through the control of the commune’s leader, who goes by the hauntingly simple name, “Father”. Father has brainwashed his followers into committing heinous and exploitive acts because he has full power over their emotions. These followers feel that Father has given them a sense of hope and happiness, choosing to ignore the wrongful pain that he is inflicting on them and their loved ones. Another modern day cult in which an appeal to pathos is particularly present in is The Brethren (to learn more about this group, click here). This group has such a grip on the emotions of their followers that they are willing to give up all worldly comforts in exchange for membership. They have become so emotionally attached to the goals and teachings of the Brethren that they cut all outside ties, completely giving themselves to the group. Emotional appeal is one of the most powerful tactics because it allows for the formation of bonds, making followers incredibly vulnerable to the grip of their leaders.

Pathos in "Elmer Gantry"

Pathos is arguably the most potent of all rhetorical appeals. It is also the most versatile, as it can appeal to emotions, imagination, morality (often confused with ethos). Elmer Gantry employs this device primarily through imagination.

A common goal and wish for skeptics is to be able to prove that their opposers are false. Many skeptics claim that religion and similar factions are simply schemes and cons. This film clearly feature a con couple. It allows opposers to the religious movements of the 20th Century to bask in a movie that portrays such sentiments. An issue with doing this is that it may create a confirmation bias with users, as they may erroneously claim, "all of these religions are false, this movie clearly shows that!" The extreme nature of the characters in the film as utilize fear and other emotions to help sell the idea that cults are a dangerous element of society.

Ethos in Elmer Gantry

"Elmer Gantry" shows a small peek into what cult life entails and the dark nuances that come along with it. Within the 1960s film's trailer, it highlights a man who uses his position of power to excuse sexual indiscretions. The way he acts towards women aids the rhetorical appeal of ethos by creating an heir of male dominance. The men of the time period did still see and treat women as property, making this rhetorical appeal extremely effective. Within the trailer, it shows blips of Gantry with multiple women. Within cult settings, polygamy is socially acceptable. This appeal towards the general male population's set of values attracts potential new members to join the movements. To women, however, this film most likely created feelings of disgust and anger. For rights women were fighting so hard and viciously for, this type of movie feels like a slap in the face.

In a more recent film about cults called "Follow the Prophet", it calls to women's ethos more so than men's. This trailer follows a woman who breaks away from her religious sect in the hopes of finding her identity and freedom. Women audience members may feel an emotional connection to this breakaway and in some ways can relate to it. For people who feel trapped in a bad relationship, unhappy with their current lifestyle, or are just simply stuck in some way, this movie can resonate with their latent feelings. Liberation is a human craving that all people yearn for in some way or another. "Follow the Prophet" leaves  a feeling of longing while "Elmer Gantry" elicits a forbidden desire.