In a decade which celebrates the centenary of the genesis of broadcasting, With God on Our Side examines the extent to which the personality and charisma of key individuals rather than regulators, churches or governments, contributed to the impact of religious broadcasting in the 20th Century. Putting this in context, it sketches the backdrop of mass communications and the development of broadcasting within it, as well as the religious influences of the era and models of personality, whilst also undertaking a comparative examination of the historical, social and legislative settings of religious broadcasting in the USA and the UK from 1921 to 1995. The study looks in depth at the pioneers who took to the stage and became household names, illustrating the differing programming styles and programme makers of the USA and the UK and the organisations that grew up around them to make the broadcasts possible, as well as the audiences who tuned in and the Church networks that supported them, depicting also how the Church was represented within broadcasting in this era. Finally, crystallising the issues outlined and moving from the macro to the micro, the book features two case studies of Christian broadcasting, one from the USA and one from the UK, looking at their governance, structures, programme styles, funding, on-air personalities and their relative audiences, revealing strongly in these two tangible examples, the personality dimension in this unique genre of broadcasting, which so profoundly influenced the media, church and society as it existed in the USA and in the UK, during the 20th Century.

Ian Robertson is Senior Lecturer in Linguistics and Education and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Education, University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago.