Girl Evangelists
 
This site has come about as a result of a book that Lanette Ruff and I wrote. We had discovered a curious phenomenon that had escaped the notice of researchers. That was the boom in girl evangelists in the 1920s and into the 1930s. Our book deals with a range of questions, setting this golden age of girl evangelists in the context of the new vision of the feminine in the 1920s—the racy and risque flapper—that was developing, as well as in the environment of the child star, which was being heavily promoted by the new Hollywood industry of the time. Into this world came young girl revivalist preachers, some as young as three. About 70% of these girls were associated in some way with Pentecostalism, the newest religious expression on the scene. We hope that this website can become a tool for the continued study of the phenomenon of girl evangelists, and the recovery of the stories of these forgotten girls. Many of our topics have suggested further readings at the end. Click on the title to find the book on the Amazon website. This website was first posted in January 2012 and will be under construction over the next few months. Suggestions, comments, and any relevant archival material would be appreciated.
The Golden Age of Girl Evangelists:
1920s and 1930s

Thomas A. Robinson
and Lanette D. Ruff,
“Out of the Mouths of Babes:
Girl Evangelists in the Flapper Era
(New York: Oxford University Press, 2012)

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