http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/28/magazine/28Evangelicals-t.html?ex=1194321600&en=6c3d1338010c3d06&ei=5070&emc=eta1

New York Times Magazine
"The Evangelical Crackup"
By David D. Kirkpatrick
Published: October 28, 2007

Theme: Christian Evangelicals are torn between presidential candidates for 2008. Almost all candidates-Democrat and Republican- are currently trying to appear as moderate as possible, and they are searching for a candidate that will make decisions along their 'theological lines.'

Descriptive techniques:

Avoiding adjectives- Instead of saying "the pastor had the support of his congregation," the author makes the passage more interesting by using active verbs. He figuratively says, "His congregation, for the most part, applauded."

When the author does use adjectives, he makes good use of them. Instead of simply laying out the names of the current Republican presidential candidates, the author helps one picture them. Each analogy bears the negative stereotype that an evangelical might have of the candidate: "a lapsed-Catholic big city mayor; a Massachusetts Mormon; a church-skipping Hollywood actor; and a political renegade known for crossing swords with Rev. Pat Robertson and the Rev. Jerry Falwell."

Using Analogies- "Ever since they broke with mainline Protestant churches nearly 100 years ago, the hallmark of evangelicals has been a vision of society as a sinking ship, sliding toward depravity and sin."

Limit physical descriptions- In detailing that Rev. David Welsh is a conservative, the author does not note Welsh's physical attributes, but instead describes his clothing: "Welsh, who is favors pressed khaki pants and buttoned-up polo shirts, is a staunch conservative..."

Use lively verbs- Instead of saying that pastors are against abortion rights, the author says that they "combat abortion rights."

Set the scene: The author does this well in the lead: "The hundred-foot white cross atop the Immanuel Baptist Church in downtown Wichita, Kan., casts a shadow over a neighborhood of payday lenders, pawnbrokers and pornographic video stores. To its parishioners, this has long been the front line of the culture war. "


In combining descriptive and narrative techniques, the author also uses compelling storytelling structure, as he takes the reader through his experiences with evangelical elites, pastors, and congregation members. By detailing his observations, he makes the reader feel as though they are in each location, at his side in the interviews. Ultimately, he does a great job at taking a completely non-biased approach to the story, and allows readers to draw their own conclusions.