What is the small, portable cross worn as a sign of faith and blessing called?

Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

The Dude Abides

Home
Progressive Christian

Last updated on: November 18, 2005 at 2:23 pm by Cathleen Falsani

2005-11-18T14:23:00-07:00 Cathleen Falsani

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Gospel According to Oprah, America’s favorite pastor?

In her 2000 HBO stand-up comedy special, “The Beginning,” Ellen DeGeneres describes an imaginary (one presumes) meeting with God at God’s house.

The Creator and the comedienne drink Chablis, eat fondue and have a chat.

“There were pictures of Jesus everywhere,” DeGeneres says of God’s decorating, before revealing that God is, in fact, a gorgeous middle-aged African-American woman.

I always picture Her as Oprah Winfrey in a purple pantsuit.

Which might explain what happened when I heard that in a recent poll, 33 percent of respondents to an online poll at Beliefnet.com, the groovy, ever-expanding Web site that covers all kinds of religions and spiritual paths as they intersect with popular culture, said Winfrey has had “a more profound impact” on their spiritual lives than their clergypersons.

Upon hearing the news, my first thought was, “Yeah, could see that.”

And my second thought was . . . well, it was imagining a beaming Winfrey in the fabulous purple pantsuit handing me a glass of chilled white wine, a perfectly starched linen napkin, and a fondue fork with a pretty beaded tassel on the end, and inviting me to sit down on her white linen sectional to discuss my gratitude journal.

I’m certain this says far more about me and my hyperactive imagination than it does about God. Or Oprah. But still —

This week Winfrey celebrated the 20th anniversary of “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” (The first broadcast of the show was in September 1985 and it became nationally syndicated in 1986, so I guess this week was kind of in the middle.)

With more than 10 million viewers in more than 100 countries, there is no denying the awesome power of “the Oprah.” She reaches more people in a TV day than most preachers could ever dream of in a lifetime of sermons and altar calls.

I wonder, has Oprah become America’s pastor?

For more than a generation, that unofficial title has been held by the Rev. Billy Graham, who also announced this week, at the age of 87, that his revival this past summer in New York City would be, as many had suspected, his last.

In her new book, The Gospel According to Oprah, author Marcia Z. Nelson of west suburban Aurora makes a persuasive case for how Oprah, 51, may be the new Billy, at least in terms of the nonsectarian spiritual-shepherd-like function she serves in today’s increasingly pluralistic culture. Nelson recalls that it was Winfrey who acted as master of ceremonies at the nation’s public memorial service 12 days after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, a role that Graham, who is in poor health, likely would have filled in years past.

While she is not ordained, doesn’t preach in the traditional sense, and normally eschews overt Jesus-talk on her television show, Oprah actively spreads the gospel, albeit one that encompasses, but is not confined to, biblical ideals.

Nelson says Winfrey “translates what religions would term transcendent into something that is inspiring but secular.” Oprah’s “gospel” is built upon gratitude and forgiveness, generosity and action, self-examination and empathy, and is presented in a way that is entertaining enough to keep her audience interested in hearing more, Nelson says.

One episode of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” might focus on the plight of HIV-positive South African children, or women and girls who have been raped as a weapon of war in Congo. The next episode might be about how to choose a bra that fits correctly, or Jennifer Aniston’s love life.

Still, Nelson says, Oprah’s show presents a consistent theology of story and morality that says we are all part of the human family. We are affected by the suffering and joys of others, at home or across an ocean. We are, each of us, flawed and yet equally loved by God.

“She is religion dressed in fashionable street clothes, walking the walk, meeting people where they are on weekdays, not Sundays, and talking to them in their language, which is also hers: the language of experience,” Nelson writes.

While we haven’t quite arrived at “Oprahism,” a religion envisioned in the cartoon series “Futurama” (and pithily referenced in a blurb on the back cover of Nelson’s book by my Florida buddy, Mark Pinsky, the Orlando Sentinel’s religion writer and author of The Gospel According to the Simpsons and The Gospel According to Disney books), there is mounting evidence for a kind of cult of Oprah.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that. If Winfrey’s efforts produce generous, grateful, forgiving devotees who are passionate about alleviating the suffering of others, what’s to criticize?

The Oprah phenomenon doesn’t ruffle the feathers of the Rev. John Cusick, the straight-talking director of young adult ministries for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago and a preaching priest-in-residence at Old St. Pat’s, which just happens to be the parish nearest Harpo Studios, a k a home of “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”

“Oprah has the most popular talk show in America — why wouldn’t she be a tremendous influence?” Cusick said when I mentioned the Beliefnet poll. “It makes all kind of sense to me. I’m not thrilled with it, but I think Oprah is quite level-headed. Look at what she did after Hurricane Katrina. In many ways she was more of a moral voice around what was happening in New Orleans than any voice I heard. Any politician. Anyone. I mean, she was outraged at the [government’s] response. She did a whole show about it.

“What she’s doing is helping people to trigger the spiritual self that every one of us has. And then people can move on to say, ‘What am I going to do with this? … I somehow need to feed this spiritual hunger that I’m beginning to experience,” he said. “My job is to try to offer that answer.”

Like any good pastor, Oprah isn’t attempting to draw people to herself.

She’s trying to point her audience in the direction of something — or someone — that can offer abundant life, where Chablis and fondue are just the fringe benefits.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

November 4, 2005

Next Post

November 18, 2005 There's no denying the power of 'the Oprah'

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category A little happy ARCHIVED COLUMNS BECOMING FAMILY BelieberNess BREAKING NEWS! Disquiet Time DJ JEFF'S SPINTASMS falsani FILM from OCRegister From Sojo.net God Nods GODSTUFF I Take Requests incubatespirit LURKING IN THE NARTHEX On My Nightstand ONEMOMS Polling the Room PONTIFEXCELLENT Thru My Eyes TWO CENTS Uncategorized Upcoming Events VASCO VASCO'S HEART

Select a Month January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 July 2014 May 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 April 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 October 2003 March 2003 December 2002 October 2002 January 2001

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What is the small, portable cross worn as a sign of faith and blessing called?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Chalice Mitre Tabernacle Crucifix