About the book, from the publisher:
“Today on Oprah,” intones the TV announcer, and all over America viewers tune in to learn, empathize, and celebrate. In this book, Kathryn Lofton investigates the Oprah phenomenon and finds in Winfrey’s empire—Harpo Productions, O Magazine, and her new television network—an uncanny reflection of religion in modern society. Lofton shows that when Oprah likes, needs, or believes something, she offers her audience nothing less than spiritual revolution, reinforced by practices that fuse consumer behavior, celebrity ambition, and religious idiom. In short, Oprah Winfrey is a media messiah for a secular age. Lofton’s unique approach also situates the Oprah enterprise culturally, illuminating how Winfrey reflects and continues historical patterns of American religions.Learn more about Oprah: The Gospel of an Icon at the University of California Press website.
Kathryn Lofton is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies and American Studies at Yale University.
The Page 99 Test: Oprah: The Gospel of an Icon.
--Marshal Zeringue
Posts
