Marcia Z. Nelson

When I first saw this at the book sale, I thought it would be by some conservative decrying Oprah's lack of Jesus-talk. Quite the opposite: this author argues that Oprah's lack of expicitly religious language is one of her major successes as a pastoral public figure. Yes, pastoral. Though not a pastor, Oprah melds together an eclectic blend of practical, everyday spiritual teachings on her show. She teaches forgiveness and gratitude, and encourages her audience to practice self-examination (e.g. don't just lose the weight, but ask yourself why you eat emotionally). She does so not by preaching, but by inviting "witnesses" on her show to give "tesimonies." Oprah's roots in a black church inform her way of presenting and occassionally the vocabulary she describes it in, when she does discuss Jesus. And she exudes charm and likeability, especially because she openly talks about her flaws (e.g. weight gain).

Overall, an okay book. I came away with some insights but felt like it lacked some depth. It did give me a new appreciation of Oprah, especially how she has opened up the national dialogue on sex abuse and other womens' issues. It was also a bit dated (2005) so didn't cover the end of her show. It would have also been nice to explore Oprah's attitudes towards religion(s), such as her episode on Catholic nuns. I gave it to my mom (an avowed Oprah fan) to read.… (altro)