Yale Professor Believes Oprah Winfrey Is a Religious Icon

By John Mitchell Posted Apr 22nd 2011 11:42AM

Many people joke about Oprah Winfrey's saintly nature, and the Queen of Talk has indeed used her show as something of a pulpit, preaching the importance of "being your best self." So it was only a matter of time before a bona fide brainiac conducted a study to prove what we already know: Oprah is a religious icon.

Yale professor Kathryn Lofton writes in her new book, 'Oprah: The Gospel of an Icon,' that Winfrey's message -- that you don't have to be perfect though you should work toward being the best you can be, which she calls "The Gospel of You" -- is tantamount to a working religion, according to the New York Post.

Lofton claims to have studied the transcripts for nearly every episode of Winfrey's show for the last 12 years -- over 1,560 of them -- as well as 105 issues of O magazine, 17 issues of O at Home, 68 books from Oprah's Book Club and 52 Spirit Newsletters.

She believes that Winfrey utilizes the same rhythmic speech patterns used by southern preachers and employs a sermon-like structure for each show, and that over the years the combination of those things and her message that "your discovery of yourself as the source for change -- in yourself and in the world" is effectively a sort of gospel.

"Gospel is a word that means 'good news,' " Lofton says. "Oprah says that the good news is 'you,'" Lofton told the Post.

Tags: oprah winfrey

Comments

(56)

Friday 06 May

By DawnD13

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Get serious...you think she GIVES cars and trips out of her own pocket? All those items are sponsored by corporations for the publicity. She may give to charities, but am I the only one who noticed that most of her giving is for black people? Talk about reverse racism!

Saturday 07 May

By Corinne

Vote down Vote up Report this

OH MY, so because Oprah didn't pour her billions into the folks down south who had NO INSURANCE on their homes.... Not her fault.....I don't particularly like Oprah or her messages but she has a right to do what she wants. She helps an awful lot of people with and without asking.
Stand on your own two feet and stop waiting for handouts.....

Friday 22 April

By s

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

no, no she isn't. she's a pig. have some bacon and get a life.

By CJB

She is a legend in her own mind.

By busymissnanci

OK....Enough Already! I don't need "Religion", or "religious Icons". Of all the trite nonsense. I am certainly not a God, and would absolutely HATE having anyone promote me as such. It is sacriligious to tout a tv personality as such. I am sure that Oprah is a lovely person, but the problem we have, as a nation, is that we have begun to idolize ourselves, and to think that we are the answer to everything. On judgement day, I am going to make sure that the God I worship, is THE God.

By Valeria

I love Oprah - but this is going a little too far.

JW.....how about "a beautiful AMERICN" woman, etc.....THere is no need for all the ethnic identifying prefixes we use on "American" today. Maybe we would have less prejudice and differences in this country if we all simply called ourselves "Americans". When one speaks with black people from England, they simply refer to themselves as "British". Seems to me "American" is enough of an identifier.

By diane rogers

give me a break! not an Oprah fan. just shows you how many sheep are out there that cannot get by without her.

By REALLY???

To jwblackpride - "African-American" Really????? She was born in Africa???? That's what I thought - nice try though....

By MWM

You have got to be kidding me! Just another thing to inflate he racist head! I am sorry if that sounds offensive, but Oprah is a racist--while not militant about it--it's there. This Yalie is nuts too! Just like our President was the Messiah--these are just human beings. Yes, I admire Oprah for her philanthropy, but please people--she is just a successful business woman...that's it! No one really cares~ there are more important things going on in this world that should be newsworthy!

By bayleon02

If you even sort of follow Oprah, she's really searching for meaning for her own life, and using her show to do it. She shares books and brings on experts that she has found useful. People have this notion that they know Oprah because she's been on T.V. and in the public eye for so long. So it's something like taking advice from a friend when she discusses various problems people deal with in life. I don't see it as a religion at all. Sounds like another person trying to ride the coat tails of her fame.

Why can't you just say woman? Or just American woman?

By jwwhitepride

Learn how to spell, moron! Since you're SO BLACK PRIDE, go over to "AOL Black Voices" and give THEM grief! By the way, Winfrey's a pig!

By Ed

jwblackpride is a career Azzhole

By sage

This article is really very insightful. It shows the difference between those who are "in the world" and those who are "of the world." Those, "of the world", why they typically cry for separation of church and state, use their false religion to elevate what they worship--money, power, celebrity, political correctness and virtually anything but God. They will be surprised one day, when they leave this life, that they can't take it with them.

By Donna

How much longer until her last show. Hurry up and go away Oprah pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. I am so tired of you and hearing about you

By Lilly

Bayleon02. Well said.

By the_fool

She has enough money to rival any Church. A Religious Icon? Very sad to write something like that and put it in front of anybody's eyes.

By Charlie Taylor

Big Orpah it was mispelled at birth is a tubby racist pig. Only 14 out of 100 guests should be black to represent the 14% black population of the US. Happy when she is finally gone. The reviews of OWN are not good.....makes this hater a happy man.

By Ernie D.

I have seen a huge transformation of Oprah over the years. She is an icon. She is a black woman. She makes all people regardless of race, gender, and other physical features as just human beings. So does Ellen, Jerry Springer, Maury Povich, and the list goes on.

Page 2 of 3