Oprah Theology

George B. Davis

Description

Oprah Theology gives readers insight into the woman who overcame extraordinary adversity to become a media mogul. Oprah Theology also offers a unique look at how she has influenced modern-day religion—a look that suggests things may not be as they seem.
Oprah Winfrey is one the most influential people of our time. Her extraordinary gift for connecting with people, combined with her ever-expanding empire, is extending her sphere of influence significantly. For millions, Oprah is perceived as the most credible source of information concerning just about anything. However, more than anything else, Oprah uses her elevated celebrity status to expound upon her deep-rooted spiritual beliefs to millions of unsuspecting viewers, many who claim to be Christian.
In Oprah Theology, author George B. Davis tells how the media maven aggressively and effectively integrates and sells her brand of New Spirituality through her speaking engagements, her book club, her magazine, her radio network, her television show, and now, her television network. Davis takes an exhaustive look at Winfrey’s claim that the core principles of her New Spirituality are based in biblical principles.
Oprah Theology gives readers insight into the woman who overcame extraordinary adversity to become a media mogul. Oprah Theology also offers a unique look at how she has influenced modern-day religion—a look that suggests things may not be as they seem.

Sujets

• Religion
• Christianisme
• Christian Theology
• Philosophie et théologie
• Christianity
• Oprah Winfrey
• New Age

Informations

• Publié par: WestBow Press
• Date de parution: 25 mai 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781664298316
• Langue: English

Extrait

OPRAH THEOLOGY
 
 
 
 
A Comparative Analysis of Oprah Winfrey’s Worldview of Christianity and Biblical Christianity
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
George B. Davis
 
 
 

 
Copyright © 2023 George B. Davis.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.
 
 
 
WestBow Press
A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.westbowpress.com
844-714-3454
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
Unless otherwise noted, scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
 
Scripture quotations marked (NASB) taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org
 
Scripture marked (NKJV) taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
 
ISBN: 978-1-6642-9830-9 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-9832-3 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-9831-6 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2023907532
 
 
 
WestBow Press rev. date: 05/09/2023
CONTENTS
Preface
Abbreviations
Introduction
Chapter 1 : The Woman, Oprah Winfrey: the Early Years
Oprah’s Early Years
Reunion with Her Mother
Oprah’s Broadcasting Roots
Summary
Chapter 2 : The Oprah Winfrey Empire
Oprah’s Rise to Power
Oprah’s Contributions to Society
Lessons Learned from Oprah’s Achievements
Summary
Chapter 3 : Oprah’s Spiritual Turning Point
Her Early Exposure to Christianity
The Point She Rejected Biblical Christianity
Her Fascination with New Spirituality
Influences That Shaped Her New Philosophical Perspective
The Ideology of “Christ Consciousness”
The Evolution to a Another Gospel
Summary
Chapter 4 : New Spirituality versus Biblical Christianity
The Nature of God: Oprah’s View
The Nature of God: the Christian View
The Authority of the Bible: Oprah’s View
The Authority of Scriptures: The Biblical Christianity View
The Deity of Jesus Christ: Oprah’s View
The Deity of Christ: Biblical Christianity
The Suffering of Jesus Christ: Oprah’s View
The Suffering of Christ: Biblical Christianity
The Holy Spirit: Oprah’s View
The Holy Spirit: The Christian View
The Nature of Man and the Reality of Sin: Oprah’s View
The Nature of Man and the Reality of Sin: The Christian View
Salvation and Eternal Life: Oprah’s Worldview
Salvation and Eternal Life: the Christian View
Summary
Chapter 5 : Review and Conclusions
Review
The Impact of New Spirituality on the Christian Community
Closing Comments
 
Bibliography
PREFACE
The past century has seen an exponential paradigm shift away from biblical Christianity and toward a postmodern worldview of Christianity. A philosophical ideology that accepts a diversity of belief systems, even systems in conflict with one another, is a major characteristic of the shift. There are significant numbers of professing Christians cozying up to a belief that all faiths are compatible with and equal to Christianity and all lead to salvation and eternal life.
According to Pew Research’s 2014 Religious Landscape Study, “66 percent of American Christians say many religions can lead to eternal life.” 1 That is a fourteen percentage points increase from the 2008 report. 2 The survey’s indicates that as the church gravitates more toward politics and cultural pressures, it is proportionately losing its Christian influence in the world. 3 This redefinition of biblical Christianity reflects the influence of postmodernism that dispels absolutes. Truth and reality are subjective and individualized. 4 The result is a mixture of philological perspectives and religious views that accept belief in anything, everything, or nothing at all.
The increasing gulf between biblical Christianity, neo-Christianity, and contending world religions has created a nondescript homogenized spirituality, especially in America. In many cases, religion, non-religion, and new concepts of spirituality have produced a theology of whatever works for the individual. This new form of religion is self-exalting and self-worshiping. Consequently, God/god is individually defined. In the search for spirituality, as opposed to a fixed standard of beliefs based on objective biblical truths, people are pursuing an intuitive experience-based kind of spirituality. Hence, many confessions of faith, or no confession at all, compete for equality.
The attack on Christianity is nothing new, but the intensity the church faces today has increased exponentially, and with unprecedented boldness. Every Christian should be concerned about this rapid abandonment of biblical Christianity. The lure of a kind of spirituality that is free from restraint and void of moral absolutes is attractive, consuming, and, as a result, causing many to “depart from the faith or redefine Christianity in terms more congruent to cultural and societal norms. Scripture repeatedly cautions Christians to not “believe every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 Jn. 4:1). Those who are charged with caring for the flock of God must stand on the wall and give clear warning to God’s people of God of the pending and present danger of this “new spirituality.”
This book seeks to do just that.
ABBREVIATIONS
Old Testament
Dan.
Daniel
Exod.
Exodus
Ezek.
Ezekiel
Gen.
Genesis
Isa.
Isaiah
Jer.
Jeremiah
Job
Job
Num.
Numbers
Ps.
Psalm
2 Sam.
2 Samuel
 

New Testament
Acts
Acts
Col.
Colossians
1 Cor.
1 Corinthians
2 Cor.
2 Corinthians
Eph.
Ephesians
Heb.
Hebrews
Jas.
James
1 Jn
1 John
Jn.
John
Luke
Luke
Mark
Mark
Matt.
Mathew
1 Pet.
1 Peter
2 Pet.
2 Peter
Phil.
Philippians
Rom.
Romans
Rev.
Revelations
1 Tim.
1 Timothy
2Tim.
2 Timothy
Titus
Titus
 

Version of the Bible
KVJ
King James Version
NASB
New American Standard Bible
NKJV
New King James Version
INTRODUCTION
The hallmarks of Oprah Winfrey’s success include her persona, communications skills, and extraordinary likability. Rising from the depths of poverty and adversity, she has catapulted to that of renowned film producer, philanthropist extraordinaire, magazine publisher, and the highest-rated talk show host in American television history. 5 The Oprah Winfrey Show, O: The Oprah Magazine, Oprah’s Angel Network, and her 2011 partnership with Discovery Communications, which launched what is now the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), give testimony to her sustaine