‘Oprah: The Gospel of an Icon” by Kathryn Lofton’s
“Oprah: The Gospel of an Icon” by Kathryn Lofton is a book that uses Oprah Winfrey’s work to define the structure and history of religion in modern America. In the book Lofton observes that Oprah is many things put into one: Corporate, therapeutic, entertaining and philanthropy. Lofton, however, is quick to add that the best way to describe Winfrey is to compare her to religion. She writes that the manner in which Winfrey has turned out is the same way religion becomes when it is without embossed creed, without permanent structure and without bounds. The book does not merely use theories in studying its subject but, but advance new hypothetical models to research religion and culture. It brings down the wall that separates culture and religion by discerning Winfrey’s deep religious roots, her language practices and rituals therefore telling a much bigger story about the relationship between the two concepts (religion and culture) in Modern America.
According to Lofton, in Oprah’s realm what one desires and consumes transforms them regardless of whether they are Muslim, Christian, Jew, Hindu or any other religion.…show more content… This is because in all these messages Oprah has not only been repetitive, but also consistent. Oprah seems to be telling her audience to empty themselves for “Oprah, the phenomenon”. This is done through several ways; one of them is through unburdening your psyche and home of items they no longer need, abstaining from extravagant spending habits, to enable you save and leave some tithe for the ritual philanthropy. Another way through which people have to empty themselves for Oprah is through ritual confessions; confessions of shameful secrets and tells of trauma in exchange of an embrace or welcome into the salvation, “salacious details and a certitude of a triumphant