On Thursday, October 13, 2011 Paul spoke with Stephen Mansfield, author of Oprah: The Religious Influence of the World’s Most Famous Woman
Stephen_Mansfield_on_Oprah.mp3
From the publisher’s description of Oprah: The Religious Influence of the World’s Most Famous Woman:
Born into poverty in Mississippi in 1954 and rising through talent, hard work and despite tragedy-she was raped at the age of nine and lost an infant son at 14-Oprah Winfrey has become one of the wealthiest, most powerful, and most popular women of her age. These facts alone would make Winfrey worthy of study, yet what makes her of even more profound impact on American society is her decision to champion the cause of “New Age Christianity.” She is, as Christianity Today has proclaimed, “a postmodern priestess-an icon of church-free spirituality.” Rejecting her Baptist roots, Winfrey has become a champion of the Course in Miracles, a seminar in which Christianity is reinterpreted in terms of self-actualization, personal divinity, and self-empowerment. She has also become a disciple of Eckhart Tolle, the increasingly popular teacher of a form of spirituality that blends Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, and Christianity.
Author Stephen Mansfield explores the Winfrey spiritual phenomenon-much as Mansfield has with figures like George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Pope Benedict XVI, and Winston Churchill.
Stephen Mansfield is a New York Times bestselling author, an acclaimed lecturer, an advisor to leaders around the world and an activist in a variety of social causes.
Bartlett’s brief response is unhelpful, at best. America might be about to have a president whose kneejerk comments seem to be made without thought of (or concern for) consequence but that simply makes it more necessary than ever to steadfastly show care and forgiveness for others; not follow his poor example.
Actually, “idiot” she is not! Misguided in her beliefs; and in that, potentially a danger to others, due to her wide influence and popularity. Which are grounded in her charisma and history of genuine unspeakable suffering.
Rather than slate people with a quick and cruel retort, we should attempt to explain in order to avoid others following blindly, which from what I’ve read, it seems this author is doing. Long gone are the days when people read the Bible in order to learn to read and write. The wonderful array of literature we now have has sadly led to many not bothering to read Scripture for themselves, making it easier than ever to follow something they think “sounds” right, instead of reading the Bible for themselves and asking God to show them the right way.
If the author has, as reviews claim, portrayed the reality here, shedding “needed light on the dangers of a spiritual journey fuelled solely by a desire for self-actualisation”, then it has to be of value in helping bring folk back on track. Hopefully Oprah will see that light too! Equally, there are of course many shared cultural (non-faith, though often confused with) aspects that we can use as common ground in our relationships with others. I have yet to read the book, having only just found out about it: I’ll be buying it! It sounds likely to help enhance understanding, which we need in order to avoid the pitfalls of her approach and to help others in their search for the true God, the Creator who loves and forgives us.
Paul,
Oprah is an idiot. I wouldn’t waste five seconds on her. I wonder how many “takes” before the photographer got the praying hands pose just right.