The
Gospel According to Oprah
by Marcia Z. Nelson
Westminster John Knox Press, 2005
review
by Kevin Miller
Coming rather late in the game in terms of the “Gospel According
to…” genre (which has featured books on The Simpsons,
Harry Potter, and Dr. Seuss, among others), one might expect The
Gospel According to Oprah to fall into the “day late
and a dollar short” category. Far from it. Seeking to discern
the mystery of Oprah’s allure to millions of viewers and readers
around the world, author Marcia Z. Nelson has written a taut little
book that is bound to appeal to Oprah fans and foes alike.
The first thing that struck me about this book is how much it resembles
Oprah’s show: Pleasant to look at, emotionally and intellectually
engaging, conversational and yet not too familiar, nutritious and
yet easily digestible, and just long enough to whet your appetite
for her subject matter without making you long for a commercial
break.
Considering that Nelson’s research involved watching Oprah’s
show for one year, reading dozens of O magazines, and corresponding
with fans via Oprah’s web site, it’s no surprise that
her tone and format are so ideally suited to the Queen of Daytime’s
following. And yet, it is an achievement worth noting, since few
people have been able to emulate Oprah’s ability to give the
people what they want. Perhaps it won’t be long before Oprah,
herself, comes calling… (which would be ironic, due to the
fact that Oprah’s people would not allow Nelson access to
her during the writing of this book.)
The other thing that impressed me about this book is the clarity
of Nelson’s thinking. Neither
overly gushy nor overly critical, and without wasting a word, she
accurately—I think—discerns “ten reasons why Oprah
is a compelling and successful spiritual teacher in spiritually
eclectic and ever-practical America.” Some
of these reasons include Oprah’s humanness, the way she provides
community for her viewers, her ability to listen, her emphasis on
generosity, gratitude, and forgiveness, and her ability to keep
things simple. These ten reasons form the skeleton of Nelson’s
book, with a brief, insightful chapter devoted to each.
Beyond simply explaining Oprah’s appeal, however, Nelson goes
a step further by seeking to understand what function Oprah plays
in society. Is she an entertainer? A preacher? A confessor? A self-help
guru? A scam artist? All of the above? Also, what does her popularity
mean? What does Oprah’s appeal say about her? What does it
say about us? I won’t divulge all of Nelson’s answers
to these questions, but I will say that she comes out with a decidedly
positive verdict, and her reasons for doing so are definitely worth
the read.
Love Oprah or hate her—Is
there really another option?—I can guarantee you will enjoy
this book. In fact, as was the case with me, you
may discover that your opinion on Oprah reveals as much about yourself
as it does about her, which merely proves Nelson’s fourth
secret to Oprah’s appeal: Oprah encourages self-examination.
And there’s nothing wrong with that.
Copyright
©2005 Kevin Miller
To purchase a copy of THE
GOSPEL ACCORDING TO OPRAH, visit amazon.com. This link
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users.
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