An analysis of African American televangelists as cultural icons
Through their constant television broadcasts, mass video distributions, and printed publications, African American religious broadcasters have a seemingly ubiquitous presence in popular culture. They are on par with popular entertainers and athletes in the African American community as cultural icons even as they are criticized by others for taking advantage of the devout in order to subsidize their lavish lifestyles.
For these reasons questions abound. Do televangelists proclaim the message of the gospel or a message of greed? Do they represent the "authentic" voice of the black church or the Christian Right in blackface? Does the phenomenon reflect orthodox "Christianity" or ethnocentric "Americaninity" wrapped in religious language?
Watch This! seeks to move beyond such polarizing debates by critically delving into the dominant messages and aesthetic styles of African American televangelists and evaluating their ethical implications.
Jonathan L. Walton is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at the University of California, Riverside.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments Prelude Invocation: Time to Tune In: The Phenomenon of African American Religious Broadcasting 1 We Too Sing America: Racial Invisibility, Respectability, and the Roots of Black Religious Broadcasting 2 Something Within: The Cultural Sources of Rev. Frederick J. Eikerenkoetter II 3 Standing on the Promises: Diversity and Change within Contemporary Black Christian Practices 4 Come, Ye Disconsolate: The Ministry of Bishop T. D. Jakes 5 We Are Soldiers! The Ministry of Bishop Eddie L. Long 6 Fill My Cup, Lord: The Ministry of Pastors Creflo and Taffi Dollar 7 The Reasons Why We Sing: The Competing Rituals of Self-Affirmation and Social Accommodation 8 Lift Every Voice: Authority, Ideology, and the Implications of Religious Broadcasting for the Black Church Benediction: Blest Be the Tie That Binds Notes Bibliography Index About the Author
What People are Saying About This
From the Publisher
“Watch This! offers a good overview and introduction to both televangelism and African American religiosity. . .Walton clearly and ably explicates just why people are attracted to this form of media.” -CHOICE
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"Walton presents a spectacular piece of contemporary scholarship on the Black Church and media. He asserts that his work is foremost a scholarly work in Christian social ethics but the reader will find that it is more than that. It is an attempt to bridge the person in the pulpit, pew, and classroom in such a way that the only song that can be sung is, 'blest be the ties that bind.'"-Homiletic.net,
"Future scholars of the subjects here explored by Walton will return to Watch This! time and again for footnote and provocation."-Church History,
"[Walton] points to the contrast between the individualized nature of problem-solving in contemporary televangelism and the social justice history of the African American religious tradition. Televangelism, by its very nature, works against the type of corporate religious consciousness that leads to social change and Walton documents this well."-Prism,
"In this groundbreaking work, J. L. Walton moves us beyond the naive belief that televangelism is a territory dominated solely by the white religious right and introduces us to the intricate world of black televangelism... Walton challenges us to examine the relationship between the success of black televangelistic ministries and the failure of more traditional ecclesiastical and political movements to address the needs of those rendered socially invisible in our society. This book is highly recommended for any student of American and/or African-American religious history and religious studies."-Religious Studies Review
