Description
Book SynopsisDo televangelists proclaim the message of the gospel or a message of greed? Do they represent the 'authentic' voice of the black church or is it the Christian Right in blackface? This book delves into the messages and aesthetic styles of African American televangelists, and evaluates their ethical implications.
Trade ReviewFuture scholars of the subjects here explored by Walton will return to time and again for footnote and provocation. * Church History *
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 *
[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 *
Walton has written an invaluable book that scholars of black religion (not just black Christianity) in this country will do well to read and learn from. -- Edward P. Antonio * Journal of Religion *
Watch This! The Ethics and Aesthetics of Black Televangelism positively contributes to the literature examining African American religiosity. The richness of the text is not attributable to its discussion of broadcasting but to its keen reflection on the evolution of religion in America and to its providing an entry point for dialogue about the complexity of the African American religious experience. -- Mary D. Hinton * Journal of American Ethnic History *
In Watch This!, Walton presents the field with its first full treatment of American televangelism...with its originating status and keen interdisciplinary social and ethical analysis, [the book] will be a foundational text. -- Lerone A. Martin * Journal of Religion, Media & Digital Culture *
The eight chapters move along at a nice clip...nobody in the academy is paying enough attention [to the cost of televangelism]. Jonathan Walton is. -- Katherine Sonderegger * Modern Theology *
An important examination of the Black Electronic Church. Jonathan Walton brings new insights into the major TV evangelists in the African American community. -- James H. Cone,Union Theological Seminary
One of the first books to thoughtfully analyze how African American television ministries are re-shaping the contours of black religious experiences. With critical insight into the theological, social, and political logics of three mega-ministries, Walton’s book provides just the stimulus we need for a long overdue conversation! -- Marla Frederick,Harvard University
This book is the best work we have on the complex dynamics of the Black megachurch phenomenon. Walton is a brilliant cultural critic and courageous prophetic voice! -- Cornel West,Princeton University
“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 *
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 *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Prelude Invocation: Time to Tune In: The Phenomenon of African American Religious Broadcasting1 We Too Sing America: Racial Invisibility, Respectability, and the Roots of Black Religious Broadcasting2 Something Within: The Cultural Sources of Rev. Frederick J. Eikerenkoetter II3 Standing on the Promises: Diversity and Change within Contemporary Black Christian Practices4 Come, Ye Disconsolate: The Ministry of Bishop T. D. Jakes5 We Are Soldiers! The Ministry of Bishop Eddie L. Long 6 Fill My Cup, Lord: The Ministry of Pastors Creflo and Taffi Dollar7 The Reasons Why We Sing: The Competing Rituals of Self-Affirmation and Social Accommodation8 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
