Televangelism is the use of television to communicate the christian faith. The word is a portmanteau of television and evangelism and was coined by Time magazine ^[1]. A televangelist (from television and evangelist) is a person, often a minister, who has become known for their christian TV broadcasts. Both terms carry slightly derogatory connotations and are normally only used by critics of the phenomenon. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      A Christian () is a person who... A portmanteau (IPA pronunciation: RP, US) is a word or morpheme that fuses two or more words or word parts to give a combined or loaded meaning. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Time (whose trademark is capitalized TIME) is a weekly American newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report. ... Evangelism is the proclaiming of the Christian Gospel. ... In most Protestant churches, a minister is a member of the ordained clergy who leads a congregation or participates in a role in a parachurch ministry; such a person may also be called a Pastor, Preacher, Bishop, Chaplain or Elder. ... “TV” redirects here. ...

Some televangelists are also regular pastors or ministers in their own halls of worship (often a megachurch), but the majority of their followers come from their TV and radio audiences. Others do not have a conventional congregation as such and solely work through television. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      A pastor is an... The interior of Rev. ... An audience is a group of people who participate in an experience or encounter a work of art, literature, theatre, music or academics in any medium. ...

Televangelism began as a peculiarly American phenomenon, resulting from a largely deregulated media where access to television networks is open to virtually anyone who can afford it, combined with a large Christian population that is able to provide the necessary funding. However, the increasing globalisation of broadcasting has enabled some US televangelists to reach a wider audience through international broadcast networks, including some that are specifically Christian in nature, such as Trinity Broadcasting Network and The God Channel. Domestically produced televangelism is increasingly present in some other nations such as Brazil. Some countries have a more regulated media with either general restrictions on access or specific rules regarding religious broadcasting. In such countries, religious programming is typically produced by TV companies (sometimes as a regulatory or public service requirement) rather than private interest groups. The Trinity Broadcasting Network, or TBN, is the largest Christian religious television network in the world and is headquartered near Los Angeles in Costa Mesa, California with studios near Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Irving, Texas and near Nashville in Hendersonville, Tennessee. ... The GOD Channel (flagship channel of global Christian broadcaster GOD TV), is available on 15 different satellites in more than 200 nations and territories, reaching a potential viewing audience of 387 million people. ...

History

Evangelical christianity has always emphasised preaching the gospel to the whole world and attempting to convert as many people as possible. Historically, this was achieved by sending missionaries and the distribution of bibles and literature. Christians realised that the rapid uptake of radio beginning in the 1920s provided a powerful new tool for this task, and they were amongst the first producers of radio programming. Radio broadcasts were seens as a complementary activity to traditional missionaries, enabling vast numbers to be reached at relatively low cost, but also enabling christianity to be preached in countries where this was illegal and missionaries were banned. The aim of christian radio was to both convert people to christianity and to provide teaching and support to believers. These activities continue today, particularly in the developing world. For other uses, see Gospel (disambiguation). ... The 1920s is a decade that is sometimes referred to as the Jazz Age or the Roaring Twenties, usually applied to America. ... Radio broadcasts have been a popular entertainment since the 1910s, though popularity has declined a little in some countries since television became widespread. ...

In the USA, the Great Depression of the 1930s saw a resurgence of revival-tent preaching in the Midwest and South, as itinerant traveling preachers drove from town to town, living off donations. Several preachers began radio shows as a result of their popularity. One of the more famous radio evangelists of this era was Father Charles Coughlin, whose strongly anti-Communist and anti-Semitic radio programs reached millions of listeners. The Great Depression was the result of the economic downturn that started with the Stock Market crash on October 29, 1929, known as Black Tuesday. ... Face The 1930s (years from 1930–1939) were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression, also known in Europe as the World Depression. ... A revival meeting is a series of Christian religious services held with an eye to encourage active members of a religious body and to provoke those outside of it to become part of it. ... Preacher is a term the for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. ... The Midwest is a common name for a region of the United States of America. ... The U.S. Southern states or the South, also known colloquially as Dixie, constitute a distinctive region covering a large portion of the United States, with its own unique heritage, historical perspective, customs, musical styles, and cuisine. ... Donation is a gift to a fund or cause, typically for charitable reasons. ... Father Coughlin Charles Edward Coughlin (October 25, 1891 – October 27, 1979) was a Canadian-born Roman Catholic priest at Royal Oak, Michigans National Shrine of the Little Flower Church. ... This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

Although television also began in the 1920s, it did not become widespread until after World War II. The first television preacher of note was Fulton Sheen, a catholic archbishop who successfully switched to television in 1951 after two decades of popular radio broadcasts. The 1920s is a decade that is sometimes referred to as the Jazz Age or the Roaring Twenties, usually applied to America. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Bishop Sheen was known for his dynamic and thoughtful preaching Archbishop Fulton John Sheen (May 8, 1895 - December 9, 1979) became televisions first preacher of note on the airways in the late 1940s on the DuMont Television Network. ...

The 1960s and early 1970s saw television replace radio as the primary home entertainment medium, but also corresponded with a further rise in evangelical Protestant christianity, particularly through the activities of Billy Graham. Many well-known televangelists began during this period, developing their own media networks, news exposure, and political influence. Some of these figures and their ministries retain substantial influence today, but others were significantly diminished by a serious of scandals in the 1980s. The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... The Reverend William Franklin Graham, Jr. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Controversies

Televangelists are the subject of considerable controversy. Both their methods and theology have received widespread criticism from both church and secular sources. Many televangelists are featured on discernment websites run by Christians that are concerned about what they see as departures from sound Christian faith. The following are amongst the issues that have been raised: It has been suggested that Ecclesia (Church) be merged into this article or section. ... This article concerns secularity, that is, being secular, in various senses. ...

• Lack of accountability. Many televangelists exist outside of established churches. They have little or no oversight from denominational structures and many are accountable to no-one. In cases where their ministry is run by a board of directors, this is frequently made up of family members and other people who will not challenge the televangelist. Many are not members of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, an independent organisation which promotes high financial standards amongst Christian ministries.

• Supernatural theology. Most televangelists hold charismatic or Pentecostal viewpoints, believing in spiritual gifts, divine healing, and other miracles. These subjects remain controversial within Christian thinking. In some instances, claims of miracles have been shown to be fraudulent.

• Flamboyant lifestyles. Many televangelists have accumulated significant personal wealth from their ministries and own large properties, luxury cars, and even private jets. This is seen by critics to be contradictory to Christian principles. There is also frequently confusion between personal and ministry assets.

• Financial emphasis. Televangelism requires substantial amounts of money to produce programs and purchase airtime on cable and satellite networks. Televangelists devote much time to fundraising activities. Products such as books, CDs, DVDs, and trinkets with supposedly miraculous powers, are aggressively promoted to viewers. Opponents regard such an emphasis as inappropriate and also question whether the money would be better used relieving poverty or employing traditional missionaries.

• Personality cult. Traditional Christian teaching emphasises the following of Jesus and not a particular preacher, however televangelism tends to build a personality cult around the televangelist.

• Health and wealth teaching. Many televangelists preach a prosperity gospel that promises material success to believers, subject to their generous donations to the “work of God”, which inevitably means the televangelist. This is regarded as a serious heresy by other Christians.

• False prophecies. Numerous televangelists have issued false prophecies, for example Benny Hinn’s claim that Fidel Castro would die in the 1990s. Many other televangelists have made false prophecies of the Second Coming.

• False teaching. Televangelists frequently depart from or add to traditional Christian doctrines.

• Entertainment focus. The style of televangelism seems to mirror that of the secular entertainment industry, with emphasis on celebrity, slick production, and aggressive marketing.

• Exploitation. Followers of televangelists frequently are poor and uneducated^{[citation needed]}, lacking the ability to critically analyse the message they are presented with, which frequently links a blessing from God to making sacrificial donations to the televangelist. This has led to claims of exploitation of the vulnerable.

• Crowd manipulation. Allegations have been made that many televangelists use psychological techniques, including mass hypnosis, to produce the desired response from people in what is a charged emotional atmosphere^{[citation needed]}.

• Disputed success. Televangelists claim to be reaching millions of people worldwide with the gospel and producing numerous converts to Christianity. However, such claims are difficult to verify independently. It has also been questioned whether non-believers actually watch Christian television.

Televangelists often strongly dispute these criticisms and claim they are doing God's work. The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) is an accreditation agency that claims to promote fiscal integrity and sound financial practices among member organizations. ... Charismatic is an umbrella term used to describe those Christians who believe that the manifestations of the Holy Spirit seen in the first century Christian Church, such as healing, miracles and glossolalia, are available to contemporary Christians and ought to be experienced and practiced today. ... The Pentecostal movement within Protestant Christianity places special emphasis on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. ... The gifts of the Holy Spirit are found in the New Testament. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      A Christian () is a person who... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      A Christian () is a person who... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... Preacher is a term the for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. ... Adolf Hitler built a strong cult of personality, based on the Führerprinzip. ... There is a disputed proposal that this article should be merged with Full Gospel The Word of Faith movement or word-faith theology developed in the latter half of the 20th century in mainly Pentecostal and Charismatic churches. ... Tofik Benedictus Benny Hinn (born December 3, 1952) is a controversial televangelist, best known for his regular Miracle Crusades – revival meeting/faith healing summits that are usually held in large stadiums in major cities. ... Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (born on August 13, 1926) is the current President of Cuba but on indefinite medical hiatus. ... The Second Coming refers to the Christian belief in the return of Jesus Christ, an event that will fulfill aspects of Messianic prophecy such as the resurrection of the dead, last judgment and full establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth (also called the Reign of God), including the... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      A Christian () is a person who... The term exploitation may carry two distinct meanings: The act of utilizing something for any purpose. ... Christianity percentage by country, purple is highest, orange is lowest Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch...

Scandals

See Christian televangelist scandals This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Numerous televangelists have been at the center of well-publicised scandals, including financial, sexual, and religious.

Many televangelists promote the doctrine of divine healing and would claim that God can heal people through them. Christian views on this subject vary, and it is seen as pseudoscience and charlatanry by skeptics. Some claims of healing miracles by televangelists have been exposed as a fraud, for example in the case of Peter Popoff. Faith healing, also called divine healing or spiritual healing, is the use of spiritual means in treating disease, sometimes accompanied with the refusal of modern medical techniques. ... Phrenology is regarded today as a classic example of pseudoscience. ... This article is about the psychological term. ... Peter Popoff (born 1946) is a German-born U.S. televangelist who has spent most of his adult life claiming to treat physical ailments through the use of faith healing. ...

A series of scandals in the 1980s resulted in the fall from grace of several famous televangelists, including Jim Bakker, who served a prison sentence for financial improprieties associated with his ministry, and Jimmy Swaggart, who made a famous tearful confession to a dalliance with a prostitute. Most of these televangelists have continued preaching, nonetheless, even though their audiences may be a small fraction of what they were at the height of their popularity. One of the most prominent examples of this is the notorious Oral Roberts incident of 1987, in which the televised preacher demanded that his audience give him $8,000,000 or "God would kill him". They did. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... James Orsen Bakker (born January 2, 1939, in Muskegon, Michigan) is an American televangelist, a former Assemblies of God minister, and a former host (with his then-wife Tammy Faye Bakker) of The PTL Club, a popular evangelical Christian television program. ... Jimmy Lee Swaggart (born March 15, 1935 in Ferriday, Louisiana) is a Pentecostal preacher and pioneer of televangelism who reached the height of his popularity in the 1980s. ... Prostitution is the sale of sexual services (typically manual stimulation, oral sex, sexual intercourse, or anal sex) for cash or other kind of return, generally indiscriminately with many persons. ... This article is about Oral Roberts, the Christian televangelist. ... Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ...

Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell achieved further notoriety in 2001 with their conviction that the September 11 terrorist attacks constituted divine retribution provoked by rampant sexual immorality. Marion Gordon Pat Robertson (born March 22, 1930) is a televangelist from the United States. ... Jerry Lamon Falwell, Sr. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... A sequential look at United Flight 175 crashing into the south tower of the World Trade Center The September 11, 2001 attacks (often referred to as 9/11—pronounced nine eleven or nine one one) consisted of a series of coordinated terrorist[1] suicide attacks upon the United States, predominantly... It has been suggested that Proportional justice be merged into this article or section. ... Morality is a complex of principles based on cultural, religious, and philosophical concepts and beliefs, by which an individual determines whether his or her actions are right or wrong. ...

In 2005, Robertson announced on The 700 Club that Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez ought to be "taken out" by the US government. Many viewed this as a call for assassination. Later that year, in November, Robertson warned the town of Dover, Pennsylvania of a severe natural disaster following the defeat of the local school board for advocating intelligent design. In 2006, Robertson said God smote Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon after he withdrew troops from the Gaza Strip. The 700 Club is the flagship news talk show of the Christian Broadcasting Network, airing on cables ABC Family and in syndication throughout the United States and Canada. ... Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías (IPA: ) (born July 28, 1954) is the current President of Venezuela. ... ... It has been suggested that Selective assassination be merged into this article or section. ... Dover is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, United States. ... Mount Pinatubo eruption, 1991 A natural disaster is the consequence of a natural hazard (e. ... For other uses, see Intelligent design (disambiguation). ... A prime minister is the most senior minister of a cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. ...   (Hebrew: , also known by his diminutive Arik אָרִיק) (born February 27, 1928) is a former Israeli politician and general. ...

Brazil is also a country in which televangelists have found success, and it isn't uncommon for them to become involved in scandals. In 1992, Edir Macedo, a Brazilian televangelist and founder of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God was imprisoned for accusations of charlatanism, and spent some days in prison. More recently, in 2002, the Época magazine, controlled by Globo media group published two new articles making accusations at Igreja Renascer em Cristo. In 2006, Brazilian Justice blocked all goods of the Hernandes couple, leaders of the church because of accusations of money laundering, fraud and identity theft. Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... Edir Macedo Bezerra (born January 18, 1945) is a millionaire religious leader. ... Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG, from Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus, IURD) is the name for a rapidly growing Brazilian church. ... Look up Charlatan in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Since its inception in 1998, Época has become one of the most widely read magazines in Brazil. ... Contents // Categories: Television stubs | Companies of Brazil | Television networks ... The Renascer em Cristo church, is a a protestant denomination wich was founded in 1986, São Paulo, by Estevam Hernandes e Sônia Hernandes. ... Money laundering is the practice of engaging in financial transactions in order to conceal the identity, source and destination of the money in question. ... Identity taker is a term first appearing in U.S. literature in the 1990s, leading to the drafting of the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act. ...

In Popular Culture

Televangelism has brought the relatively obscure culture of pentecostal christianity to a wider (and secular) audience.

• In 2001 the German video artist Christian Jankowski collaborated with televangelist Pastor Peter Spencer to create a piece called "The Holy Artwork". In the video Jankowski collapses on the stage and the pastor delivers a long sermon about art, using Jankowski's work in video as a metaphor to explain Christian beliefs. While this video was a type of collaboration between the artist and pastor they each have separate objectives and it is ultimately not clear whether the piece is mocking the cultural phenomenon of televangelism or helping to promote it (or both).

• Televangelism is a popular subject for parody and satire in popular culture. The Bloom County comic strip was one of the most notable and frequent spoofers, featuring a local Moral Majority leader and, later, Bill the Cat preaching as "Oral Bill". Films spoofing televangelism include Pray TV, Salvation!, and Pass the Ammo, while the subject got a more serious if still farcical treatment in The People vs. Larry Flynt. Adult magazines including Flynt's Hustler have often spoofed televangelism. Many songs by Frank Zappa are sharp satires of televangelism, for example: "The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing", "Dumb All Over", "Jesus Thinks You're A Jerk". Genesis released a song called Jesus He Knows Me that satirised televangelism. Also, The Mirrorball Man,a scandalous televangelist was one of the personas of U2's Bono during the American legs of their Zoo TV tour also was a parody of televangelists.

• A critically acclaimed televangelist film is Robert Duvall's movie The Apostle, which he wrote, directed, financed and starred in. The Apostle includes sequences starring real televangelists in a tag-team revival meeting.

Video art is a type of art which relies on moving pictures and is comprised of video and/or audio data. ... Christian Jankowski (born 1968 in Göttingen, Germany) is a contemporary multimedia artist who largely works in video, installation, and photography. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... In contemporary usage, a parody (or lampoon) is a work that imitates another work in order to ridicule, ironically comment on, or poke some affectionate fun at the work itself, the subject of the work, the author or fictional voice of the parody, or another subject. ... 1867 edition of the satirical magazine Punch, a British satirical magazine, ground-breaking on popular literature satire. ... Bloom County was a popular American comic strip by Berke Breathed which ran from December 8, 1980 until August 6, 1989. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Bill the Cat Articles with similar titles include Billy the Cat. ... Pray TV is a 1980 comedy film spoofing televangelism. ... Salvation! is a 1987 film by Beth B. (Beth Billingsly) and starring Exene Cervenka and Stephen McHattie. ... Pass the Ammo is a 1988 film starring Bill Paxton, Annie Potts, and Tim Curry. ... The People vs. ... Larry Flynt Hustler Club on West 52nd Street in New York Hustler is a monthly pornographic magazine aimed at men and published in the United States. ... Frank Vincent Zappa[1] (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American composer, musician, and film director. ... Genesis are an English rock band formed in 1967. ... We Cant Dance track listing No Son of Mine (Track 1) Jesus He Knows Me (Track 2) Driving The Last Spike (Track 3) Jesus He Knows Me is the second track from Genesis album We Cant Dance. ... U2 (IPA: /ju. ... Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known as Bono (IPA: ), is the lead singer and principal lyricist of the Irish rock band U2. ... Zoo TV was a massive, elaborate, innovative, postmodern, multifaceted and multimedia, and very commercially successful world concert tour by the rock band U2 that took place in arenas and stadiums during 1992 and 1993. ... Robert Selden Duvall (born January 5, 1931) is an Academy Award and four-time Golden Globe winning American film actor and director. ... For the oldest animated feature film (from 1917), see El Apóstol. ...

References

1. ^ Time: 75th Anniversary issue, March 9, 1998

See also

• List of American televangelists
• List of televangelists in Brazil
• Christian televangelist scandals
• Category:Television evangelists
• Jesus He Knows Me