Where Has Oprah Taken Us? by Stephen Mansfield

"The Religious Influence of the World's Most Famous Woman" is the subtitle and the subject of this book. Funny, I never thought about Oprah's influence on religion. But, author Stephen Mansfield does a thorough job of examining and exposing Oprah's departure from the Christianity of her childhood. Yes, she talks like a Christian, but the doctrines and "spiritualities" she embraces are not Christian.

Mansfield, a New York Times best-selling author, first gives us Oprah's life history. She's the product of a dysfunctional family, yet she came to believe that she was destined to be famous and that she had a special purpose in the world. Yet, as it turns out, everything she does and aspires to was (and is) ultimately about her and her vision for herself. She became infatuated with New Age thinkers and adopted practices and doctrines of other world religions, primarily Hinduism. The author states that, for Oprah, the self replaces God and experience replaces truth.

Not a fan of Oprah myself, I will say that I found the book interesting. Mansfield gives you the facts, and, at the end of each chapter, he states his opinion about those facts. This portion is set in italics so that you will not be confused about what is fact and what is opinion. I liked this feature. So many authors and news reporters don't distinguish between the two. I found it refreshing.

Oprah has used her fame and fortune to help others. But, she's also done her fans a disservice by trying to influence their religion. I recommend the book to Oprah fans and foes alike.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com  book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255  : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”