Is reality televangelism wrong?

AT ISSUE: A Southern California production company has begun casting

for a new reality TV show titled “Pulpit Masters.” Contestants will

participate in a 10-week competition designed to determine “America’s

next inspired leader to make a positive difference in millions of

people’s lives,” according to the company’s website. Critics have

said that the show, which doesn’t have a network yet, will cheapen

the art of preaching, reducing it to a popularity contest. Does the

proposed show exploit religion, generally speaking, and religious

leaders specifically?

“Pulpit Masters” does not sound attractive to me, either as an

educational or entertaining program, but depending on the inspiration

and intentions of its producers and the participating ministers, it

may turn out to be a worthwhile show. I continue to be amazed at the

variety that has surfaced in reality television in the last few

years, and there is nothing about religion that need be off limits.

If “Pulpit Masters” does make it to show time, the audience will

have to judge whether it is exploitative or not.

The reason I do not look forward to watching the show is that I

don’t think it is important to “find the next Billy Graham,” or

someone like him. This is not to say his work wasn’t vital to the

spiritual lives of millions of people, but in the Zen Buddhist

tradition, the hard work of each individual is what finally results

in salvation and liberation.

Whenever Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen, was asked a question, he

answered by facing the wall. His silent preaching spoke volumes. His

main point was that we cannot rely on words and that we must learn to

see our lives directly. For this purpose, he advocated meditation, a

practice to be learned and continually refined.

I think it is partially the avoidance of personal responsibility

in the development of our spiritual lives that makes for the huge

successes of televangelists and large churches. It is very attractive

to be told how things are and what we should do. It is much more

difficult to listen carefully to our life as it unfolds and to

respond as only we can.

It is also very attractive to be part of something that is big and

successful. I can just see the excitement engendered by showing the

long lines of preachers in four major cities vying for the coveted

title of number one. Rather than passively watching a program such as

“Pulpit Masters,” it may be much harder to participate in our local

faith community and find the time for regular prayer or meditation.

But only each person can decide whether “Pulpit Masters,” Billy

Graham or Zen meditation is the most skilful means to allow me to see

for myself what all great spiritual teachers speak of and manifest.

REV. CAROL AGUILAR

Zen Center of Orange County

Costa Mesa

Religion as reality! Preaching as entertainment! Initially, I feel

like an ecclesiastical John McEnroe and want to shout, “You can not

be serious!”

But when “Pulpit Masters” co-executive producer Tom McMahon said

to Star-Telegram writer Bud Kennedy, “I’m looking for someone who can

wow the pants off an audience,” I know the producers are serious, if

on dangerous ground, and sadly mistaken. What they really want are

the wallets in the pants of sponsors. I wonder if they will have

sponsors.

A preacher must grab and hold listeners’ attention. Preaching

should be an “engaging public performance,” so, in that sense, it is

“entertainment.” Mastery in a pulpit demonstrates how the clear and

practical resources of our spiritual heritage offer us relevant and

useful guides for our daily lives and the personal challenges we

face.

A good sermon/homily sets out to answer the fundamental question

of every listener, “Well, what’s it all about, and what does it have

to do with me?”

I was taught that preaching is public pastoral care, and I think

that all good preaching arises out of the lives of those who will

hear it. I do not understand how a contestant on a television show

will be able to do this.

I think the best such a person can be is the kind of preacher I do

not want to be, one who would say, “I humbly feel that my success, my

power of attraction, is mainly due to following this golden rule: Use

others’ eyes to see the lowest common denominators, and never preach

what anyone could ever disagree with.”

Real religion comprises beliefs, values, symbols and practices we

hold sacred, that focus us on questions of ultimate meaning. Such

questions include relationships, joy and fear, holiness and

risklessness, wholeness and frustration, health and anxiety,

empowerment and entitlement, hospitality, patriotism, nationalism,

stewardship, and thanksgiving.

TV church has been showbiz for decades. I doubt it has helped many

confront their most basic curiosities. I can’t imagine “Pulpit

Masters” being real religion.

Yet, it might be OK -- but only OK -- if it entertains some and

encourages others in their relationship with God.

(THE VERY REV’D CANON)

PETER D. HAYNES

Saint Michael & All Angels

Episcopal Church

Corona del Mar

In this case, the only people who are exploited are the ones who

want to be exploited. This show cannot truly meet its objective for

several reasons.

The first is that it is open to any faith group. A great Muslim

preacher is not the same as a great Rabbinical preacher or Christian

preacher or Buddhist preacher. They may meet on equal ground and

determine which one is a better communicator, but that does not

necessarily mean they will be successful in their own particular

faith.

The second is that the show does not take into consideration the

supernatural nature of “the call.” God often calls those who are

fools in the eyes of the world to accomplish his tasks. Often, even

those close to God find it mysterious the people he chooses to use.

The great Hebrew King David was the last one the prophet Samuel

expected God to choose. He was the youngest son in a small family in

an obscure town in a small tribe. He was not made king by popularity,

but by the hand of God himself.

This is diametrically opposed to having a call-in program based on

popularity.

Most of the people watching probably won’t be people of faith

because the thought of the show smacks of pride and exhibitionism,

neither of which are highly respected in faith circles.

So that leaves nonreligious people voting for a religious leader.

The promising thing about this process is that it is the nonreligious

we are called to reach. So maybe this has some promise in it, after

all.

SENIOR ASSOCIATE PASTOR

RIC OLSEN

Harbor Trinity

Costa Mesa

I would prefer to see more religious values expressed in the

entertainment world and less emphasis on entertainment in the

religious world.

This program, “Pulpit Masters,” demonstrates that the vulgarians

are no longer at the gates -- the barriers have been breached and

prominent among the hordes are pulpiteers.

It seems to me that anyone who would audition to be identified as

the next Billy Graham is not likely to become the next Billy Graham.

Sermonizing is not about winning a contest in oratorical declamation,

but about achieving a victory for truth.

Preachers vying to outdo one another will no doubt resort to

pathos, bathos, eyes rolled to Heaven, overwrought verbiage, stage

strutting, inappropriately lengthy pauses, stretching two-syllable

words into six syllables and pseudo-sincere facial expressions.

A program of this ilk will probably attract the sermonic

equivalent of professional wrestling: the Billy James Hargises, Benny

Hinns and Jimmy Swaggarts of the sermonic circuit who profess to be

smart, but are simply smarmy; who are perceived as charismatic, but

are more truly caricatures and charlatans. Such pretenders would sell

pieces of the original Burning Bush to a gullible flock.

As for the producers of the program, they should make the effort

authentic by requiring that no male aspirant should appear in a suit

costing less than $5,000 and make it complete by presenting female

clergy in swimsuit and heels. And let’s not forget the pinkie rings

for the men and Tammy Faye eyelashes and mascara for the women.

In the 12th century, an around-the-bend mystic named Tanchelm came

to believe he was God’s Anointed. He ordered his disciples to drink

his bathwater, which he hyped as especially holy after contact with

his body. Not only did his followers eagerly seek out the

opportunity, but they paid handsomely for the privilege. The moral?

Some people will swallow anything.

Human beings have an eternal need for succor and human nature has

an eternal need to be suckered. The producers of this show, these

latter-day Tanchelms, are simply offering bathwater to a public so

thirsty for spiritual sustenance that it will swallow sham and scam.

This program is simply another American Idol(atry).

RABBI MARK S. MILLER

Temple Bat Yahm

Newport Beach