Deepak Chopra
- Ministry: The Chopra Center for Well Being in La Jolla, California.
- Books include:The Deeper Wound: Recovering the Soul from Fear and Suffering (2001).
- Teaching: An enlightened human consciousness can heal the body; based on Hindu principles.
Iyanla Vanzant
- Ministry: Priestess of the Yoruba religion; founder of Inner Visions Worldwide.
- Books include:One Day My Soul Just Opened Up (1998).
- Teaching: People should apply “universal principles” in order to “activate the spiritual laws which support the evolution of humanity.”
Marianne Williamson
- Ministry: Leads the Church of Today in Warren, Michigan, one of the largest “New Thought” churches.
- Books include:A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of a Course in Miracles (1992).
- Teaching: Reinterprets Christian doctrines within a New Age framework. For example, “Christ” refers to the common thread of divine love within every human mind.
Gary Zukav
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Related Elsewhere
Also appearing on our site today:
The Church of OWith a congregation of 22 million viewers, Oprah Winfrey has become one of the most influential spiritual leaders in America.
A Bible study based on this article is available in Christianity Today’sCurrent Issue Bible Study Series. This unique series uses articles from current issues of the magazine to prompt thought-provoking discussions in adult Sunday school classes or small groups.
Web sites for the four popular New Age voices often featured in Oprah products include:
Oprah.com is the place for all things Oprah: The Oprah Show, O magazine, Oprah’s Book Club, and The Angel Network. The site tackles many of the same issues as the show with advice on finances, mind and body, “your spirit,” and food. Even Dr. Phil has his one page.
Recent articles on Oprah’s spirituality include:
The feel-good spirituality of Oprah — Our Sunday Visitor (Jan. 13, 2002)
Is Oprah Winfrey a threat to national security? — National Review Online (Oct. 8, 2002)
