![]() ![]() ![]() Religion usually involves institutions that organize individuals into communities ordered by a code of behavior, a creedal relationship to a divine authority, and a set of ritual practices. Spirituality can indeed be contrasted with religion. ![]() But talk of spirituality is often a means to whitewash dogma," Lofton said. "She eschews the label constantly, saying that she believes in a 'spiritual' path, not religious doctrine. Winfrey herself rejects the idea that what she advocates is a religion. Winfrey's topics and language place her activities well within the scope of religious and cultural studies, Lofton added, but no study of her movement has been published. ![]() "I approach Oprah as a potentially religious subject, as someone committed primarily to spiritual change through material means," Lofton said. In discussing how Oprah Winfrey has influenced so many people, Kathryn Lofton, an assistant professor in the Indiana University Department of Religious Studies, considers that an important distinction. Newswise - The question from one of her students is familiar - "Is Oprah a religion?" - and the professor is ready with a reply: "Oprah does things in a religious manner, but she is not a religion." ![]()
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