Oprah Winfrey closed her much anticipated final talk show episode with the words, “To God be the glory,” and she told Good Morning America that morning that “nobody but Jesus could have made this show happen for me.” These remarks drew cheers from the audience but puzzled many who remember her leanings toward more generalized spirituality in recent years. Winfrey vocally endorsed the book by Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose in which Tolle promoted many mystical, New Age principles and angered many Christians by denying Jesus’ death on the cross as the reason He came to earth. The Washington Post blog called the final show a “sermon,” saying “Oprah Winfrey has discovered one of the most effective ways of imparting her beliefs to others. Not by telling them what to do, but by getting them to decide what to do for themselves.” USA Today commented on Oprah’s use of Christian language: “The danger is that while appearing to use Christian and inclusive language that at first seems similar to that of Christianity, Oprah teaches a message that is radically different and absolutely contrary to the true teaching of Scripture and historic Christianity.” In the book O’ God: A Dialogue on Truth and Oprah’s Spirituality co-authored with apologist Josh McDowell, Dave Sterrett has said that Winfrey “reflects the common American practice of choosing whatever beliefs seem most attractive and leaving the rest.” Winfrey, raised in a Baptist home, has won more than 40 Emmy awards and is widely considered to be one of the most influential people in recent American history.
