"Lee probes far beyond the rags-to-riches tale, though Bishop
Jakes'riches remain. He devotes much of the book to what he sees as
Bishop Jakes' dual nature: businessman and preacher."--"Dallas
Morning News"
"A clearly written, thoughtful interrogation of the financially
successful, though morally suspect, merger of business and religion
achieved by this African American preacher-millionaire."
--"Choice," recommended
"Shayne Lee, an assistant professor of Sociology at Tulane
University, has provided us with the first critical examination of
the most influential African American preacher of our time. A
socio-cultural biography of sorts, the author examines T.D. Jakes
rise to prominence from the hills of West Virginia to
multimillion-dollar religious corporate enterprise. But this book
does more than follow the development of T.D. Jakes and his
ministry. As the author puts it, Jakes becomes 'a prism through
which the reader may learn more about contemporary American
religion.' Lee contends that Jakes is an embodiment of traditional
American cultural ideals and the postmodern features that inform
what it means to be American in this contemporary moment."
--"Pop Matters"
"Most of the public knows about the Bishop T. D. Jakes who
graced the cover of "Time" magazine, preached "Woman, Thou Art
Loosed!" and filled stadiums across the country with throngs of
weeping fans. But how many know about the Jakes who boasted that he
didn't have enough garage space for his luxury cars, said Jesus was
rich, and once tried to evict the owners of a home he had just
purchased though they only had a week to pay off their debts? That
portrait of Jakes comes courtesy of "T. D. Jakes: America'sNew
Preacher," Shayne Lee, a sociologist and professor at Tulane
University in New Orleans, asks hard questions about Jakes'
ministry."
--"Atlanta Journal-Constitution"
"Jakes has risen from poverty in the mining towns of West
Virginia to a multimillion-dollar faith industry based in Dallas,
benefiting from the controversial trend toward prosperity religion.
Lee examines the rags-to-riches life of Jakes in the broader
context of changes in how Americans view religion."
--"Booklist"
"Lee offers an intriguing exploration of Jakes's popularity. His
entrepreneurial spirit and multimedia approach have endeared him to
millions, while his lavish lifestyle and focus on Christians' right
to material prosperity continue to spark criticism. Lee avoids
heavy jargon and effectively pares his study down to the
essentials, making this an accessible portrait."
--"Publishers Weekly"
"Places an important contemporary African American religious
leader in the context of recent trends in American religion in
general and also of certain traditions of the Black Church in the
African American experience. Lee's description and analysis of the
phenomenon that is T.D. Jakes helps us gain a greater understanding
of contemporary American religion and of African American religion
as at once patently distinct but also quintessentially
American."
--Milmon Harrison, Ph.D., author of "Righteous Riches: The Word of
Faith Movement in Contemporary African American Religion"
T.D. Jakes has emerged as one of the most prolific spiritual
leaders of our time. He is pastor of one of the largest churches in
the country, CEO of a multimillion dollar empire, the host of a
television program, author of a dozenbestsellers, and the producer
of two Grammy Award-nominated CDs and three critically acclaimed
plays. In 2001 "Time" magazine featured Jakes on the cover and
asked: Is Jakes the next Billy Graham?
T.D. Jakes draws on extensive research, including interviews
with numerous friends and colleagues of Jakes, to examine both
Jakes's rise to prominence and proliferation of a faith industry
bent on producing spiritual commodities for mass consumption. Lee
frames Jakes and his success as a metaphor for changes in the Black
Church and American Protestantism more broadly, looking at the
ramifications of his rise--and the rise of similar preachers--for
the way in which religion is practiced in this country, how social
issues are confronted or ignored, and what is distinctly "American"
about Jakes's emergence. While offering elements of biography, the
work also seeks to shed light on important aspects of the
contemporary American and African American religious
experience.
Lee contends that Jakes's widespread success symbolizes a
religious realignment in which mainline churches nationwide are in
decline, while innovative churches are experiencing phenomenal
growth. He emphasizes the "American-ness" of Jakes's story and
reveals how preachers like Jakes are drawing followers by
delivering therapeutic and transformative messages and providing
spiritual commodities that are more in tune with postmodern
sensibilities.
As the first work to critically examine Bishop Jakes's life and
message, T.D. Jakes is an important contribution to contemporary
American religion as well as popular culture.
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