The Nature of Televangelism in India

The Hoot excerpts a passage from Jonathan James’ McDonaldisation, Masala McGospel and Om Economics.

Selected and introduced by SUBARNO CHATTARJI

Interpreting Media

December 2010

The media explosion in India over the past two decades has been the subject of popular and academic scrutiny. For much of this period The Hoot has been at the forefront of media analysis in India (and South Asia in general). The book section on The Hoot brings to the fore recent debates and studies related to this exciting and constantly changing field. New extracts are posted on the site every month and we invite readers to send in comments, book recommendations, and reviews.

Jonathan James’s study of televangelism in India looks at the networks of religious discourses in television and cable channels. It is an aspect of media not often examined and James focuses on the ways in which American style preaching, presentation, and media practices are either disseminated directly or repackaged for Indian audiences. James’s analysis is valuable not only in its recovery of global frames that influence Indian televangelism but in bringing to the fore comparisons and contrasts between Christian and Hindu televangelism. The excerpt below deals with particulars of Christian channels, their content and style. It outlines not only American influences but also Charismatic televangelism emanating from other Asian nations such as Singapore.

Jonathan James. McDonaldisation, Masala McGospel and Om Economics: Televangelism in Contemporary India. New Delhi, Thousand Oaks, London: Sage, 2010. http://www.sagepub.in/browse/book.asp?bookid=1508&Subject_Name=&mode=1

Jonathan James. McDonaldisation, Masala McGospel and Om Economics: Televangelism in Contemporary India. New Delhi, Thousand Oaks, London: Sage, 2010.

MCDONALDISATION, MASALA MCGOSPEL AND OM ECONOMICS

Televangelism in Contemporary India

JONATHAN D JAMES, Edith Cowan University, Perth

2010 / 268 pages / Cloth: Rs 595 ( 9788132104735)

SAGE Publications

Excerpted with permission of Sage Publications

The Nature of Televangelism in India

There are currently four 24-hour Christian networks—Miraclenet, God TV (both of which are owned by Charismatic Christians) and a Catholic network EWTN. Another Charismatic 24-hour network, DayStar, was launched in early 2006 after the initial field research was completed. The religious fervour and flavour in India is further evidenced by the existence of a 24-hour Islamic TV channel (Q Channel) originating from Pakistan and a 24-hour Hindu TV channel, Aastha. There are five other Hindu TV channels; however, they did not operate on a 24-hour basis at the time of the research. This openness to religious television is remarkable in the light of the latest census figures depicting the population by religion: Hindus 80.5 per cent, Muslims 13.4 per cent, Christians 2.3 per cent, Sikhs 1.9 per cent, Buddhists 0.8 per cent, Jains 0.4 per cent and others 0.6 per cent (Roy and Katoti, 2004: 34). Based on the number of 24-hour religious channels, Christians do seem to be a growing force in the religious television scene in India. In the balance, it must be pointed out that in keeping with my definition of Hinduism as a way of life, many elements of Hindu myths, folklore and practices are routinely featured in many commercial programmes on television such as TV movies, talk shows and advertisements.

There are four outlets for Christian televangelism in India (Thomas, 2007: 23–31):

1. Doordarshan (the national public broadcaster). The series on the Life of Christ was featured in Doordarshan. However, the space in this broadcaster is highly contested for programmes that adhere to government policies and, ostensibly, benefit the larger community. Hindu cultural and religious programmes are mainly featured in Doordarshan;

2. Transnational satellite channels like God TV, Miraclenet and DayStar, which are available on cable TV;

3. Indigenous Christian cable channels like Blessing TV, Angel TV and Jeevan TV;

4. Secular cable channels like Zee, Star and Maa.

The following results are based on a content analysis of the two 24-hour Christian channels Miraclenet and God TV in Mumbai, India (see Table 4.1).

About 85 per cent of Christian television originates from Western countries such as USA, Great Britain and Australia.

Locally-produced Indian televangelistic programmes amount to 10 per cent of the total programmes (see Table 4.1).

Ninety per cent of Indian programmes are also of the Charismatic Christian persuasion. Some well-known Indian Charismatic televangelists include: Brother Dinakaran, K. P. Yohanan and Sam Chelladurai. Brother Dinakaran follows the methods and style of the American Televangelist Oral Roberts from Oklahoma. Both TV programmes by Dinakaran and Roberts are hosted by a father and son team and have a strong emphasis on encouraging listeners to send in personal prayer requests. Both ministries have built huge ‘prayer towers’ at their respective headquarters where prayer requests from viewers are prayed for on a 24-hour basis (SCL, 2006).

An interesting phenomenon noted in the content analysis, is the availability of televangelistic programmes originating from Asia, namely Singapore and Indonesia. While Western countries are currently dominating the Christian media flows into India, a few Asian countries are also moving into global media evangelism ministries.

Table 4.1: Televangelism—origins

Origin Percentage

1. Western countries 85

2. Indian (local productions) 10

3. Asian and other countries 5

Source: Author.

Charismatic televangelist, Kong Hee, of City Harvest Church (Singapore), represents the new pattern of Christian media flows from Asia. Hee’s broadcasts are taped for telecast to Asia from his Sunday services and the worship segment resembles the American and Australian (Hillsong) model of entertainment-oriented, rock-style singing. Hee is decidedly charismatic in his preaching content and approach. You Can be a Millionaire was one of the titles of his sermons which was telecast on India’s God TV (God TV, 2006).

The content analysis also revealed that 90 per cent of all Charismatic programmes are based on the genre of ‘straight preaching’ (see Table 4.2). In other words, the programmes are basically the weekly church services broadcast to the masses with some editing. The remaining 10 per cent of programmes have the following formats: teaching, drama and magazine, that is, two to three segments such as interviews, short reports and news. Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), an American-based Charismatic media agency, is the forerunner in the development of what I term ‘indigenous or localised televangelism’ in India.

Approximately 90 per cent of all Christian television is based on or contains strong elements of the Charismatic Christian persuasion. Messages on financial prosperity, ‘wealth transfer’, healing, success and miracles seem to predominate (see Table 4.3). Hundred per cent of Charismatic programmes touch on prosperity theology, healing, miracles and ‘slaying in the Spirit’, which are teachings generally associated with the Charismatic doctrine.

Table 4.2: Televangelism—programme typology overview

Type of programme Percentage

1. Straight preaching (church services) 90

2. Teaching, drama, magazine 10

Source: Author.

Table 4.3: Locally-produced televangelism

Theological background Percentage

Charismatic 90

Non-Charismatic 10

Source: Author.

A common word used in Charismatic programmes (see Table 4.4) is ‘anointed’ or ‘anointing’ (which usually refers to a person or object set apart for a divine task and imbued with God’s special power). Both American televangelist, Oral Roberts and his Indian counterpart, Brother Dinakaran, give the impression that because of the ‘anointing’ on them, prayer requests sent in by viewers would be answered favourably by God. Other words commonly used by televangelists include: ‘miracle’, ‘prosperity’, ‘riches’, ‘healing’ ‘success’, ‘faith’, ‘blessing’, ‘favour’ and ‘sacrificial giving’.

Seventy-five per cent of all programmes are produced in the English

language (see Table 4.5).

Almost all programmes have a ‘multi modal’ flavour, because products (CD’s, DVD’s, books, anointed handkerchiefs and religious jewellery) are promoted for sale and viewers are encouraged to download messages and other information, or to purchase products from the respective websites like God TV’s Godshop (www.godshop. com). Benny Hinn’s worldwide crusades are accessible on the internet as webcasts. Eight out of 10 televangelistic programmes have a local telephone number for prayer and product purchase and some have a 24-hour prayer line.

About five to 15 minutes of air time per half-hour programme are spent raising funds and asking for donations for specific projects. These programmes operate on a semi-commercial basis, they are dependent on viewer funding and product sales to keep them on air.

Table 4.4: Televangelism (Indian and Western): Key words

Words Number of counts #

1. ‘Anointing’, ‘anointed’ or ‘anoint’ 95

2. ‘Miracle’ or ‘miracles’ 80

3. ‘Prosperity’ and ‘riches’ 65

4. ‘Health’, ‘healing’ and ‘heal’ 60

5. ‘Success’ 20

Source: Author.

Note # The number refers to a combined counting of words based on viewing six

hours of Miraclenet on one day and six hours of God TV another day in the city of Mumbai.

Table 4.5: Televangelism—languages

What language Percentage

English 75

Indian languages 25

Source: Author.

Most of the funding appeals are direct and some are embarrassing to local

Indian Christians who are generally conservative on such issues (SCL, 2006).

Global, local and ‘glocal’

As outlined above, three types of Charismatic televangelism programmes are identified: global, local and ‘glocal’. Global Charismatic programmes refer to programmes that originate from overseas from transnational Christian broadcasters like God TV, Miraclenet and DayStar and are shown primarily on transnational, but also on local Christian and secular channels. Local Charismatic programmes are produced by local preachers for local (national or regional) consumption and can be shown on transnational channels (like God TV); on local Christian channels (such as Jeevan TV or Angel TV) or on secular channels like Zee and Star.

‘Glocal’ refers to hybrid productions of Charismatic programmes using Western and Indian resources such as CBN’s Solutions programme [...] These programmes are shown on secular channels or local Christian channels.

Table 4.6 shows the differences between global and local televangelism programmes according to six different aspects of comparison:

1. Language

Most global televangelism programmes are produced in English, while some are translated or dubbed into local Indian languages; whereas most local televangelism programmes are produced in the Indian languages.

2. Goal

The goal of the global programmes is to establish a worldwide ministry and donor base; whereas the local televangelism programmes have as their goal, the incorporation of people into their local churches.

3. Discourse style

Reddy (2006) refers to the discourse style of global televangelists as ‘literacy based’. This refers to the ‘unilinear time concept, a structured system that is characteristic of Western thought…’ (Reddy, 2006: interview). In contrast to this, the local televangelists use a discourse style that is cyclical—where there is an ongoing shifting of time frames from past, present and future (Reddy, 2006). The cyclical style is more in keeping with Indian culture. The ethos of Hindu folk narrative lies in ‘voracy’ or orality (Reddy, 2006)—a term that depicts the sound produced through utterance. As sound travels in cycles, Hindu folk narrative functions in a cyclical nature. Reddy explains: ‘Voracy depends on two organising principles: scruti (recitation) and smriti (memory). Therefore Hindu oral culture oscillates between the past and present in a cyclical fashion’ (Reddy, 2006).

Table 4.6: Differences between global and local televangelism

Programmes

Aspects of comparison Global Local 1. Language English (some translated or dubbed into local languages) Hindi and English languages, some in English 2. Focus The regions beyond with the goal of establishing a worldwide donor and ministry base Immediate context—the goal to get people to attend local church 3. Discourse style Literacy based Orality based 4. Delivery/preaching style Preacher’s space is not fixed Preacher is performer Preacher’s space is generally fixed Preacher is generally faithful and subservient to text 5. Media style Preacher uses media skillfully (with a wide range of shots and close-ups) Preacher’s use of media is very basic 6. Politics Preacher uses the politics of representation Generally no political issues 7. Fundraising At least 15 minutes per half hour 5–10 minutes per half hour