Is she a religion?
Some see televangelism in TV host's focus, influence

At first glance, Oprah Winfrey is nothing more than a talk show host.

But she's also recognized as one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people, giving her the status of a religious high priestess.

Winfrey uses her daily TV show -- which draws audiences so huge that they could make the most pious televangelist fall prey to envy -- to explore topics of spirituality in both celebrities and housewives.

Winfrey's own authoritative word, O, The Oprah Magazine, this month features a "guide to good behavior," which is not uncommon territory for her.

And, like megachurches across the land, Winfrey has her own mission projects in places as far away as Africa and as close to home as the Gulf Coast and victims of Hurricane Katrina.

For these reasons and others, Indiana University religious studies scholar Kathryn Lofton finds that her students frequently ask her whether Winfrey constitutes a religion. the rest