71
OCTOBER 2015
THEHEMIQ&A
BY
REZAASLAN
ILLUSTRATIONBY
MARKSTUTZMAN
OPRAHWINFREY
O
PRAHWINFREY ISNOTACELEBRITY—she is
anAmerican icon.Theactress,producer,media
mogul, best-sellingauthor, philanthropistand
talk-show host has achieved pretty much
every success possible in the entertainment
industry. Shehas receivednumerous honors
andawardsforheraccomplishmentsandforherhumanitarian
work, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It is no
exaggeration to say thatWinfreymay be themost famous
woman in the world. So when she tells me that her new
documentaryseries, “Belief,” is theculminationofeverything
shehasdone inher career, I can’thelpbut takenotice.
The landmarkseven-nighttelevisionevent,whichpremieres
October18onOWN:TheOprahWinfreyNetwork,exploresthe
manyways inwhichpeopleofdiversefaithssearchfordeeper
meaning in their livesand in theworldaround them. “Belief”
invitesviewers to tagalongwithpeopleonvarious spiritual
journeys ineverycorneroftheworld, fromaHungarianJewish
boypreparing forhisbarmitzvah toanAmericanEvangelical
woman reconnectingwithher faith.
The timingcouldn’tbebetter. Although religiousaffiliation
is on the decline in the United States—according to the
Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, nearly a quarter
of Americans identify as “religiously unaffiliated”—religion
remains a powerful force both at home and abroad. And
yet, our conversations about religionand faithhavebecome
increasingly disconnected from people’s actual lived
experiences. “Belief” challenges the overly simplisticways
wethinkaboutreligionandspirituality.Watchingthesubjects
of “Belief”wrestlewith themajestyandmysteryof faith, one
is struckbya simpleyetprofound truth: Faith isa journeyof
THEFORMERQUEENOFDAYTIMETVSAYSSHE ‘CANNOTASKANOTHER
QUESTIONABOUTWHATCOLOREYESHADOWAWOMAN ISWEARING.’
THISMONTH,SHETACKLESPERHAPSTHEDEEPESTQUESTIONOFALL.
manypaths, butwith a single destination. Nomatterwhich
pathone chooses,what bindspeopleof faith together is the
desire to serveahigherpurpose than themselves.
It’shard to imagineabetter guide for sucha journey than
Winfrey. Throughout her career, she has been an exemplar
of an inclusive, all-encompassing spirituality, one that finds
meaning ineverydayexperiences but that is not tied toany
specificdoctrineorcreed. Inaway, thisseries,whichshecalls
“my life’swork,myheart’swork,” istheapotheosisofherown
spiritual journey, one that has takenher fromawhite-frame
churchat theendofadirtroad inruralMississippi to thevery
heightsof fameand success.
HEMISPHERES:
You’vereferredtothisseriesastheculmination
of your life’swork. For someonewhohas achieved somuch in
her career, that’s aprettybig statement.
OPRAHWINFREY: It’stheculminationofeverything I’vebeen
trying tosay inall thoseyearsusing theshow. I cansaynow
that this iswhat I really cared about. Everything elsewas
what Ineeded todo tobeon theairand toappeal toa larger
audience. I finallysaid tomy team in thewaningyearsof the
show, “I cannot ask another question aboutwhat color eye
shadow awoman iswearing.” I just can’t putmyself in the
chairandask thatquestionagain. The last fouror fiveyears
oftheshow, theepisodesthat litmeup—theonesthat Ifeltan
increasingdesiretosharewiththeworld—weretheonesthat
werebasedon the ideaof inspiringand connecting toother
peoplespiritually inaway that theycouldsee themselves.
HEMISPHERES:
Therearesomany incrediblestoriesofpeople
on various journeys of faith in this series. How did you decide
on your subjects?
