televangelist orig. U.S.
(tɛlɪˈvændʒəlɪst)
Also tele-evangelist.
[Blend of television and evangelist.]
An evangelical preacher who uses the mass media, and particularly television, to promote esp. fundamentalist doctrine. Cf. television evangelist s.v. television 3 c; TV evangelist s.v. TV b.
1973 Time 5 Mar. 66/1 (caption) Televangelist Rex Humbard with map showing TV broadcast centers. 1981 N.Y. Times 26 July vii. 12/1 This fascinating book is a catalogue and primer of the ‘televangelists'’ theology. 1985 Time 18 Mar. 70/1 His syndicated Sunday morning TV service..reaches an audience of almost 3 million, placing him among the nation's top-rated televangelists. 1986 Washington Post 5 Feb. c11/1 A study..performed by the A. C. Nielson Co. found that 34 million people watched one of the top 10 tele-evangelists during the month studied. 1987 Independent 26 Mar. 9/8 With mutual hatreds now so vividly exposed, the ‘televangelists’ may find it difficult in future to retain the support of their flocks. |
Hence teleˈvangelism, the promulgation of such doctrine on television; televanˈgelical a., of or pertaining to televangelism; also as n. = televangelist.
1980 Pantagraph (Bloomington, Illinois) 4 Oct. 13/1 Televangelism has been around for years, but just now it's making more of an impact than it ever has. 1985 Washington Post 19 Aug. a7/6 Robertson lacks the hellfire and damnation style of such televangelicals as Jimmy Swaggart and James Robison. 1987 San Diego Union 26 Mar. b9/4 There is a great deal of unsettling news emerging these days from the underside of a phenomenon known as ‘televangelism’. 1987 Washington Post 3 Nov. d4/4 The tour was announced seven months after Jim Bakker resigned as leader of the televangelical empire he and his wife had founded. |