Robert Tilton, Ironic Fans, and Fake Religions

Abstract

The ministry of health-and-wealth televangelist Robert Tilton hit its peak at the turn of the 1990s. Energetic and unpredictable, Tilton not only attracted faithful followers, but also many ironic fans, who regularly watched the preacher for his unintentional humor value, and who in some cases created their own Tilton-themed analog video and print media. Drawing on interviews and media analyses, this chapter examines the experiences of some such fans including “Brother Randall,” who would establish a tongue-in-cheek Tilton “fan club,” and who was heavily influenced by two prominent parody religions within an “alternative” cultural scene. The founders of these faux faiths also played with alleged televangelical fakes, and thus also involved themselves in religious work related to issues of Christian authenticity.