televangelist
/tɛlɪˈvænd͡ʒəlɪst/
televangelist means A religious minister (often a Christian priest or minister) who devotes a large portion of his or her ministry to television broadcasts to a regular viewing audience. It carries an Arena rating of 1389, earned across 11 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, televangelist ranks #3,311 of 17,163 for Funniest Words, #5,077 of 17,138 for Most Incisive Words, #6,004 of 17,128 for Most Ponderous Words, #6,162 of 17,149 for Most Exacting Words.
televangelist is pronounced /tɛlɪˈvænd͡ʒəlɪst/.
Why “televangelist” is a great word
A religious minister who conducts a significant part of their ministry through regular television broadcasts. The word is a blend of 'television' and 'evangelist' (from Greek euangelistēs, 'bringer of good news'), first attested in 1973. Unlike an 'evangelist,' whose work is rooted in the sawdust trail of the revival tent, or a 'pastor,' whose care is local and personal, the televangelist shepherds a congregation of the airwaves, bound by signal and screen. It is the studio pulpit framed by banks of lights, the urgent appeal for pledges scrolling over a fixed smile, the beseeching hands framed by a backdrop of fake stained glass—a faith mediated by cameras, where salvation is just a toll-free call away.
Etymology
Blend of television + evangelist.
noun
- A religious minister (often a Christian priest or minister) who devotes a large portion of his or her ministry to television broadcasts to a regular viewing audience.e.g.“Pastor Walton had spent several years learning from the televangelist host of Success-N-Life, Robert Tilton, at his Bible school in Texas.” — 2013, Kate Bowler, Blessed: A History of the American Prosperity Gospel, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 4:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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