Phyllis Wheatley

Televangelists like Jimmy Swaggert and Jim and Tammy Fay Bakker promise the Christian faith to millions everyday. For the right price, anybody can have something- a.k.a. Christianity, God, and faith- in their lives. On these shows, there is no need to have believed in religion before, as long as there is a need for it now. Religious telecasts asking for money in exchange for faith attract nearly five million people each year. Fifty-five …

…else. She, like the victim of a 17th century house fire or the casualty of the lonely war against aging, turns to faith when she has nothing, needs something or anything, and uses this possession for her own needs. This is, nevertheless, a faith in something, but it is not yet a true example of the believing, professing, or belonging to the religion of Christ. For Wheatley, Christ is not most important; she is. And