i PTL ii iii PTL The Rise and Fall of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker’s Evangelical Empire z JOHN WIGGER 1 iv 1 Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University Press in the UK and certain other countries. Published in the United States of America by Oxford University Press 198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, United States of America. © Oxford University Press 2017 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, by license, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reproduction rights organization. Inquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department, Oxford University Press, at the address above. You must not circulate this work in any other form and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer. CIP data is on file at the Library of Congress ISBN 978– 0– 19– 937971– 2 1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2 Printed by Edwards Brothers Malloy, United States of America v For Melodie, Hannah, Allison, Natalie, and Emma vi vii Contents Acknowledgments  ix Introduction  1 1. The DJ and the Queen  9 2. A Show of His Own  25 3. Everyday in the USA  41 4. Abundant Life  61 5. The Emperor’s New Groove  77 6. Look Me in the Eye  92 7. Time Bomb  107 8. Special Math  125 9. Secret Lives  149 10. Four Days and Three Nights  166 11. Cover- Up  193 12. Saturday Night  222 13. Scandal  247 14. Holy War  272 15. Judgment Day  301 Epilogue: Apocalypse Chow  329 Notes  339 Index 393 viii ix Acknowledgments Many friends helped to make this book possible. Thanks to my cur- rent and former graduate students: Brandon Flint, Hunter Hampton, Josh McMullen, Josh Rice, Jonathan Root, Luke Schleif, T. J. Tomlin, Darin Tuck, Jenny Wiard, and Cassie Yacovazzi. They formed the wonderfully generous and supportive community in which this book took shape and their careful reading of draft after draft made it much better. Extra thanks to Jonathan Root, who worked for me as a research assistant and whose own scholarship on the prosperity gospel helped me to understand its nuances. Thanks to my colleagues John Frymire, Jonathan Sperber, and Steve Watts, who listened to me drone on about this project for years and still had the patience to read the final draft and offer their wisdom. Thanks as well to Kate Bowler, Barry Hankins, and Phil Sinitiere, who graciously read the final manuscript and offered their expert advice, and to Mark DeMoss, Dan Foster, Armin Mattes, Ben Park, and Randall Stephens, who commented on various chapters. Melinda Lockwood became my executive assistant when I became department chair in 2013. Since then she has far exceeded her job description to help me track down sources and arrange interviews, always in the most cheerful and professional manner imagina- ble. It was worth becoming chair just for her assistance. Thanks to Maria David of the Charlotte Observer who graciously helped me find sources and photos. Thanks also to my brilliant agent, Colleen Mohyde, and my won- derful editor at Oxford, Cynthia Read. The University of Missouri Research Council funded portions of the research for this book, as did the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy at the University of Missouri. I conducted scores of interviews for this book, the majority of them on the record. Thanks to those who were willing to talk with me, particularly since the ministry ended in disappointment for most of them. Their con- tributions added immeasurably to the story and are evident throughout