Book dossier

Spellbinder

by Harold Robbins

**From the author of The New York Times #1 best-selling novel The Carpetbaggers comes a hard-edged look at the seductive, high-stakes and often hypocritical world of religious revivalism and televangelists.** Spellbinder is the story of a genuine and charismatic believer simply known as "Preacher," who returns from the foxholes and horrors of Vietnam with a simple goal: to spread the word of peace, love and charity. **He immediately attracts a following as he moves from California communes to small surfing towns. "The Church," as his mobile flock is now known,** is a culture that centers as much on sex and drugs as prayers, sacraments and salvation. Despite a growing following, The Church is bordering on broke. As they reach what is surely the end of the line in Texas, a powerful billionaire witnesses Preacher and likes what he sees. Promising a platform where Preacher can reach millions at once not dozens Preacher takes the leap into the new world of mass broadcasting the gospel. **Before long, Preacher becomes one of the most powerful televangelists in the country, making influential friends and building a vast empire as the newest religious superstar.** He finds his new success and status as "the" rock star entertainer of big-top religion intoxicating. Deep inside, however, he realizes that he's become just another "over-the-airwaves" televangelist selling everlasting salvation for an earthly price. **With a burning conscience, he knows that he must make a gut-wrenching decision: preserve his empire to continue to spread the word or make the ultimate sacrifice to expose the hypocrisy that surrounds him.** **With five weeks on The New York Times best sellers list, this groundbreaking Harold Robbins novel tackles the culture of televangelism and big-money churches head-on.** With a message that is still relevant today with reality TV shows like Preachers of LA , Spellbinder showcases the opulence and narcissism of these supposed men of God.***--LibraryThing***