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Sister Aimee, Christian Radio Pioneer

Tammy Faye Bakker Messner may come to mind when you think of controversial female evangelists. But in the early decades of the 20th century, a charismatic preacher named Aimee Semple McPherson used the new medium of radio to spread the gospel to millions of loyal followers.

Sister Aimee, as she was known, made her name in Hollywood in the 1920s, and was one of the first preachers to wed Christian fundamentalism with Hollywood-style theatrics and tabloid-worthy controversy, including her own mysterious disappearance. She founded the Church of the Foursquare Gospel and built a monumental temple in Los Angeles.

A documentary on Sister Aimee airs Monday night on PBS. It's based on a new book by Matthew Avery Sutton, Aimee Semple McPherson and the Resurrection of Christian America.

Renee Montagne talks to the author about the woman who became a symbol for religious manipulation and extravagance.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.