Weird Tract Number 109: Oral Roberts Anointing Oil Card

Troy Davis writes:

The museum has several tracts and books by prosperity gospel preacher and university founder Oral Roberts (1918-2009). Many Americans evangelists are notable for either selling anointing oil or sending a small vial of oil and then hitting up the "parishioner" for a hefty donation; a good example of the former is Dr. Rebecca Brown who went into business for herself after falling out of favor with Jack Chick; her anointing oil is $46 an ounce. 

Roberts sent his oil free but then asked the sick for donations. Roberts sent his viewers in need of healing vials attached to this card (in the rectangle on the other side of the card; see below). That side also includes a printed and initialed cursive message from Roberts in which he cites James 5:14: Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:. There's also a warning not to use the oil internally. The other side of the card has a pic of Oral's Googie-designed prayer tower where Roberts sought refuge during his '80s fundraising drive in which he feared God was going to call him "home" if he failed.

A variation of anointing oil racket is the prayer cloth scheme used by grifters like Benny Hinn.

A couple other Oral Roberts items featured on this website are  here and here.

The Museum of Weird and Demented Religious Tracts is a project of Les Zazous Postmodern Art Galley of Bellaire, Ohio. Read the Welcome Statement of The Museum here.

For more on the gallery, check out the web site here and the gallery's Twitter handle is @ZazousLes.  The Twitter handle for the museum is @WeirdTracts

The index of tracts for the museum's website is here. 

Contributions of weird tracts to the museum can be made by mail: send your weird tracts to Les Zazous Postmodern Art Gallery 3475 Guernsey Street, Bellaire, Ohio 43906.