Prosperity theology
Encyclopedia
Prosperity theology or gospel is a Christian
religious belief whose proponents claim the Bible
teaches that financial blessing is the will of God
for Christians. Most teachers of prosperity theology maintain that a combination of faith
, positive speech, and donations to Christian ministries will always cause an increase in material wealth for those who practice these actions. Prosperity theology is almost always taught in conjunction with continuationism
.
Prosperity theology first came to prominence in the United States
during the Healing Revival
s in the 1950s. Some commentators have linked the genesis of prosperity theology with the influence of the New Thought
movement. It later figured prominently in the Word of Faith
movement and 1980s televangelism
. In the 1990s and 2000s, it became accepted by many influential leaders in the charismatic movement
and has been promoted by Christian missionaries throughout the world. It has been harshly criticized by leaders of mainstream evangelicalism
as a non-scriptural doctrine or as an outright heresy
. Secular commentators have often alleged that leaders of the movement take advantage of their followers and that the movement promotes unwise financial choices. Among these Christian and secular critics, prosperity theology is also known pejoratively
as health and wealth gospel, name it and claim it, or blab it and grab it.
E. W. Kenyon
, a prominent early figure in prosperity theology, was educated at Emerson College of Oratory
in the 1890s, which was then well known for its influence promoting New Thought. Kenyon later became connected with prominent figures in Pentecostalism and wrote about the power of supernatural revelation
and positive declarations. His writing influenced leaders in the post-war healing revivals and prosperity movement.
Prosperity theology was first popularized in the Healing Revivals in the United States after the end of the Second World War. Oral Roberts
began teaching prosperity theology in 1947. In the 1950s, Roberts began a fundraiser for his ministry which promised that donors would receive the money that they donated to him back from an unexpected source. He offered to return any donation that did not lead to an equivalent blessing of the donor. In the late 1950s, A. A. Allen
also began teaching prosperity theology. Although Allen had emphasized divine healing up to that point, he began to teach that God could miraculously solve financial problems through faith, as well. He claimed to have had a miraculous experience in which God supernaturally changed one dollar bills into twenty dollar bills to allow Allen to pay a bill that he could not afford.
In the 1960s, prosperity became a major theme in healing revivals. At that time Roberts and William Branham criticized some of their fellow ministries, alleging that some of the fundraising tactics unfairly pressured attendees. These tactics were prompted in part by the expense involved in developing nationwide radio networks and campaign schedules. At that time leaders of the Assemblies of God, a Pentecostal denomination, often criticized independent healing evangelists
, in part due to their emphasis on prosperity. In the 1970s, Oral Roberts began teaching that donations were a form of "seed", that would grow in value and be returned to the donor at a later date. T. L. Osborn
also often emphasized prosperity at that time. Obsorn became known for his often ostentatious displays of personal wealth. Kenneth Hagin has been credited with playing a key role in the expansion of prosperity theology. In addition to his radio broadcast and publishing enterprises, Hagin founded the RHEMA
Bible Training Center in 1974. Over the next 20 years, the school trained over 10,000 people in his theology.
In the 1980s, public attention in the United States was drawn to prosperity theology through the influence of prominent televangelist ministries. Jimmy Swaggart
and Jim Bakker
each ran large, well known ministries that promoted prosperity theology. However, their influence on American Christianity waned after they experienced high-profile scandals. (Bakker later renounced prosperity theology after being imprisoned for fraud.)
The Neo-Pentecostal movement has been characterized in part by a greater emphasis on prosperity theology. In the late 1990s, the movement began to gain greater acceptance within charismatic Christianity
. As of 2006, three of the four largest churches in the United States have been associated with prosperity theology. Joel Osteen
has been credited with spreading prosperity theology outside of the charismatic and Pentecostal movements through his books, which have sold over 4 million copies. Osteen's theology has been characterized as a moderate form of prosperity theology. By the 2000s, churches promoting prosperity theology in the United States were most common in the Sun Belt
. In the late 2000s, proponents of prosperity theology claimed that tens of millions of Christians adhere to a form of prosperity theology. Prosperity theology has been exported from the United States to Western Europe
, as well as less prosperous areas of the world. There is no official governing body for the movement, though many ministries are unofficially linked.
In 2007, U.S. Senator
Chuck Grassley
opened a probe into the finances of six televangelism ministries that promote prosperity theology. The six ministries under investigation were Kenneth Copeland Ministries
, Creflo Dollar Ministries
, Benny Hinn Ministries
, Bishop Eddie Long Ministries, Joyce Meyer Ministries
, and Paula White Ministries
. In January 2011, Grassley concluded his investigation and stated that he believed self-regulation by religious organizations was preferable to government action. After the probe was opened, Joyce Meyer Ministries voluntarily joined the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability
. Only Joyce Meyer and Benny Hinn cooperated fully with the investigation; the other groups provided less information than investigators had sought.
over secular society. Prosperity theologians teach that promises of prosperity from God to the nation of Israel in the Old Testament
apply to all Christians in the New Covenant
. They teach that faith and holy actions release this prosperity into the lives of Christians. They also teach that Christians have been given power over creation because they are made in the image of God. They teach that speech used by Christians, known as positive confession, can allow them to exercise dominion over all creation. This dominion is said to apply to one's individual soul
as well as exterior objects. This process is often taught in almost mechanical terms. Kenneth Copeland speaks of prosperity as being governed by a set of laws and the process of gaining prosperity is often portrayed as a formulaic spiritual process. Creflo Dollar's teachings about prosperity have been described as portraying an inviolable contract between God and humanity about wealth.
Teachers of prosperity theology take a strong focus on personal empowerment
. Prosperity theology promotes a positive view of the spirit
and body
and teaches that people are entitled to happiness and material prosperity. Physical and spiritual realities are both seen as one united reality that cannot be separated. Prosperity theology teaches that all Bible-believing Christians are entitled to physical health and economic prosperity. They view the Atonement as a removal of sickness and economic lack as well as spiritual corruption.
The teaching is often based on non-traditional interpretations of certain Biblical verses. Prominent verses used by prosperity adherents include:
Kenneth Hagin has maintained that ministries in the prosperity theology movement hold to most of the primary tenets of evangelical theology. However, mainstream evangelicalism has consistently opposed prosperity theology. Many ministries that teach prosperity theology have had a bitter relationship with many other Christian groups, including others within the Pentecostal and charismatic communities. Many prominent evangelical leaders, such as Rick Warren
, Ben Witherington III
, and Jerry Falwell
, have harshly criticized the movement, sometimes alleging that it is heretical false teaching. Warren has alleged that prosperity theology promotes the idolatry
of money. Others have argued that many of the teachings of Jesus
indicate a disdain for material wealth.
Simon Coleman of the University of Toronto
has speculated that prosperity theology is drawn from the New Thought movement rather than the Bible, though he admits that the connection is sometimes unclear. Critics of the movement often assail promises made by its leaders, claiming that the broad freedom from problems they foretell is irresponsibly broad. Michael Catt
has argued that Prosperity theology has little in common with traditional Christian theology. Others have alleged that the focus on giving large donations to churches is abusing the faith of parishioners in order to enrich church leadership. Apologists for the prosperity movement often note its ethnic diversity and claim that there are a variety of different views within the movement.
, it also has become popular among the poor, many of whom seek personal and social advancement. In the United States, prosperity theology is most popular in exurbs and urban areas. It has seen significant growth in black and Hispanic churches and is particularly popular among immigrants to the United States. In Exporting the American Gospel: Global Christian Fundamentalism Steve Brouwer, Paul Gifford, and Susan Rose speculate that the movement was fueled by a prevailing cultural disdain for liberalism
in the United States, beginning in the 1970s.
Hanna Rosin
has argued that prosperity theology has emerged due to broader trends in the United States, particularly the economic optimism of the 1950s and 1990s. It has also been compared the historic idea of manifest destiny
. Marvin Harris
has argued that the degree of focus on the material world is a symptom of the secularization
of American religion. He also characterizes it as an attempt to fulfill the American Dream
using supernatural power. Although many churches that promote prosperity theology also hold seminars on financial responsibility, Catherine Bowler of the Duke Divinity School
has alleged that the churches often offer poor advice. Rosin has also argued that adherents of the prosperity gospel may have contributed to the housing bubble
that caused the financial crisis of 2007–2010. They maintain that home ownership has been heavily emphasized by those who promote prosperity theology and that reliance on divine intervention caused many to make unwise financial choices.
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
religious belief whose proponents claim the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
teaches that financial blessing is the will of God
God in Christianity
In Christianity, God is the eternal being that created and preserves the universe. God is believed by most Christians to be immanent , while others believe the plan of redemption show he will be immanent later...
for Christians. Most teachers of prosperity theology maintain that a combination of faith
Faith in Christianity
Faith, in Christianity, has been most commonly defined by the biblical formulation in the Letter to the Hebrews as "'the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen". Most of the definitions in the history of Christian theology have followed this biblical formulation...
, positive speech, and donations to Christian ministries will always cause an increase in material wealth for those who practice these actions. Prosperity theology is almost always taught in conjunction with continuationism
Continuationism
Continuationism is a Christian theological belief that the gifts of the Holy Spirit have continued to this present age, specifically the sign gifts such as tongues and prophecy...
.
Prosperity theology first came to prominence in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
during the Healing Revival
Healing Revival
The Healing Revival is a term used by many American Charismatics in reference to a revival movement in the late 1940s and 1950s. Although it was concurrent with the more well known evangelical revival led by Billy Graham, and in some ways more broad, it is not recognized in either standard...
s in the 1950s. Some commentators have linked the genesis of prosperity theology with the influence of the New Thought
New Thought
New Thought promotes the ideas that "Infinite Intelligence" or "God" is ubiquitous, spirit is the totality of real things, true human selfhood is divine, divine thought is a force for good, sickness originates in the mind, and "right thinking" has a healing effect.Although New Thought is neither...
movement. It later figured prominently in the Word of Faith
Word of Faith
Word of Faith is a family of Christian churches as well as a label applied by some observers to a teaching movement kindred to many Pentecostal and charismatic churches and individuals worldwide. The basic doctrine preached is that of salvation through Jesus Christ and what that salvation entails...
movement and 1980s televangelism
Televangelism
Televangelism is the use of television to communicate the Christian faith. The word is a portmanteau of television and evangelism and was coined by Time magazine. A “televangelist” is a Christian minister who devotes a large portion of his ministry to television broadcasting...
. In the 1990s and 2000s, it became accepted by many influential leaders in the charismatic movement
Charismatic movement
The term charismatic movement is used in varying senses to describe 20th century developments in various Christian denominations. It describes an ongoing international, cross-denominational/non-denominational Christian movement in which individual, historically mainstream congregations adopt...
and has been promoted by Christian missionaries throughout the world. It has been harshly criticized by leaders of mainstream evangelicalism
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
as a non-scriptural doctrine or as an outright heresy
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
. Secular commentators have often alleged that leaders of the movement take advantage of their followers and that the movement promotes unwise financial choices. Among these Christian and secular critics, prosperity theology is also known pejoratively
Pejorative
Pejoratives , including name slurs, are words or grammatical forms that connote negativity and express contempt or distaste. A term can be regarded as pejorative in some social groups but not in others, e.g., hacker is a term used for computer criminals as well as quick and clever computer experts...
as health and wealth gospel, name it and claim it, or blab it and grab it.
History
Parallels have been drawn between modern prosperity theology and earlier Christian beliefs and practices, such as the medieval indulgence trade. Before the advent of prosperity theology, several Christian movements in the United States taught that a holy lifestyle was a path to prosperity or that hard work was ordained by God and would bring blessing. However, prosperity theology was absent from the early Pentecostal Movement.E. W. Kenyon
E. W. Kenyon
Essek William Kenyon was a pastor of the New Covenant Baptist Church and founder and president of Bethel Bible Institute in Spencer, Massachusetts.-Biography:...
, a prominent early figure in prosperity theology, was educated at Emerson College of Oratory
Emerson College
Emerson College is a private coeducational university located in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a "school of oratory," Emerson is "the only comprehensive college or university in America dedicated exclusively to communication and the arts in a liberal arts...
in the 1890s, which was then well known for its influence promoting New Thought. Kenyon later became connected with prominent figures in Pentecostalism and wrote about the power of supernatural revelation
Supernatural revelation
Supernatural revelation refers to a communication between a living human being and a deity or other supernatural entity, e.g. an angel. Many religions not only accept supernatural revelations, but base their fundamental beliefs on such revelations...
and positive declarations. His writing influenced leaders in the post-war healing revivals and prosperity movement.
Prosperity theology was first popularized in the Healing Revivals in the United States after the end of the Second World War. Oral Roberts
Oral Roberts
Granville "Oral" Roberts was an American Pentecostal televangelist and a Christian charismatic. He founded the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association and Oral Roberts University....
began teaching prosperity theology in 1947. In the 1950s, Roberts began a fundraiser for his ministry which promised that donors would receive the money that they donated to him back from an unexpected source. He offered to return any donation that did not lead to an equivalent blessing of the donor. In the late 1950s, A. A. Allen
A. A. Allen
Asa A. Allen , better known as A.A. Allen, was a controversial evangelist with a Pentecostal healing and deliverance ministry. He was, for a time, associated with the "Voice of Healing" movement founded by Gordon Lindsay. He died at age 59 in San Francisco...
also began teaching prosperity theology. Although Allen had emphasized divine healing up to that point, he began to teach that God could miraculously solve financial problems through faith, as well. He claimed to have had a miraculous experience in which God supernaturally changed one dollar bills into twenty dollar bills to allow Allen to pay a bill that he could not afford.
In the 1960s, prosperity became a major theme in healing revivals. At that time Roberts and William Branham criticized some of their fellow ministries, alleging that some of the fundraising tactics unfairly pressured attendees. These tactics were prompted in part by the expense involved in developing nationwide radio networks and campaign schedules. At that time leaders of the Assemblies of God, a Pentecostal denomination, often criticized independent healing evangelists
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
, in part due to their emphasis on prosperity. In the 1970s, Oral Roberts began teaching that donations were a form of "seed", that would grow in value and be returned to the donor at a later date. T. L. Osborn
T. L. Osborn
Thomas Lee Osborn is an American Pentecostal evangelist and author based in Tulsa, Oklahoma.Osborn was born at Pocasset in Oklahoma....
also often emphasized prosperity at that time. Obsorn became known for his often ostentatious displays of personal wealth. Kenneth Hagin has been credited with playing a key role in the expansion of prosperity theology. In addition to his radio broadcast and publishing enterprises, Hagin founded the RHEMA
Rhema
Rhema literally means an "utterance" or "thing said" in Greek. It is a word that signifies the action of utterance.In philosophy, it was used by both Plato and Aristotle to refer to propositions or sentences....
Bible Training Center in 1974. Over the next 20 years, the school trained over 10,000 people in his theology.
In the 1980s, public attention in the United States was drawn to prosperity theology through the influence of prominent televangelist ministries. Jimmy Swaggart
Jimmy Swaggart
Jimmy Lee Swaggart is a Pentecostal American pastor, teacher, musician, television host, and televangelist. He has preached to crowds around the world through his weekly telecast...
and Jim Bakker
Jim Bakker
James Orsen "Jim" Bakker is an American televangelist, a former Assemblies of God minister, and a former host of The PTL Club, a popular evangelical Christian television program.A sex scandal led to his resignation from the ministry...
each ran large, well known ministries that promoted prosperity theology. However, their influence on American Christianity waned after they experienced high-profile scandals. (Bakker later renounced prosperity theology after being imprisoned for fraud.)
The Neo-Pentecostal movement has been characterized in part by a greater emphasis on prosperity theology. In the late 1990s, the movement began to gain greater acceptance within charismatic Christianity
Charismatic Christianity
Charismatic Christianity is a Christian doctrine that maintains that modern-day believers experience miracles, prophecy, speaking in tongues, and other spiritual gifts as described in of the Bible...
. As of 2006, three of the four largest churches in the United States have been associated with prosperity theology. Joel Osteen
Joel Osteen
Joel Scott Osteen is an American author, televangelist, and the senior pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. His ministry reaches over seven million broadcast media viewers weekly in over 100 nations around the world.-Biography:...
has been credited with spreading prosperity theology outside of the charismatic and Pentecostal movements through his books, which have sold over 4 million copies. Osteen's theology has been characterized as a moderate form of prosperity theology. By the 2000s, churches promoting prosperity theology in the United States were most common in the Sun Belt
Sun Belt
The Sun Belt or Spanish Belt is a region of the United States generally considered to stretch across the South and Southwest . Another rough boundary of the region is the area south of the 36th parallel, north latitude. It is the largest region which the U.S government does not recognize officially...
. In the late 2000s, proponents of prosperity theology claimed that tens of millions of Christians adhere to a form of prosperity theology. Prosperity theology has been exported from the United States to Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
, as well as less prosperous areas of the world. There is no official governing body for the movement, though many ministries are unofficially linked.
In 2007, U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Chuck Grassley
Chuck Grassley
Charles Ernest "Chuck" Grassley is the senior United States Senator from Iowa . A member of Republican Party, he previously served in the served in the United States House of Representatives and the Iowa state legislature...
opened a probe into the finances of six televangelism ministries that promote prosperity theology. The six ministries under investigation were Kenneth Copeland Ministries
Kenneth Copeland
Kenneth Copeland is an American author, public speaker, and televangelist. He is the founder of Kenneth Copeland Ministries, which preaches a “prosperity gospel”: "Prosperity gospel assures followers that the more they give including in the form of tithes to the church, the more they will receive...
, Creflo Dollar Ministries
Creflo Dollar
Creflo Augustus Dollar, Jr. is an American Word of Faith teacher, pastor, and the founder of the non-denominational World Changers Church International based in Fulton County, Georgia. Creflo Dollar Ministerial Association , Creflo Dollar Ministries, and Arrow Records...
, Benny Hinn Ministries
Benny Hinn
Toufik Benedictus "Benny" Hinn הין; born December 3, 1952) is a televangelist, best known for his regular "Miracle Crusades" – revival meeting/faith healing summits that are usually held in large stadiums in major cities, which are later broadcast worldwide on his television program, This Is Your...
, Bishop Eddie Long Ministries, Joyce Meyer Ministries
Joyce Meyer
Joyce Meyer is a Charismatic Christian author and speaker. Meyer and her husband Dave have four grown children, and live outside St. Louis, Missouri. Her ministry is headquartered in the St. Louis suburb of Fenton, Missouri.-Early life:Meyer was born Pauline Joyce Hutchison in south St. Louis in...
, and Paula White Ministries
Paula White
Paula Michelle White is a Christian author, speaker, and church leader. She is co-founder of Without Walls International Church; a large, influential, non-denominational, charismatic church with two locations in Florida...
. In January 2011, Grassley concluded his investigation and stated that he believed self-regulation by religious organizations was preferable to government action. After the probe was opened, Joyce Meyer Ministries voluntarily joined the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability
Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability
The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability is an accreditation agency to promote fiscal integrity and sound financial practices among member organizations. Founded in 1979, it comprises over 2,000 evangelical Christian organizations which qualify for tax-exempt, nonprofit status and...
. Only Joyce Meyer and Benny Hinn cooperated fully with the investigation; the other groups provided less information than investigators had sought.
Theology
Proponents of prosperity theology cast the movement as a reclamation of true doctrine and a path to Christian dominionDominion Theology
Dominion Theology is seen by some as a subset of Dominionism, a term used by some social scientists and journalists to describe a theological form of political ideology, which they claim has broadly influenced the Christian Right in the United States, Canada, and Europe, within Protestant...
over secular society. Prosperity theologians teach that promises of prosperity from God to the nation of Israel in the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
apply to all Christians in the New Covenant
New Covenant
The New Covenant is a concept originally derived from the Hebrew Bible. The term "New Covenant" is used in the Bible to refer to an epochal relationship of restoration and peace following a period of trial and judgment...
. They teach that faith and holy actions release this prosperity into the lives of Christians. They also teach that Christians have been given power over creation because they are made in the image of God. They teach that speech used by Christians, known as positive confession, can allow them to exercise dominion over all creation. This dominion is said to apply to one's individual soul
Soul
A soul in certain spiritual, philosophical, and psychological traditions is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object. Many philosophical and spiritual systems teach that humans have souls, and others teach that all living things and even inanimate objects have souls. The...
as well as exterior objects. This process is often taught in almost mechanical terms. Kenneth Copeland speaks of prosperity as being governed by a set of laws and the process of gaining prosperity is often portrayed as a formulaic spiritual process. Creflo Dollar's teachings about prosperity have been described as portraying an inviolable contract between God and humanity about wealth.
Teachers of prosperity theology take a strong focus on personal empowerment
Empowerment
Empowerment refers to increasing the spiritual, political, social, racial, educational, gender or economic strength of individuals and communities...
. Prosperity theology promotes a positive view of the spirit
Spirit
The English word spirit has many differing meanings and connotations, most of them relating to a non-corporeal substance contrasted with the material body.The spirit of a living thing usually refers to or explains its consciousness.The notions of a person's "spirit" and "soul" often also overlap,...
and body
Body
With regard to living things, a body is the physical body of an individual. "Body" often is used in connection with appearance, health issues and death...
and teaches that people are entitled to happiness and material prosperity. Physical and spiritual realities are both seen as one united reality that cannot be separated. Prosperity theology teaches that all Bible-believing Christians are entitled to physical health and economic prosperity. They view the Atonement as a removal of sickness and economic lack as well as spiritual corruption.
The teaching is often based on non-traditional interpretations of certain Biblical verses. Prominent verses used by prosperity adherents include:
- Malachi 3:10 - "Bring the whole titheTitheA tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques, or stocks, whereas historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural products...
into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,' says the LORD of hosts, 'if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows". - Matthew 25:14-30 - the Parable of the talents
- John 10:10 - "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly".
- Philippians 4:19: "My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches of glory in Christ Jesus".
- 3 John 2 - "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers".
Kenneth Hagin has maintained that ministries in the prosperity theology movement hold to most of the primary tenets of evangelical theology. However, mainstream evangelicalism has consistently opposed prosperity theology. Many ministries that teach prosperity theology have had a bitter relationship with many other Christian groups, including others within the Pentecostal and charismatic communities. Many prominent evangelical leaders, such as Rick Warren
Rick Warren
Richard Duane "Rick" Warren is an American evangelical Christian minister and author. He is the founder and senior pastor of Saddleback Church, an evangelical megachurch located in Lake Forest, California, currently the eighth-largest church in the United States...
, Ben Witherington III
Ben Witherington III
Ben Witherington III is an American evangelical Biblical scholar, and professor of New Testament Studies.Witherington is Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky.-Education:...
, and Jerry Falwell
Jerry Falwell
Jerry Lamon Falwell, Sr. was an evangelical fundamentalist Southern Baptist pastor, televangelist, and a conservative commentator from the United States. He was the founding pastor of the Thomas Road Baptist Church, a megachurch in Lynchburg, Virginia...
, have harshly criticized the movement, sometimes alleging that it is heretical false teaching. Warren has alleged that prosperity theology promotes the idolatry
Idolatry
Idolatry is a pejorative term for the worship of an idol, a physical object such as a cult image, as a god, or practices believed to verge on worship, such as giving undue honour and regard to created forms other than God. In all the Abrahamic religions idolatry is strongly forbidden, although...
of money. Others have argued that many of the teachings of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
indicate a disdain for material wealth.
Simon Coleman of the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
has speculated that prosperity theology is drawn from the New Thought movement rather than the Bible, though he admits that the connection is sometimes unclear. Critics of the movement often assail promises made by its leaders, claiming that the broad freedom from problems they foretell is irresponsibly broad. Michael Catt
Michael Catt
Michael Catt is a producer, author and Senior Pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church since 1989. He was an executive producer for the 2008 film, Fireproof. He is an author and has written several books and booklets...
has argued that Prosperity theology has little in common with traditional Christian theology. Others have alleged that the focus on giving large donations to churches is abusing the faith of parishioners in order to enrich church leadership. Apologists for the prosperity movement often note its ethnic diversity and claim that there are a variety of different views within the movement.
Socioeconomic analysis
Though the movement has drawn many followers from the middle classMiddle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
, it also has become popular among the poor, many of whom seek personal and social advancement. In the United States, prosperity theology is most popular in exurbs and urban areas. It has seen significant growth in black and Hispanic churches and is particularly popular among immigrants to the United States. In Exporting the American Gospel: Global Christian Fundamentalism Steve Brouwer, Paul Gifford, and Susan Rose speculate that the movement was fueled by a prevailing cultural disdain for liberalism
Social liberalism
Social liberalism is the belief that liberalism should include social justice. It differs from classical liberalism in that it believes the legitimate role of the state includes addressing economic and social issues such as unemployment, health care, and education while simultaneously expanding...
in the United States, beginning in the 1970s.
Hanna Rosin
Hanna Rosin
-Career:Hanna Rosin is a co-founder of DoubleX, a women's site connected to the online magazine Slate. She is also a writer for The Atlantic. She has written for the Washington Post, The New Yorker, GQ and New York after beginning her career as a staff writer for The New Republic. Rosin has also...
has argued that prosperity theology has emerged due to broader trends in the United States, particularly the economic optimism of the 1950s and 1990s. It has also been compared the historic idea of manifest destiny
Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny was the 19th century American belief that the United States was destined to expand across the continent. It was used by Democrat-Republicans in the 1840s to justify the war with Mexico; the concept was denounced by Whigs, and fell into disuse after the mid-19th century.Advocates of...
. Marvin Harris
Marvin Harris
Marvin Harris was an American anthropologist. He was born in Brooklyn, New York. A prolific writer, he was highly influential in the development of cultural materialism...
has argued that the degree of focus on the material world is a symptom of the secularization
Secularization
Secularization is the transformation of a society from close identification with religious values and institutions toward non-religious values and secular institutions...
of American religion. He also characterizes it as an attempt to fulfill the American Dream
American Dream
The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States in which freedom includes a promise of the possibility of prosperity and success. In the definition of the American Dream by James Truslow Adams in 1931, "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each...
using supernatural power. Although many churches that promote prosperity theology also hold seminars on financial responsibility, Catherine Bowler of the Duke Divinity School
Duke Divinity School
The Divinity School at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina is one of thirteen seminaries founded and supported by the United Methodist Church. It has 39 full time and 18 part time faculty and over 500 full time students. The current dean of The Divinity School is Richard B. Hays, who replaced...
has alleged that the churches often offer poor advice. Rosin has also argued that adherents of the prosperity gospel may have contributed to the housing bubble
Real estate bubble
A real estate bubble or property bubble is a type of economic bubble that occurs periodically in local or global real estate markets...
that caused the financial crisis of 2007–2010. They maintain that home ownership has been heavily emphasized by those who promote prosperity theology and that reliance on divine intervention caused many to make unwise financial choices.