This article may contain original research or unverified claims. Please improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (November 2009)

Prosperity theology (also known as prosperity doctrine, health and wealth, prosperity gospel) is a religious belief centered around the notion that God provides material prosperity for those he favors.^[1] It implies both that people who are favored by God will be materially successful, and also that materially successful people are successful because God favored them. The prosperity gospel is often used by its promoters to elicit donations, on the premise that donations will be materially repaid and rewarded via divine intervention.

Prosperity theology has been the target of criticism. Within the Christian community, prosperity theology has been criticized as being antithetical to traditional biblical teaching.^[2] More generally, prosperity theology has been criticized as as being exploitative of its adherents, and for the financial excesses and lack of financial transparency of its leadership.

Prosperity theology is not the same as Word of Faith theology, though most, if not all, Word of Faith teachers hold to some level of prosperity theology.

Contents 1 In Christian traditions 2 Prosperity belief 2.1 Arguments for probabilistic causation 2.2 Arguments against probabilistic causation 2.3 Arguments against deterministic causation 2.3.1 Other criticisms 2.3.2 Senate probe 2.3.3 Prosperity gospel teachers 3 New Thought Movement 3.1 New Thought prosperity teachings 4 See also 5 Notes 6 External links

[edit] In Christian traditions

Prosperity theology is most commonly found within the charismatic and pentecostal traditions of Christianity although it is not exclusive to these traditions. In some countries, adherence to prosperity gospel beliefs is more common amongst charismatics than the practice of speaking in tongues.^[3]

While the prosperity gospel movement is often perceived as part of the broad spectrum of North American evangelical Christianity, most prominent evangelicals reject the teaching as non-evangelical. Until March 2009, when Joyce Meyer's ministry was accepted into the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA), none of the major prosperity gospel proponents belonged to well-established evangelical organizations such as the ECFA or the National Association of Evangelicals.^[4][5][6][7]

[edit] Prosperity belief

Prosperity theology proponents promote the idea that godliness and prosperity have a causational relationship. That is:

• Godliness causes prosperity

Despite the fact that causational relationships are different from conditional statements (see causality article for more information), the following conditional can thus be made:

1. If X is prospering, then God made them prosper.
2. X is prospering.
3. Therefore, God gave them their prosperity.

This however, is offset by the Job case study, that shows:

1. If X is in poverty, then God allowed them to be tested.
2. X is in poverty.
3. Therefore, God allowed for the poverty.

While some prosperity theology proponents further promote the idea that the causational relationship between godliness and prosperity is deterministic, meaning that prosperity must always be followed by godliness, because of the following reasons, most adherents to prosperity theology follow a notion of probabilistic causation rather than deterministic causation:

• Statistical data doesn't show correlation (despite "correlation does not equate causation") due to the butterfly effect; that is, the inclusion of many variables.
• The fear of misleading statements of fact.
• Most importantly that godliness causes poverty (as well as prosperity) as per the Job example.

For those who dissent from the more dominant probabilistic causation, and follow deterministic causation, their logic is:

1. If X is godly, then God will make them prosperous.
2. X is godly.
3. Therefore, X will be prosperous.

[edit] Arguments for probabilistic causation

Support for the prosperity gospel is believed to be found by proponents predominantly in the Old Testament. These commonly include:

• Abraham who God stated would bless him with as many children as there were stars.
• King Solomon who built Solomon's Temple, which was one of the greatest civil infrastructures of the Old Testament times.
• Deuteronomy 8:18 - "But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day" (New American Standard Bible).^[8]
• Malachi 3:10 - "Bring the whole tithe 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" (New American Standard Bible).
• 3 John 2-4 - "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers."

[edit] Arguments against probabilistic causation

• Ecclesiastes 9:11 - "I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all." This passage seems to indicate that it is not up to God, but merely time and chance.

[edit] Arguments against deterministic causation

Most Christians do not deny probabilistic causation between godliness and prosperity.

However, critics argue with relation to deterministic causation, verses prosperity gospel proponents use are taken by them out of their textual, cultural, historical and/or literary context thus falsely supporting their claims;^[9] but more importantly, doesn't consider differences between Old Testament and New Testament theology, see also Relationship between Old and New Testament.

Furthermore, critics argue that Jesus himself was not living in what would be considered "prosperity".

Critics further argue the teaching is a teaching of materialism masquerading as theology in spite of no valid biblical support. Proponents defend that prosperity's ultimate purpose is to fund evangelism and Christian charity world-wide. Critics however argue, evidence shows that the accumulation of wealth and material goods is not for the purpose of the Gospel, which has been the hallmark of the prosperity movement.^[10].

Biblical criticism includes:^[11]

• Job. The entire book of which seems to have been written as a rebuttal to a variation of this belief.

• 1 Timothy 6:7-10 - "For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."

• Matthew 6:19-21, 24; Luke 16:13 - "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven... For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."

• Luke 18:22-25 - "... it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

• 1 John 2:15 - "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

• 1 Timothy 6:3-5 - "If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain."

• Matthew 19:21 - "Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."

• 1 Timothy 2:9 - "In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array."

• Proverbs 22:16 - "He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich — both come to poverty."

• Revelation 3:17 - "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked."

• Proverbs 28:22 - "He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him."

• Acts 8:20 - "But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money."

• Proverbs 13:7 - "There is he that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches."

• Habakkuk 3:17-18 - "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior."

• Galatians 2:10 (NIV) - "All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do."

It should be noted, however, that these Scriptures seem to describe the detriment of a focus on—or love of—the riches themselves, while prosperity teachers teach that it's a focus on—and love of—God which actually brings the increase.

[edit] Other criticisms

Prosperity teaching seems to promote more self-gratification than true spirituality. Furthermore, aspects of its theology seem overly simplistic and formulaic with critics commonly referring to the doctrine as "Name-It-Claim-It".^[12]

• One of the most notable criticisms of the prosperity gospel was put forth by D. R. McConnell, a Charismatic theologian from Oral Roberts University. In his book A Different Gospel, McConnell alleged that Kenneth Hagin not only plagiarized prosperity teachings from E. W. Kenyon, but that those teachings are derived from metaphysical denominations such as New Thought and Unity School of Christianity.

• "Money has always been mankind's greatest temptation. People wrestle against the truth everyday. The kingdom of God is not the American Dream - one is spiritual and the other is physical." Anthony K.Thigpen, David W. Austin^[13]

• Donnie Swaggart, a notable Pentecostal minister, has preached strongly against the prosperity gospel. He has gone on record for saying,

  "The modern-day greed gospel is one of the worst cancers and blights on the present-day Church. I don't apologize for saying that, I'm not gonna back up for saying that, and I'm not gonna apologize saying that. It is evil, it is a cancer, and it leads to covetousness, and it leads to destruction. There is no difference between the evil of that message and the evil of Las Vegas, Atlantic City, or any other place of gambling. Actually, Las Vegas and Atlantic City and any other casino is more holy than that demonic greed gospel, because casinos do not bring God into their lives."^[14]

• "When was the last time that any American, African, or Asian ever said Jesus is all satisfying because you drove a BMW?? Never!!" John Piper

• "Any gospel that cannot be preached in a third-world country is not the True Gospel of Jesus Christ." -- Baptist pastor and televangelist, David Jeremiah

• "I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ. The materialism of affluent Christian countries appears to contradict the claims of Jesus Christ that says it's not possible to worship both Mammon and God at the same time." -- Mahatma Gandhi^[15]

• The prosperity theology defines quality of life based on quantity of possessions. This deceptive movement teaches that financial lack is based on limited faith and minimal giving. The theme of Christianity is not money. How to get rich and have everything you ever wanted, is Satan's message modernized. Money is a mere illusion. God gave his only Son so that life would become more meaningful, namely spiritual. Money does not make life valuable, God does." Anthony K.Thigpen, David W. Austin

[edit] Senate probe

In 2007, U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) opened a probe into the finances of six televangelists (or married televangelist teams) who preach a "prosperity gospel".^[16][17] The six under investigation are:

• Kenneth Copeland and Gloria Copeland of Kenneth Copeland Ministries, Newark, Texas
• Creflo Dollar and Taffi Dollar of World Changers Church International and Creflo Dollar Ministries, College Park, Georgia
• Benny Hinn of World Healing Center Church Inc. and Benny Hinn Ministries, Grapevine, Texas
• Eddie L. Long of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church and Bishop Eddie Long Ministries, Lithonia, Georgia
• Joyce Meyer and David Meyer of Joyce Meyer Ministries, Fenton, Missouri
• Randy White and Paula White (now divorced) of Without Walls International Church and Paula White Ministries, Tampa, Florida

[edit] Prosperity gospel teachers

In the history of the prosperity movement, Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland,^[18] and Frederick K. C. Price were among the founding teachers. Beyond just promoting materialism generally, critics also claim that the doctrine is used by its proponents to become wealthy and to finance their lavish lifestyles at the expense of donors.

While most—if not all—prosperity teachers believe in Word of Faith theology, the terms should not be used interchangeably. Many of these same individuals are also the so-called televangelists, but again, not all televangelists hold to prosperity teaching.

Some of the proponents of prosperity theology are:

Pat Robertson calls this theory the "Law of Reciprocity" on his show, The 700 Club.^[19] The theology was previously foundational in Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker's tenure in the PTL Club ministry, but Bakker, who served a prison term for fraud, detailed his renunciation of this theology in his book I Was Wrong: The Untold Story of the Shocking Journey from PTL Power to Prison and Beyond^[20].

[edit] New Thought Movement

Similarly, "New Thought" religious denominations – Unity, Religious Science, and Divine Science denominations – contend that God supports prosperity. Unlike prosperity teachers however, this view teaches that God wants people to prosper regardless of religion, leaves it up to the individual to define prosperity (rather than defining it in terms of material wealth), and does not condone the accumulation of vast fortunes at the expense of others.

What sets prosperity teachers apart from New Thought teachers is that prosperity teachers teach that it is, in fact, God who gives the increase. They base this on the concept of giving and receiving as mentioned in Malachi 3:10 and Luke 6:38.

The bestselling book The Secret, largely based upon New Thought theology, allows for the personal attainment of prosperity through following the power of positive thinking.

[edit] New Thought prosperity teachings

Divine Science Jewish Science Law of Attraction New Thought Religious Science Think and Grow Rich

Michael Beckwith Mary Manin Morrissey The Secret Unity Wallace Wattles

[edit] See also

• Word Faith

[edit] Notes

[edit] External links

This article's external links may not follow Wikipedia's content policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links. (October 2009)

• The Protestant Ethic Thesis, Donald Frey, Wake Forest University, eh.net
• "capitalism", latter-rain.com
• "Between Faith and Fund-Raising", Julian Gearing, Asiaweek, September 17, 1999, Vol. 25, No. 37
• "Expect God's Favor: Interview with Joel Osteen"
• "Prosperity Gospel on Skid Row", Bobby Ross, Jr., Christianity Today, January 19, 2009.
• "The Prosperity Gospel: A defense of the message", Tom Brown
• Is the "Gospel of prosperity" Jesus' Gospel?
• Lansner J (2009). Did religion cause real estate crash? Orange County Register blogs, 2009-11-12 (read 2009-11-13)
  • refers to Rosin H (2009). Did Christianity Cause the Crash? The Atlantic, 2009-12 (read 2009-11-15).