Wrestling with Prosperity Gospel: An Introduction

When we talk about Prosperity Gospel, we usually conjure up images of pastors on TV begging for money for their ministry, or preachers teaching on the virtue of giving with a happy heart as they pass the plate around. While it has negative connotations for many, there are plenty of people who whole-heartedly subscribe to it as a legitimate theology. But what exactly is it? Where did it start? And why is it so reviled and yet so successful in the United States? 

This episode is an introduction to Prosperity Gospel that will lead us into more conversations in future episodes. Megan gives a deep dive into the movements that led to this theology, as well as the cultural oven that baked all the ingredients into a perfect loaf that the wealthy could hold over hungry heads. In many ways, Prosperity Gospel is just the water we're all swimming in here in the US, but we're endeavoring to see what's in the metaphorical water so we can think critically about what's working and what's not. 

Some references:

https://www.vox.com/identities/2017/9/1/15951874/prosperity-gospel-explained-why-joel-osteen-believes-prayer-can-make-you-rich-trump

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosperity_theology

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/opinions/outlook/worst-ideas/prosperity-gospel.html

https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/topics/p/prosperity-gospel/