THE INEVITABLE SOCIAL PRICE OF THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL (PG)

 

 

Despite its many claims of prosperity and healings, when regarded from the broader perspective, a different picture emerges—one of Gospel betrayal. In Stand Up for the Gospel, Emmanuel Kwasi Amoafo had written about the negative effect of the Prosperity Gospel on the Gospel witness and the welfare of African societies:

·       “Such a theology is attractive to middle-class, urban Africans. It silences the doctrines of sin, Christ, and judgment for a more materially oriented teaching that has led to “large numbers of unconverted second-generation churchgoers” (p51).

·       So while Christianity in Africa is seen to be growing, the lack of transformation may point to the reality that the quality of this type of Christianity—largely prosperity oriented—doesn’t produce spiritual fruit. Kwasi warns, “If we are not careful, the Church in Africa can turn our Christianity into a nice, safe middle-class religion that has left Christ and his gospel outside the door”

·       They reduce the work of Christ, stripping its spiritual significance and claiming “suffering, pain, and poverty are not the portion of a true believer because Jesus died to purchase good things for us. They teach that, because God desires prosperity for every one of his children, for a Christian to be in poverty or sick is to lack faith and to be outside God’s intended will” (p117). https://africa.thegospelcoalition.org/reviews/prosperity-doctrine-isnt-just-wrong-its-harmful/

‘Prosperity theology’: Poverty and implications for socio-economic development in Africa concludes” paints a consistent  picture of the impact of the PG on Africa:

·       Statistically, the prosperity gospel is not delivering prosperity to Africa, even though the socio-economic context of the theology remains a significant allure for the continent’s poor people.

·       PG pushes adherents to disregard their own personal realities (Mumford 2012:379) and trust God for change in their material conditions, and it often absolves adherents of all responsibility in creating possibilities for themselves. The implication is that the values of hard work are no longer extolled in many African households, and the source of sudden wealth is not questioned by families or clergy as long as the ‘money’ keeps coming in…The emphasis on economic gains as a sign of the blessing of God has led to an inordinate pursuit of material wealth to the detriment of moral standards among the youthful populations of Africa. In Nigeria, for instance, with a significant Pentecostal presence, ritual killings are becoming more prevalent as a result of weakened state authority and growing impatience to achieve economic stability.

·       The individualistic nature of this theology, where everyone is responsible for seeking their own prosperity, ‘naming and claiming’ for themselves, breeds selfishness and self-centredness, which lie at the root of crime and other societal vices. The crime rate among youths is on the rise because of the pressure to display material wealth as evidence of God’s blessing; money rituals are carried out by members of communities who belong to churches…The zeal to gain material wealth as a show of spirituality has resulted in a generation of young people who no longer care about Christian character or communal well-being as long as they can make money to show…Ritual killings, kidnappings and all kinds of social vices in Africa have been on the increase in the last few years.

·       The uncritical adoption of prosperity theology in Africa is a threat to sustainable socio-economic development. For genuine socio-economic development and sustainable prosperity to take place in Africa, the virtues of honesty, accountability, hard work, integrity, perseverance, community and delayed gratification [must be promoted].

Reference –African Journals Online (ajol.info)

 

 HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies ISSN: (Online) 2072-8050, (Print) 0259-9422

 

Are these same trends evident in the USA, the birth-place of the PG, especially with Kenneth Hagin in 1940, who had passed his mantle onto Kenneth Copeland and others? I think so! As the PG advanced, the Church lost ground and influence within the prevailing culture. Even in churches which are not explicitly associated with the PG, the impact of the PG is evident:

·       According to a study from Lifeway Research, 52% of American Protestant churchgoers say their church teaches God will bless them if they give more money to their church and charities, with 24% strongly agreeing. This is up from 38% of churchgoers who agreed in a 2017 Lifeway Research study.

·       Additionally, churchgoers are more likely today than in 2017 to believe God wants them to prosper financially (76% v. 69%) Today, 3 in 4 churchgoers (76%) believe God wants them to prosper financially, including 43% who strongly agree. Fewer (45%) believe they have to do something for Him in order to receive material blessings from God, with 21% strongly agreeing. Package https://www.nationalreview.com/2023/08/oberlins-art-museum-projects-grandeur-in-a-gemlike-package/

Associated with this growing trend, is the corresponding loss of Christian character, as noted in Africa and the decay of respect for the Church. With this growing emphasis, the Church continues to reject its emphasis on faithfulness and Christ-centeredness.