The Prosperity Gospel in Africa

[velvetpage]

I got this link from RealLivePreacher, for whose blog I have an RS feed. It's disturbing to say the least. I've talked about this particular heresy before. It's the Calvinist principle taken to its ultimate extreme: if you are a real Christian, God WILL prosper you, and if he doesn't, it's because you're not doing it right. Now that massive distortion of Christianity has taken root in Africa, and I have no doubt it is causing great harm there.

http://www.christiancentury.org/article.lasso?id=3494

Comments

[summerfields.livejournal.com]

Craig just bought a magazine yesterday with pretty much the same story in it (I assume, I haven't clicked the link yet)...all about how prosperity preaching is taking off in Africa. A direct quote of one of the pastor's was, "It's not a sin to want money."
Hmm...I thought that whole "love of money is the root of evil" would've covered that, but I guess not!
It's way wrong and misguided, in my opinion! That is not what Jesus was about! Around Christmas Craig found a snippet from a paper about a man (in Holland of all places!) that was editing the Bible to take out all references to the poor because he thought Jesus just didn't know what he was talking about. Oy.

[summerfields.livejournal.com]

Oh, I think I messed up the quote...it seemed more outlandish when I read it in print!

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

It's definitely heretical, and stands in direct opposition to real Christianity. At its best, it's the basis of the Protestant work ethic, and at its worst, it's mystical, semi-magical mumbo-jumbo that attempts to coerce God - the cosmic Santa Claus effect. But either way, the same idea is at the base of it: God wants us to prosper, and good Christians acting in accordance with his will, will generally prosper by it.

[neosis.livejournal.com]

If I'm not mistaken this is exactly the same as the current American Christian Revival. Although, they've added that if you're not successful, it's because you're not giving enough to the Church.

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

Prosperity Gospel is definitely a part of the most evangelical and dominionist aspects of that revival, but it doesn't permeate it. There are denominations that are a part of that revival - the Salvation Army is one - that see this for exactly what it is - a heresy that has nothing to do with real Christianity.