28 Facts About Prosperity theology

Prosperity theology is a religious belief among some Protestant Christians that financial blessing and physical well-being are always the will of God for them, and that faith, positive speech, and donations to religious causes will increase one's material wealth.

Prosperity theology has been criticized by leaders from various Christian denominations, including within some Pentecostal and charismatic movements, who maintain that it is irresponsible, promotes idolatry, and is contrary to the Bible.

Prosperity theology's writing influenced leaders of the nascent prosperity movement during the post-war American healing revival.

Prosperity theology explained the laws of faith as a "blessing pact" in which God would return donations "seven fold", promising that donors would receive back from unexpected sources the money they donated to him.

Prosperity theology taught that faith could miraculously solve financial problems and claimed to have had a miraculous experience in which God supernaturally changed one-dollar bills into twenty-dollar bills to allow him to pay his debts.

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Prosperity theology soon had widely aired radio and television programs and became distinguished for his flashy style.

Prosperity theology founded the RHEMA Bible Training Center in 1974, and over the next 20 years, the school trained more than 10,000 students in his theology.

Prosperity theology teaches that Christians are entitled to well-being and, because spiritual and physical realities are seen as one inseparable reality, interprets well-being as physical health and economic prosperity.

Prosperity theology teaching of positive confession stems from its proponents' view of scripture.

Prosperity theology teaches that the Bible has promised prosperity for believers, so positive confession means that believers are speaking in faith what God has already spoken about them.

Some Latin Americans who have embraced prosperity theology argue that Christianity has historically placed an unnecessary focus on suffering.

Prosperity theology churches encourage people to "live without limits" and to cultivate optimism about their lives.

Hanna Rosin of The Atlantic argues that prosperity theology contributed to the housing bubble that caused the late-2000s financial crisis.

Prosperity theology maintains that prosperity churches heavily emphasized home ownership based on reliance on divine financial intervention that led to unwise choices based on actual financial ability.

Jenkins contends that prosperity theology is used as a tool to justify the high salaries of pastors.

Rosin argues that prosperity theology emerged because of broader trends, particularly American economic optimism in the 1950s and 1990s.

Prosperity theology sees it as an attempt to fulfill the American Dream by using supernatural power.

Prosperity theology has become popular among poor Americans, particularly those who seek personal and social advancement.

Coleman has speculated that modern-day prosperity theology borrows heavily from the New Thought movement, though he admits that the connection is sometimes unclear.

Critics, such as Evangelical pastor Michael Catt, have argued that prosperity theology has little in common with traditional Christian theology.

Warren proposes that prosperity theology promotes the idolatry of money, and others argue that Jesus' teachings indicate a disdain for material wealth.

Prosperity theology cites Jesus' statement in Mark 10:25 that "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God" as evidence to oppose such thinking.

Prosperity theology has been opposed for not adequately explaining the poverty of the Apostles.

Prosperity theology argues that the proponents of the doctrine misconstrue the atonement, criticizing their teaching that Jesus' death took away poverty as well as sin.

Prosperity theology believes that this teaching is drawn from a misunderstanding of Jesus' life and criticizes John Avanzini's teaching that Jesus was wealthy as a misrepresentation, noting that Paul often taught Christians to give up their material possessions.

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The statement further criticizes prosperity theology for overlooking the importance of prayer, arguing that prayer should be used for all requests, not simply positive confession.

The Council accused prosperity theology of taking passages out of context to fulfill its own needs, with the result that doctrine of positive confession is contradictory to the holistic message of the Bible.

Prosperity theology continued by saying that the "possession of wealth or significant income is not a mark of heavenly favor, and their absence is not evidence of heavenly disfavor".