The 1979 collapse of the Iranian monarchy coincided with the publication of Christopher Lasch’s blockbuster book of ideas, “The Culture of Narcissism,” a critique of American celebrity, grandiosity and spiritual emptiness. In retrospect, the book explains the reasons Iran’s young…
Retributive theology opened the door to growth of the prosperity gospel today
Is it any wonder that the two most influential definitions of the “good news” in a Western society built on capitalism and retribution would be about people getting paid or being punished? In conservative evangelicalism, we see a heavy emphasis…
Belief in prosperity gospel growing among American Protestants
Just over half of Protestant churchgoers in the United States say their houses of worship promote the belief that God grants financial blessings to those who give money to churches and charities, according to Lifeway Research. A new Lifeway survey…
In Mozambique, informal economies are springing up around Pentecostal pilgrimages
Formal jobs with decent wages are scarce in Mozambique, one of the world’s poorest nations, a place where the once-dominant Catholic Church is losing ground to open-air nondenominational Pentecostals who specialize in the appealing Prosperity Gospel. Conditions are dire for…
‘Have you found Jesus yet?’ The peddling preacher and the pauper
Have you found Jesus yet? I ask because there seems to be some confusion today about where to find him.
Think you’re immune to the lures of the ‘prosperity gospel’? Maybe you should think again
We may not spend money on “gifts” to multi-millionaire, prosperity gospel ministers. But we do spend it on expertly-marketed Christian media.
Religion Notes: Prosperity gospel belief doesn’t inspire entrepreneurial action
-Study: Millennials more spiritually curious than older adults
-CBF church team continues immigrant, refugee ministry at the border
The death of Christianity in the U.S.
You might wonder if my condemnation is too harsh. It is not, for the Spirit of the Lord has convicted me to shout from the mountaintop how God’s precious children are being devoured by the hatred and bigotry of those who have positioned themselves as the voice of God in America.
Prosperity gospel may reap windfall from Trump presidency
Donald Trump’s inauguration, and even his presidency, is likely to be a shot in the arm for the prosperity gospel. “Oh, for sure,” said Andrew Gardner, an expert in American religious history, an opinion writer with Baptist News Global and author…
Prosperity gospel preacher confirms illness
A controversial “Bapticostal” megachurch pastor has confirmed he is facing a “health challenge” amid rumors that he is terminally ill. Bishop Eddie Long, senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Ga., released a statement Sept. 6 acknowledging…
Death, the Prosperity Gospel and Me
Durham, N.C. – ON a Thursday morning a few months ago, I got a call from my doctor’s assistant telling me that I have Stage 4 cancer. The stomach cramps I was suffering from were not caused by a faulty…
Hashbrown blessed or we’re all God’s children in the dark
Have you ever had that experience where-after happening upon the age of some celebrity or Silicon Valley tech maven who at 10 years your junior has already managed to accomplish more than you ever will-you find you have a rather…