Thanks to Lance from the Denver Post:

This is a reading from the prosperity gospel, the belief that God will reward faithful givers in this life with material wealth, a teaching that has ebbed and flowed for nearly a century but is finding prominence again among present-day televangelists.

Big-name Christian leaders from Joel Osteen to Joyce Meyer preach variations of the prosperity gospel.

Other scholars and pastors, including best-selling author Rick Warren of “The Purpose Driven Life” fame, have called it creating a false idol.

“This kind of preaching has great appeal to people who don’t have much, who don’t share in the American dream,” said the Rev. Cleo LaRue, an associate professor of homiletics at Princeton Theological Seminary. “I know pastors who say, ‘I draw a crowd when I preach blessings. I don’t want to talk all that theological stuff.”‘

While many pastors reluctantly preach about giving, Leonard devotes five to 10 minutes weekly to the biblical mandate to tithe, or give 10 percent of one’s income.

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Although accounts differ, prosperity theology is generally traced to E.W. Kenyon, an evangelical pastor from the first half of the 20th century.

The prosperity gospel, also called Word of Faith or “name it and claim it,” flourished in the affluent 1980s before taking a hit during the televangelist scandals of the era, said Randall Balmer, a professor of religious history at Barnard College in New York.

“I don’t find anywhere in the Gospels where Jesus promises material prosperity,” Balmer said. “Jesus says if you’re going to follow me, chances are you’re not going to have a place to lay your head tonight.”

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“Even so, only about 20 percent of Heritage members tithe faithfully, according to Trelles Stepter, who left the church elder board in 2004.

And in his latest book, “Happiness Matters,” Leonard describes a poll in which he asked church members to describe the top two sins in their lives.

Most answered sexual sin and lack of tithing”.

Read the whole article here: http://www.denverpost.com/prosperitygospel/ci_4458880

This entry was posted on Monday, October 9th, 2006 at 9:12 pm by Lionfish and is filed under challenges for the church. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.