Whither The Prosperity Gospel?

March 18, 2014 | Russell D. Moore

[Gamecock]

Whither The Prosperity Gospel?

The prosperity gospel isn’t "evangelical" at all because it is rooted in a different gospel than Christ's

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A few months ago, the American Scholar published a cover story on the collapse of Robert Schuller’s Crystal Cathedral. The article, by Jim Hinch, used the Cathedral as a parable for evangelicalism itself.

I found myself just now shouting “Amen” to the comments of a letter-writer from Charlottesville, Virginia, responding to the piece in the latest issue of the journal. The writer, Tony Tian-Ren-Lin, takes the journal to task for not understanding the difference between Schuller’s “gospel” and, well, the Gospel.

The Crystal Cathedral wasn’t, he points, out, evangelical at all. Institutionally, it was part of the mainline Reformed Church in America (that’s how you say “Presbyterian Church (USA)” in Dutch), and Schuller’s mission was not to call people to repentance of sin but to higher self-esteem. “If anything, the fall of the Crystal Cathedral represents the decline of that branch of mainline Protestantism,” he writes.

So, the question remains, where are all the people who once thronged the Crystal Cathedral. The Charlottesville correspondent explains to the American scholars: “They are at home, having their self-esteem puffed up by a new breed of prosperity-Gospel preacher, including Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, and T.D. Jakes.”

This is exactly right. The prosperity gospel isn’t just another brand of evangelicalism. It isn’t “evangelical” at all because it’s rooted in a different gospel from the one preached and embodied by Jesus Christ. The prosperity gospel is far more akin to the ancient Canaanite fertility religions than it is to anything announced by Jesus, the prophets before him, or the apostles after him.

We shouldn’t be that hard on the secular world for failing to see the difference between the prosperity gospel and the Gospel, but we should certainly expect the church to know the difference, and to say so.

[Gamecock]

So, the question remains, where are all the people who once thronged the Crystal Cathedral. The Charlottesville correspondent explains to the American scholars: “They are at home, having their self-esteem puffed up by a new breed of prosperity-Gospel preacher, including Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, and T.D. Jakes.”

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[.45 Long Colt]

The spirit behind Schuller’s broadway gospel wasn’t the Holy Spirit.

When my mother was still working she managed a group of libraries. It used to upset her that they had perpetual waiting lists for books by these people while the writings of John Owen, Jonathan Edwards, Charles Spurgeon, and R.C. Sproul were totally ignored.

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

Very nominal Lutheran connection.

Joyce Meyer was confirmed in the LCMS and is in the progeny-line of several well respected Lutheran theologians and pastors.

Sadly, she fell for the lure of liberal-feminism and then fell headlong into the “prosperity” boon-doggle.

[Alex Murphy]

The Crystal Cathedral wasn’t, he points, out, evangelical at all. Institutionally, it was part of the mainline Reformed Church in America (that’s how you say “Presbyterian Church (USA)” in Dutch), and Schuller’s mission was not to call people to repentance of sin but to higher self-esteem. “If anything, the fall of the Crystal Cathedral represents the decline of that branch of mainline Protestantism,” he writes.

Thanks for the ping!

[xzins]

The prosperity gospel is far more akin to the ancient Canaanite fertility religions than it is to anything announced by Jesus, the prophets before him, or the apostles after him.

I don't agree with that analogy given the depravity of the fertility rites in regards to Shuller, Osteen, Jakes, and Meyer.

I do acknowledge they are/were advocates of a self-esteem, prosperity gospel. I've no problem with that. Nor do I have a problem with not including them among "evangelicals", although that term is so watered down as to mean what is anyone's guess.

They did, though, include Jesus in their teaching....watered down, I admit. However, and this is my point, they did not come remotely close to the licentiousness and murderousness necessary to rise to the level of "fertility rites." They do promote a higher moral/ethical standard than that. In fact, their gospel is more appropriately "work results based."

[AppyPappy]

The Crystal Cathedral has been gone for a long time

[Gamecock]

***They do promote a higher moral/ethical standard than that.***

I’m not so sure, to me they turn the listener/viewer in on themselves.

[Apple Pan Dowdy]

Excellent article.

This is one of the reasons Presbyterians who underatand the real Christ centered Gospel are leaving the once so called mainstream Presbyterian USA church and going to the real evangelical Presbyterian PCA Presbyterian Church of America

[xzins]

We agree. That’s what I mean by “work results gospel.”

It isn’t just works righteousness. The works have to result in a particular type of result, that is, prosperity/success.

Very self focused.

[lifeofgrace]

Amen! I was just in Orange, CA a few weeks ago and passed by the cathedral, now known as Christ Cathedral, part of the Roman Catholic church.

[BonRad]

Matthew 7: [22] Many will say to me in that day: Lord, Lord, have not we prophesied in thy name, and cast out devils in thy name, and done many miracles in thy name? [23] And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.
I could be here all day (and won’t) but here’s a good start (I’m a traditionalist Catholic BTW- I could point to several protestant anti- wordfaith fundamentalist sites but would have to add huge caveat lectors so you find them):
David Wilkerson rebukes the Prosperity/Word of Faith Movement
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9I5EiJ208W8
Prosperity Gospel - Rise of Dark Faith
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fXedwqmts8 Trey Smith

[Gamecock]

Yup.

Now owned by Rome, Inc.

But the article is a good post mortum on the entire propserity gospel movement.

[txrefugee]

The “Prosperity Gospel” works very well for the practitioners of that perversion.
Joel Osteen’s weekly take of $600,000 in cash and checks was stolen from the church’s safe a couple of weeks ago.

[Gamecock]

Someone claimed it!

[exPBRrat]

Huh, I thought the Rev Schuller’s Crystal Cathedral fell apart during the Bush admin, my mistake.

...’prosperity gospel is far more akin to the ancient Canaanite fertility religions’...

Personally pleased to see this comparison made because I’ve thought of it as an obscure form of Baal worship for quite some time now.

We are certainty living in the ‘tickle your ear’ faux religious times the gospels have warned us about.

I don’t see any diminishing of the popularity of the Prosperity Gospel. And can see its appeal...and I’ll let it go there to avoid be disparaging.

[spudville]

They used to put on one heck of a show at Christmas and Easter.

[Gamecock]

The article doesn’t claim it to be a recent event. But the downfall applies today.

[Biggirl]

Better for Rome to take over the cathedral than for it to become a mosque.

Now it will become a REAL church.

[tired&retired]

Most of the sheeple have begun worshipping the government and our loser leader. Everything happens for a reason. There is a big ouch coming when the illusion bursts and as his mentor said... “The chickens come home to roost!”