Prosperity theology
Prosperity Gospel (from eng. Prosperity Gospel, other languages sometimes literally, success theology ) is a theological opinion, prosperity, particularly financial assets and business and personal success are visible proof of God's favor. Wealth is predetermined, or granted in return for the effective prayer or religious merit. The term " prosperity gospel " is often used to criticize preachers or churches whose position in the addressed question seems extreme or fundamentalist, and is widely used in religious literature.
Teaching in fundamentalist Christianity
The Prosperity Gospel is a common constituent of free-church preaching televangelists mainly from the USA, and from charismatic churches and Pentecostal churches, although it is not exclusively limited to their understanding of faith. The origins lie in the United States. Representatives are Reinhard Bonnke ( miracle as an intangible wealth), Benny Hinn, Dr. Wolfhard Margie, folk Spitzer and the less well-known in German-speaking preacher Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland, Robert Tilton, Creflo Dollar, etc. The "prosperity theology " propagated by them -disclosing the people on the basis of "empowerment " concept, a life of health, parent relations and luxury. This is the reward for the furtherance of the gospel and the Christian work in the world and therefore willed by God. This concept corresponds to the " American Dream ". Progress, success and wealth are accessible by anyone.
Wolfhard Margie even wrote the persecuted Christians in Russia are victims of their own, non- lived belief, because they had not applied these laws of faith, yes guarantee the health and success. You " ... have driven through their unbiblical, contrary to the will of Jesus suffering ongoing priorities, the government indirectly in the centuries-long anti- divine forms of rule. With their perverted understanding they have finally reaped what they have sown. " Pastor Yonggi Cho The South Korean speaks of the " liberation from the curse of poverty. " Prosperity and success are visible proof of God's good pleasure. Influenced by him is Siegfried Müller from the mission station in Karlsruhe, who declared in a sermon of 19 October 1986 that we dishonor God when we drive a rusty car. In the same message he refers to himself as " King of Karlsruhe ".
A non-denominational flow in Germany, the teaching of which is based mainly in material wealth, is the Word of Faith Movement. Support for this interpretation of the Gospel see the proponents in a verse of the Old Testament of the Bible ( Moses 5 8.18 EU): Thou shalt surely the LORD thy God, remember; for it is he who gives you power to get wealth such; to that he was maintaining his covenant, which he swore to your fathers, as it is happening today. ( KJV )
The American Eschatologe David Wilkerson saw the spreading prosperity belief among Christians as a sign of the "End Time " of this world.
Reasons for the critical consideration
Critics of these preachers refer with regard to Luke 9, 58 EU that Jesus deliberately not targeted for possessions or wealth. He even sought communion with the poor, the outcast and marginalized groups of society ( Mk 2, 17 EU). But there was no place in the gospel of prosperity for suffering and disease. You see in the Bible no legitimacy that Christians accumulate wealth and material goods. For the poor and sick was to be expected, since the doctrine of the gospel of prosperity beyond measure claim the imagination and willpower neither by the Church nor from fellow help. The doctrine that one must himself take the promises to complete, runs the risk of personal failure, though the success did not stop.
Therefore, the emphasis on material wealth was already wrong because God is both righteous (in the sense of the faithful ) as granted are also wicked wealth leave ( cf. Psalm 37 EU). Wealth vanishing, the belief remains exist.
In the Bible, especially Job's friends are representative of an affluent ideology and discuss with Job whose arguments and counter-arguments in detail. Job can only turn his precarious situation against the opinion of his friends a blessing, as he devotes himself entirely God's will. Paul would thus be an example of less than apostle, but as a failure. Asher Intrater writes, we must also warn people of the danger of greed. She sees the problem of " prosperity preachers ... in what they do not preach. If you preach only half of the truth, then this leads (even if it's true) astray. "
The African- American religious community National Baptist Convention denounced the prosperity gospel, because many black communities living in poverty through no fault. Author Dr. Robert M. Franklin called the prosperity gospel as the greatest threat to the historical heritage and the core values of contemporary black church tradition and says: "Besides missing in the prosperity gospel is often the aspect of justice."
The Roman Catholic Church warns that it would suggest that one who only "right" believe and live according to the moral principles that are inevitably going to be successful and happy come through life. Due to the pressure to succeed in the business world and in everyday family life growing the search for simple solutions. Conversely, this " positive thinkers ": Who the practical implementation of the recommendations did not succeed, had " simply did not really believed ."
Related ideas and further theories of the prosperity gospel
Points of contact has this religious teaching with positive thinking as a theory in psychology. Psychologists and psychiatrists expressly warn that the methods can damage labile and depressed patients continue or lead to a loss of reality. Furthermore, the theory is partially represented by the predestination to explain why even Christians who apparently live their lives properly, not attain the material blessings. Furthermore, asceticism is taught and understood in this sense, entrepreneurial success in the Reformed Puritan capitalism as a reward for renunciation and renunciation.