Does God want us to be wealthy? Many people believe that God offers not only eternal joy in the hereafter but also material blessings in the here and now. Other Christians see this "prosperity theology," as nothing more than vulgar materialism, incompatible with orthodox Christianity. In Righteous Riches, Milmon F. Harrison examines the Word of Faith movement, an independent, non-denominational Christian movement that preaches the so-called "health and wealth gospel." The Word of Faith movement is an international network loosely bound by a basic doctrine called the "Faith Message," which teaches that it is God's will for Christians to be prosperous, successful, and healthy in the present life. Drawing on his personal experiences as a former insider and in-depth interviews with members, Harrison takes us inside the movement, revealing what it is like to belong, and how people accept, reject, and reshape Word of Faith doctrines to fit their own lives. Although the movement is not exclusively African American, many of its most prominent and recognized leaders are African American ministers with large congregations and national television audiences. Analyzing the movement's appeal to African Americans, Harrison argues that, because of their history of oppression and discrimination, African American religious institutions have always had to address the material--as well as spiritual--concerns of their members. The Word of Faith Movement, he says, is one of several prosperity movements that resonate strongly with African Americans. Situating the movement in the contexts of both contemporary American religion and the history of the Black Church, Righteous Riches offers a fascinating look at a quintessentially American phenomenon.

Prosperity theology--the belief that financial and physical well-being is God's will for his followers--has become prevalent in modern-day Christianity. For Christians looking to better understand how it is affecting the life and growth of the church around the world, this book is an accessible and practical resource. Evaluating the prosperity theology movement from a biblical and evangelical perspective, the authors encourage readers to think critically about the ways in which the theology we follow can lead toward or away from the kingdom of God. Prosperity Theology and the Gospel is in four parts: The first part turns our attention to God's word and looks at what the Bible says about the issue of prosperity. Part 2 looks at the issue from different perspectives--be it historical, ethical, or sociological. Part 3 considers the impact of prosperity theology in different regions of the world through several case studies. Part 4 proposes how we might respond to some of the challenges we have identified and what could be a way forward for us all. Each chapter is followed by ideas for further thought and discussion. Contributors include Femi Adeleye, Christopher Wright, Joel Tejedo, Valdir and Maicon Steuernagel, and many others.

In Rhetoric of the Protestant Sermon in America: Pulpit Discourse at the Turn of the Millennium, ten scholars analyze notable sermons from the fifty-year span between 1965 and 2015, during which the Protestant sermon has undergone significant change in the United States. Contributors examine how this turbulent time period witnessed a variety of important shifts in the arguments, evidences, and rhetorical strategies employed by contemporary preachers. Because religious practice is inextricably tangled in the culture, politics, and economy of its historical situation, the public expression of a faith is certain to move with the times. In their treatment of race, sex, gender, class, and citizenship, sermons apply ancient texts to current events and controversies, often to revealing effect. This collection, thoughtfully edited by Eric C. Miller and Jonathan J. Edwards, demonstrates how the genre of the Protestant sermon has evolved—or resisted evolution—across the years. Scholars of religion, rhetoric, communication, sociology, and cultural studies will find this book particularly useful.

This book examines the relationship between race, religion, and economics within the black church. The book features unheard voices of individuals experiencing economic deprivation and the faith communities who serve as their refuge. Thus, this project examines the economic ethics of black churches in the rural South whose congregants and broader communities have long struggled amidst persistent poverty. Through a case study of communities in Alabama's Black Belt, this book argues that if the economic ethic of the Black Church remains accommodationist, it will continue to become increasingly irrelevant to communities that experience persistent poverty. Despite its historic role in combatting racial oppression and social injustice, the Church has also perpetuated ideologies that uncritically justify unjust social structures. Wilson shows how the Church can shift the conversation and reality of poverty by moving from a legacy of accommodationism and toward a legacy of empowering liberating economic ethics.

McGee critiques the popular Health & Wealth message so prominently targeted especially to black Christian women. She examines the preaching and writing of T. D. Jakes as the most representative of a new phenomenon, the New Black Church, a new form of prosperity gospel that signifies what she calls the Wal-Martization of religion."

A timely exploration and discussion of the prosperity gospel movement