چکیده:
Prosperity Theology is the teaching that believers have a right to the blessings of health and wealth and that they can obtain these blessings through positive confessions of faith and the “sowing of seeds” through the faithful payment of tithes and offerings. However, the literature reveals that most adherents to the prosperity gospel are not prospering financially and prosperity preachers have been accused of feeding fat from the donations of church members. Even at that, millions of persons still cling to the prosperity gospel. Employing Max Weber’s The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, a survey of 300 respondents was carried out aimed at examining the proposition that poverty and illiteracy are factors encouraging continuous adherence to the theology of prosperity. It also examined the accusation that prosperity preachers’ wealth is largely dependent on their congregants’ donations. The study reveals that poverty and illiteracy are associated with continuous adherence to the prosperity gospel. It also indicates that prosperity preachers usually enrich themselves largely from the donations of their congregants. Practical recommendations were thereafter submitted on how the problems gleaned from the study could be ameliorated.
خلاصه ماشینی:
Poverty, Illiteracy cum Prosperity Theology: A Quantitative Study Don Enahimion Okosun1 Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Benin, Nigeria Received 26 July 2017 Revised 12 December 2017 Accepted 15 February 2018 Prosperity Theology is the teaching that believers have a right to the blessings of health and wealth and that they can obtain these blessings through positive confessions of faith and the "sowing of seeds" through the faithful payment of tithes and offerings.
The millions of adherents to the prosperity gospel also do their best in applying the tenets of this theology which include giving/donating money and other material things (otherwise called ‘seed sowing’), positive confession, praying and fasting (Omoyibo and Okosun, 2014:2).
In addition, prosperity preachers have been accused of misinterpreting the scriptures to convince their adherents to hold on to this theology while they are feeding fat from the donations of church members (Fakoya, 2008; Street Journal, 2012; Global News 2012; Adoyi, 2012; Bible411.
Despite the fact that there are millions of adherents to the prosperity theology in Nigeria who do their best in applying its tenets by demonstrating faith in giving financially and materially to their churches, making positive statements and praying and fasting regularly, poverty is on the increase as the current statistics above testify.
Unlike majority of their adherents who are poor (especially in Africa), prosperity preachers have been accused of living in undisputed and overt splendor, flamboyance and opulence (Momodu, 2010, Igbinovia, 2003:26; Didymus, 2011; Fakoya, 2008; Grady, 2013; Lausanne Theology Working Group, 2009; Bible411.