INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL PRACTICE (IJRCP )
E-ISSN 2579-0501
P-ISSN 2695-219X
VOL. 10 NO. 3 2025
DOI: 10.56201/ijrcp.vol.10.no3.2025.pg34.43
Felix Ajedokun PhD
The presupposition projected in this paper is that prosperity theology should be a concept that all Christian traditions - evangelicals, Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox and Charismatic will embrace as a valid doctrine. Prosperity reflects the hallmark of human endeavours, and most importantly, theology provides a latitude to understand God's interests and active involvement in the affairs of his people. It is pathetic that prosperity theology has been overstretched to the point that its primary focus seems to be on getting wealth and attaining wellbeing by whatever means. However, making prosperity a theological discourse is a good and godly pursuit. In this paper, prosperity theology implies the demonstration of believers' right to all-around blessings, including health, material provision and success, reflecting God's interest and commitment to the good of His people. This definition will drive the discussion of prosperity theology's projected ideal, conception and praxis.
Prosperity, Theology, truth, Evangelicals, Pentecostals
“A Statement on Prosperity Teaching by Lausanne Theology Working Group”, Christian
Today, 2009, Christianitytoday.com/2009/12/gcprosperitystatement.
Asamoah-Gyadu, J. Kwabena. "Learning to Prosper by Wrestling and by Negotiation: Jacob
and Esau in Contemporary African Pentecostal Hermeneutics." Journal of Pentecostal
Theology, 21(2012), 64-86.
Ayigun, Emmanuel A. "Prosperity Gospel: A Watershed of the Gospel of Christ," American
Journal of Biblical Theology, 3(2020), 285-308.
Berean Research, "Benny Hinn's Confession - Full Transcript," bereanresearch.org/benny-
hinns-congession-full-transcript.
Bowler, and Simon Coleman, The Globalization of Charismatic Christianity: Spreading the
Gospel of Prosperity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000.
Bowler, Kate. Blessed: A History of the American Prosperity. Oxford: Oxford University Press,
Church Times, Nigeria, "Abel Damina's Shocking Confession Says 'I was Lost in Prosperity
Gospel." churchtimesnigeria.net/abel-damina/...
Cole, M., J Graham, T. Higton and D. Lewis, What is the New Age? London: Hudder and
Soughton, 1990.
Coleman, Simon. The Globalization of Charismatic Christianity: Spreading the Gospel of
Prosperity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000.
Coterell, Peter. Prosperity Theology. Leicester: Religious and Theological Studies Fellowship,
Erickson, J. Millard. Christian Theology. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Bakers Academic, 2013.
Goroh, H. B. Living above Tough Times. Windhoek, Namibia: Sure Destiny Publishers, 2009.
Hock, K. "Jesus Power-Super-Power! On the Interface between Christian Fundamentalism and
New Religious Movement in Africa." Mission Studies, 12(1), 2016, 50-60.
Hunt, Stephen. "'Winning Ways': Globalization and the Impact of the Health and Wealth
Gospel." Journal of Contemporary Religion, 15(3), 2019, 332.
Idahosa, Benson. You are God's Battle Axe. Benin City, Nigeria: Idahosa World Outreach,
Jenkins, Philip. The New Faces of Christianity: Believing the Bible in the Global South.
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006.
Mate, R. "Wombs as Laboratories: Pentecostal Discourses of Femininity in Zimbabwe," Africa
72/4 (2002), 549-568.
Mbugua, Kenneth. “A False Gospel" in Michael Otieno Maura, Mbewe Ken Mbugua, John
Piper and Wayne Grudem, eds., Prosperity? Seeking the True Gospel, 29.
Mumford, J. Debra. "Prosperity Gospel and Africa American Prophetic Preaching." Review
and Expositor 109(2012), 321.
Nwaomah, M. Sampson. "Overview of Prosperity Theology", in Daniel K. Bediako, ed.,
Prosperity Gospel: A Biblical-Theological Evaluation. Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire:
Adventist Press, 2020.
Nwaomah, M. Sampson. The Gospel of Wholeness: Biblical Reflections of Anointing, Healing
and prosperity. Ibadan: Positive Press, 2012.
Oyedepo, David. Possessing Your Possession. Lagos, Nigeria: Dominion Publishing House,
Oyedepo, David. Winning the War against Poverty. Lagos: Dominion Publishing House, 2006.
Paul and Susan Dunk, The Anatomy of the Prosperity 'Gospel'. kwredeemer.com/2019/12/the-
anatomy-of-the-prosperity-gospel.
Peter, C. B. "The Church's Response to Poverty: A Jungian Appraisal of the 'Prosperity Gospel'
Phenomenon." Ogbomoso Journal of Theology, 14(2009), 140.
Petterson, Erick and John Rybarczyk, The Future of Pentecostalism in the United States. New
York: Lexington Books, 2007.
Silva, Ken. “True Origins of the Prosperity Gospel, a.k.a. Word Faith Theology,
“http://appraising.org/2014/08/30/true-origins-of-the-prosperity-gospel-aka-word-
faith-theology.
Simpson, M. R. William. "The Significance of Andrew Perriman's Faith, Health and
Prosperity in the World of Faith Debate."Journal of Pentecostal Theology, 16(1), 2007,
Smith, K. A. James. Thinking in Tongues: Pentecostal Contribution to Christian Philosophy.
Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2010.
Walton, Jonathan. Watch This! The Ethics and Aesthetics of Black Televangelism. New York:
New York University Press, 2009.