Some of the high-flying icons of the prosperity gospel””the belief that God rewards signs of faith with wealth, health, and happiness””have run into financial turbulence.
Not all of their troubles can be blamed on the nation’s economic crisis, say critics of the name-it-and-claim-it theology found in some charismatic churches.
“I believe the charismatic movement, of which I am a part, is in the midst of a dramatic overhaul,” said J. Lee Grady, editor of Charisma magazine. “God is shaking us.” Grady predicts the movement will look much different in a few years as it refocuses on evangelism and overcoming what he calls the distraction of “materialism, flashy self-promotion, and foolish carnality.” But Scott Thumma, a Hartford Seminary sociologist who studies megachurches, is not so certain.
When I read about this parallel religion to christianity, or run across it on TV I wonder how many people have ever read a part of Eusebius’ Church History that tells about some relatives of Jesus Christ. They were it seems great-nephews, being grandchildren of his half-brother Jude. If ever there was a family that ought to have had a pretty decent handle on what was taught and what the practical day to day life of an early Christian should be, I guess they should have known.
It seems the emperor Domitian (~100 AD or so) had heard rumors about the sect of Christians and hunted down the last family of Jesus he could find. He thought he’d find riches; a Kingdom, right? Not so fast:
“…There still survived of the kindred of the Lord the grandsons of Judas, who according to the flesh was called his brother. These were informed against, as belonging to the family of David, and Evocatus brought them before Domitian Caesar: for that emperor dreaded the advent of Christ, as Herod had done.”
So he asked them whether they were of the family of David; and they confessed they were. Next he asked them what property they had, or how much money they possessed. They both replied that they had only 9000 denaria between them, each of them owning half that sum; but even this they said they did not possess in cash, but as the estimated value of some land, consisting of thirty-nine plethra only, out of which they had to pay the dues, and that they supported themselves by their own labour. And then they began to hold out their hands, exhibiting, as proof of their manual labour, the roughness of their skin, and the corns raised on their hands by constant work.”
Being then asked concerning Christ and His kingdom, what was its nature, and when and where it was to appear, they returned answer that it was not of this world, nor of the earth, but belonging to the sphere of heaven and angels, and would make its appearance at the end of time, when He shall come in glory, and judge living and dead, and render to every one according to the course of his life.”
Thereupon Domitian passed no condemnation upon them, but treated them with contempt, as too mean for notice, and let them go free. At the same time he issued a command, and put a stop to the persecution against the Church.”
Not exactly “Name it and claim it”. Too bad these ignorant dirt farmers didn’t know about the modern religion of prosperity. I expect that being farmers they had a fair idea about “sowing and reaping” that plays a large part of the nonsense on TV religious pitches about wealth, but they don’t seem to have the same expectations as we see on such programming. I think it’s fair to assume they expected to have the same fate as great-uncle Jesus got from a Roman official, but the story makes it clear they were so UN remarkable as to make the emperor angry that so much time had been spent on a conspiracy theory.
The answer to disciples of wealth is now as it always has been, learn a little more about the christian faith. History books are a good place to start.
Good riddance