--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was filming 'Prudence' in…" description: "\"When I was filming 'Prudence' in Zimbabwe, I noticed the hold fundamentalist Christianity had on sub-Saharan Africa. So I thought I'd like to make a fi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a35/roger-ross-williams-5118_big-business_when-i-was-filming-prudence-in-zimbabwe_1186453.jpg" --- # When I was filming 'Prudence' in Zimbabwe, I noticed the… ![“When I was filming 'Prudence' in Zimbabwe, I noticed the hold fundamentalist Christianity had on sub-Saharan Africa. So I thought I'd like to make a film about religion in Africa because the prosperity gospel is big business where people are desperate, poor, and sick.” quote by Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a35/roger-ross-williams-5118_big-business_when-i-was-filming-prudence-in-zimbabwe_1186453.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a35/roger-ross-williams-5118_big-business_when-i-was-filming-prudence-in-zimbabwe_1186453.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a35/roger-ross-williams-5118_big-business_when-i-was-filming-prudence-in-zimbabwe_1186453.jpg) > “When I was filming 'Prudence' in Zimbabwe, I noticed the hold fundamentalist Christianity had on sub-Saharan Africa. So I thought I'd like to make a film about religion in Africa because the prosperity gospel is big business where people are desperate, poor, and sick.” [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The prosperity gospel exploits vulnerable populations, making religion a lucrative industry in impoverished regions. **In simple terms:** Religion can become a profit motive exploiting the poor. Key Takeaway Critically examine religious motivations. Themes religion economics exploitation Mood critical investigative Type social documentary When to use this quote - NGO work - policy making - faith-based aid - journalism Key Concepts prosperity gospel colonialism media ethics Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities do filmmakers have? - How can aid address both spiritual and material needs? A Different Perspective Complex cultural factors may resist simple critiques. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Africa Prosperity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/africa-prosperity-3501758/) [Africa Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/africa-thought-470534/) [Big business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-business/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Film Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film-religion-3501757/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Prosperity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prosperity/) [Prosperity Gospel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prosperity-gospel-2072577/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religion Africa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion-africa-2132944/) ## Related quotes > [The more I learned about religion in Africa, the more intrigued I became. It was as if the continent was gripped with religious fervor.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/the-more-i-learned-about-religion-in-africa-the-more-intrigued-i/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [To me, film is a religion. I don't expect to get paid to make it, but I do expect total dedication.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brownlow/to-me-film-is-a-religion-i-don-t-expect-to-get-paid-to-make-it-but-i/) [Kevin Brownlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brownlow/) > [When I first went to Africa, I thought that I was personally going to save the continent, if not the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/when-i-first-went-to-africa-i-thought-that-i-was-personally-going-to/) [Jacqueline Novogratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/) > [The tournament means so much to me as well as the things I do in Africa. I thought it could also work well together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serena-williams/the-tournament-means-so-much-to-me-as-well-as-the-things-i-do-in/) [Serena Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serena-williams/) > [The problem with being a journalist is you go places and you're working. You don't get to appreciate everything. But I got enough of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-holt/the-problem-with-being-a-journalist-is-you-go-places-and-you-re/) [Lester Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-holt/) > [When most people in the West think about Africa, is their first thought about the game reserves and who's chasing gazelles, or are they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/djimon-hounsou/when-most-people-in-the-west-think-about-africa-is-their-first/) [Djimon Hounsou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/djimon-hounsou/) > [“Jesus came into the world with good news, not bad news. He does not call us to a willpower religion that feels only duty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/jesus-came-into-the-world-with-good-news-not-bad-news-he-does-not/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [The prosperity gospel and its purveyors are worldwide and account for the rapid growth of Pentecostalism, the global religious movement prosperity preachers come from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/the-prosperity-gospel-and-its-purveyors-are-worldwide-and-account-for/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [I don't really know what the prosperity gospel is. The way I define it is that I believe God wants you to prosper in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/i-don-t-really-know-what-the-prosperity-gospel-is-the-way-i-define-it/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I do not believe in the 'prosperity Gospel' as I've been accused of believing it. I do believe that all good things come from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-white/i-do-not-believe-in-the-prosperity-gospel-as-i-ve-been-accused-of/) [Paula White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-white/) > [“Why refer to the prosperity gospel phenomenon as a “parallel, post-biblical Christianity”? When you stop to look inside these churches, you hear Christian-like things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-retief/why-refer-to-the-prosperity-gospel-phenomenon-as-a-parallel-post/) [Grant Retief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-retief/) > [“The only biblical prosperity gospel is a posterity gospel—the promise that generation after generation will know the goodness of God through the properly stewarded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-crouch/the-only-biblical-prosperity-gospel-is-a-posterity-gospel-the-promise/) [Andy Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-crouch/) > [“Behind the Jesus Is Here sign is a health, wealth, and prosperity “gospel” that removes God from the status of sovereign Lord and turns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-spencer/behind-the-jesus-is-here-sign-is-a-health-wealth-and-prosperity/) [Michael Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-spencer/) > [The prosperity gospel, in its various forms, has always been with us and always will. But that reality is no less problematic for being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/the-prosperity-gospel-in-its-various-forms-has-always-been-with-us/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [We carry an insidious prosperity gospel around in our dark, little, entitled hearts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-chandler/we-carry-an-insidious-prosperity-gospel-around-in-our-dark-little/) [Matt Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-chandler/) ## More by Roger Ross Williams > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [I think what was special about 'Music by Prudence' was the classic story of the title subject's life path - from being an outcast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-think-what-was-special-about-music-by-prudence-was-the-classic/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [I didn't have a lot of exposure to films as a kid, and I never went to the cinema. I had a single mom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-didn-t-have-a-lot-of-exposure-to-films-as-a-kid-and-i-never-went-to/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [While shooting in Uganda in 2011, the conservative evangelical pastors I was filming - the most ardent supporters of the country's now infamous Anti-Homosexuality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/while-shooting-in-uganda-in-2011-the-conservative-evangelical-pastors/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [I grew up in a Southern Baptist-style church with a choir, a band, and music, but I've been asking myself my whole life, 'Why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-grew-up-in-a-southern-baptist-style-church-with-a-choir-a-band-and/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [My mother worked as a maid, cleaning the fraternity dorm of the local college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/my-mother-worked-as-a-maid-cleaning-the-fraternity-dorm-of-the-local/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [As Mike Bickle said to me, there is a spiritual battle going on in the world, and he believes that in America marriage between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/as-mike-bickle-said-to-me-there-is-a-spiritual-battle-going-on-in-the/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [I agree that Scott Lively is marginal, and that is exactly why evangelicals must not let him speak for them. But in Uganda, Scott…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-agree-that-scott-lively-is-marginal-and-that-is-exactly-why/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [Racism is a global problem and it is as damaging to Whites as it is to non-Whites. Everyone must fight against it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/racism-is-a-global-problem-and-it-is-as-damaging-to-whites-as-it-is/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [ I both didn't know Owen \[Suskind\] beforehand and didn't have any connection to the autistic community. But Owen wasn't really a problem, because he… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-both-didn-t-know-owen-suskind-beforehand-and-didn-t-have-any/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [I grew up in the church, and I went into the production of 'God Loves Uganda' intending to raise awareness of the abuse of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-grew-up-in-the-church-and-i-went-into-the-production-of-god-loves/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [I began filming 'God Loves Uganda' by first meeting some of the Ugandan and American missionaries who have helped create Uganda's evangelical movement. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-began-filming-god-loves-uganda-by-first-meeting-some-of-the-ugandan/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [Even after I won the Oscar, my phone did not ring. No one called me to fund films or offer projects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/even-after-i-won-the-oscar-my-phone-did-not-ring-no-one-called-me-to/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [Racism was never acceptable to the people who suffer from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/racism-was-never-acceptable-to-the-people-who-suffer-from-it/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [While growing up, I lived in my own fantasy world. I had kind of a rough childhood, so I created my own reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/while-growing-up-i-lived-in-my-own-fantasy-world-i-had-kind-of-a/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) [Explore all 103 Roger Ross Williams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) ## More Big business quotes > [In politics we face the choice between warmongering, nation-state loving, big-business agents on one hand; and risk-blind, top-down, epistemic arrogant big servants of large…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/in-politics-we-face-the-choice-between-warmongering-nation-state/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [The typical American citizen is the business man. The typical business man is a bad citizen; he is busy. If he is a 'big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lincoln-steffens/the-typical-american-citizen-is-the-business-man-the-typical-business/) [Lincoln Steffens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lincoln-steffens/) > [The American influence is not so aggressive anymore. The American big business influence in Latin America is not as strong, so people can vote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/costa-gavras/the-american-influence-is-not-so-aggressive-anymore-the-american-big/) [Costa-Gavras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/costa-gavras/) > [Prosperity may be found in small as in big business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i-l-peretz/prosperity-may-be-found-in-small-as-in-big-business/) [I. L. Peretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/i-l-peretz/) > [Big Business and State Socialism are very much alike, especially Big Business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/big-business-and-state-socialism-are-very-much-alike-especially-big/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sports has become such a big business that the line between journalism and being a broadcast partner for all intents and purposes has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-zirin/sports-has-become-such-a-big-business-that-the-line-between/) [Dave Zirin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-zirin/) > [The simple opposition between the people and big business has disappeared because the people themselves have become so deeply involved in big business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lippmann/the-simple-opposition-between-the-people-and-big-business-has/) [Walter Lippmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lippmann/) > [A big business man was telling Henry Ford about a coach driver of super-expertness with his whip. The driver was telling how he could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-c-forbes/a-big-business-man-was-telling-henry-ford-about-a-coach-driver-of/) [B. C. Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-c-forbes/) > [Socialism is a society where the resources are used democratically to provide a better life for all, based on ending the dictatorship of big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kshama-sawant/socialism-is-a-society-where-the-resources-are-used-democratically-to/) [Kshama Sawant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kshama-sawant/) > [Maybe we should be directing our anger elsewhere - like toward Wall Street. Why is it we never think of Big Business when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/maybe-we-should-be-directing-our-anger-elsewhere-like-toward-wall/) [Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/) > [As long as there are big corporations, there will be big unions. The economic power of big business will be matched by the economic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-chase-smith/as-long-as-there-are-big-corporations-there-will-be-big-unions-the/) [Margaret Chase Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-chase-smith/) > [I have found, whether you have a tiny business or a big business, if you don't jump on something right away, it's like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-corcoran/i-have-found-whether-you-have-a-tiny-business-or-a-big-business-if/) [Barbara Corcoran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-corcoran/) > [Sickness is BIG Business,and we are left in the Middle of the Sea with NO Life Preserver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joeybaggs/sickness-is-big-business-and-we-are-left-in-the-middle-of-the-sea/) [Joeybaggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joeybaggs/) > [No government is here forever. And there are other forces - the most potent force in our society, in fact, big business - doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/no-government-is-here-forever-and-there-are-other-forces-the-most/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [If you're going to be thinking anyway, think big!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/if-you-re-going-to-be-thinking-anyway-think-big/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) [Browse all 356 Big business quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-business/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I was filming 'Prudence' in Zimbabwe, I noticed the hold fundamentalist Christianity had on sub-Saharan Africa. 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