--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The prosperity gospel, in its various…" description: "\"The prosperity gospel, in its various forms, has always been with us and always will. But that reality is no less problematic for being inescapable.\" —..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08c/ross-douthat-2949_always_the-prosperity-gospel-in-its-various-for_722855.png" --- # The prosperity gospel, in its various forms, has always… ![“The prosperity gospel, in its various forms, has always been with us and always will. But that reality is no less problematic for being inescapable.” quote by Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08c/ross-douthat-2949_always_the-prosperity-gospel-in-its-various-for_722855.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08c/ross-douthat-2949_always_the-prosperity-gospel-in-its-various-for_722855.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08c/ross-douthat-2949_always_the-prosperity-gospel-in-its-various-for_722855.png) > “The prosperity gospel, in its various forms, has always been with us and always will. But that reality is no less problematic for being inescapable.” [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) ## 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 persists, appearing inevitable yet problematic. **In simple terms:** Prosperity gospel is persistent and problematic. Key Takeaway Critically examine prosperity teachings. Themes religion economics culture Mood critical analytical Type opinion analytical When to use this quote - church leadership - political discourse - media analysis - public policy Key Concepts theology sociology Questions to Reflect On - Why does it endure? - What alternatives exist? A Different Perspective Its appeal may mask systemic issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Gospel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gospel/) [Prosperity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prosperity/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) ## Related quotes > [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/) > [“Paul’s exhortation is in stark contrast to the “power of positive thinking” movement popularized by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, which, in my view, was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-limbaugh/paul-s-exhortation-is-in-stark-contrast-to-the-power-of-positive/) [David Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-limbaugh/) > [The rise of the prosperity gospel is one of the great challenges to the true message of Jesus Christ. While not an expressly Western…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-mcbain/the-rise-of-the-prosperity-gospel-is-one-of-the-great-challenges-to/) [Ed McBain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-mcbain/) > [If you're wealthy like Donald Trump is, and you have a preacher who says your wealth is a sign God approves of you, you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-gjelten/if-you-re-wealthy-like-donald-trump-is-and-you-have-a-preacher-who/) [Tom Gjelten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-gjelten/) > [Prosperity Gospel”. At his United Church Science of Living Institute in New York he would tell his congregation “close your eyes and see green.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reverend-ike/prosperity-gospel-at-his-united-church-science-of-living-institute-in/) [Reverend Ike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reverend-ike/) > [Mr. Trump's and Mr. Osteen's brands are rooted in success, not Scripture. Believers in prosperity like winners. Hurricanes and catastrophic floods do not provide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/mr-trump-s-and-mr-osteen-s-brands-are-rooted-in-success-not-scripture/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [“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 > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/when-i-was-filming-prudence-in-zimbabwe-i-noticed-the-hold/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“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/) > [Natural disasters like Hurricane Harvey are the worst kind of crises for people like Mr. Trump and Mr. Osteen, who purvey their own versions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/natural-disasters-like-hurricane-harvey-are-the-worst-kind-of-crises/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) ## More by Ross Douthat > [Human beings seek community, and permanent openness is hard to sustain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/human-beings-seek-community-and-permanent-openness-is-hard-to-sustain/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [The American intelligentsia has been pretty secular for a long time. There have always been figures like Oprah Winfrey, let's put it that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/the-american-intelligentsia-has-been-pretty-secular-for-a-long-time/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [On the evidence we have, the meritocratic ideal ends up being just as undemocratic as the old emphasis on inheritance and tradition, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/on-the-evidence-we-have-the-meritocratic-ideal-ends-up-being-just-as/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [“The physical vanity of the diet-and-exercise obsessive is recast as the pursuit of a kind of ritual purity, hedged about with taboos and guilt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/the-physical-vanity-of-the-diet-and-exercise-obsessive-is-recast-as/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [There were times at Harvard when I actually longed to hang out with a few more Trotskyists, rather than yet another set of future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/there-were-times-at-harvard-when-i-actually-longed-to-hang-out-with-a/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [Many things about American life, that even secular people consider good, have flowed from the presence of a robust, resilient institutional Christianity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/many-things-about-american-life-that-even-secular-people-consider/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [“What he felt during his Spanish encounter with left-wing anti-Christianity was similar to his reactions to the anti-Christianity of the right. The "novelty and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/what-he-felt-during-his-spanish-encounter-with-left-wing-anti/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [“In an age of stagnant or declining birthrates, too, these communities’ willingness to heed the admonition to be fruitful and multiply has led to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/in-an-age-of-stagnant-or-declining-birthrates-too-these-communities/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [America's problem isn't too much religion or too little of it. It's bad religion: the slow-motion collapse of traditional Christianity and the rise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/america-s-problem-isn-t-too-much-religion-or-too-little-of-it-it-s/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [I do think you can see, throughout American history, this temptation, and it's both a liberal and a conservative temptation, to take a healthy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/i-do-think-you-can-see-throughout-american-history-this-temptation/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [Where conservative Catholics have the power to resist what seem like false ideas or disastrous innovations they must do so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/where-conservative-catholics-have-the-power-to-resist-what-seem-like/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [It is not white nationalism to believe that countries like the United States would be better off with more babies. That belief can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/it-is-not-white-nationalism-to-believe-that-countries-like-the-united/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [Most people want the convenience of the Internet far more than they want the private spaces that older forms of communication protected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/most-people-want-the-convenience-of-the-internet-far-more-than-they/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [If you live under a system that claims to have high ideals but seems ineradicably opposed to your own people's flourishing, the desire for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/if-you-live-under-a-system-that-claims-to-have-high-ideals-but-seems/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [Our crisis of the house divided was a Christian civil war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/our-crisis-of-the-house-divided-was-a-christian-civil-war/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) [Explore all 144 Ross Douthat quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The prosperity gospel, in its various forms, has always been with us and always will. 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