Blessed
A History of the American Prosperity Gospel
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Narrated by:
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Kate Bowler
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By:
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Kate Bowler
About this listen
How have millions of American Christians come to measure spiritual progress in terms of their financial status and physical well-being? How has the movement variously called Word of Faith, Health and Wealth, Name It and Claim It, or simply prosperity gospel come to dominate much of our contemporary religious landscape? Kate Bowler's Blessed is the first book to fully explore the origins, unifying themes, and major figures of a burgeoning movement that now claims millions of followers in America. Bowler traces the roots of the prosperity gospel: from the touring mesmerists, metaphysical sages, pentecostal healers, business oracles, and princely prophets of the early 20th century; through mid-century positive thinkers like Norman Vincent Peale and revivalists like Oral Roberts and Kenneth Hagin; to today's hugely successful prosperity preachers. Bowler focuses on such contemporary figures as Creflo Dollar, pastor of Atlanta's 30,000-member World Changers Church International; Joel Osteen, known as "the smiling preacher", with a weekly audience of seven million; T. D. Jakes, named by Time magazine one of America's most influential new religious leaders; Joyce Meyer, evangelist and women's empowerment guru; and many others. At almost any moment, day or night, the American public can tune in to these preachers - on TV, radio, podcasts, and in their megachurches - to hear the message that God desires to bless them with wealth and health. Bowler offers an interpretive framework for scholars and general listeners alike to understand the diverse expressions of Christian abundance as a cohesive movement bound by shared understandings and common goals.
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Written in the same warm, accessible style as Richard Foster's best-selling Celebration of Discipline, Freedom of Simplicity articulates a creative, more human style of living and points the way for Christians to make their lives "models of simplicity."
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Challenging and provoking
- By Kindle Customer on 05-27-09
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Implosion
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- By: Joel C. Rosenberg
- Narrated by: Mel Foster
- Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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The United States stands as the wealthiest, most powerful nation on the face of the earth. But now, in the midst of skyrocketing federal debt, severe economic troubles, political uncertainty, declining morality, a weak church, growing spiritual apathy and apostasy, historic natural disasters, and a myriad of other daunting challenges, many wonder if America’s best days are behind her. Will history’s greatest democracy stage a miraculous comeback, returning to the forefront of the world’s economic and spiritual stage?
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Partisan and Christian?
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The Great Spiritual Migration
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- By: Brian McLaren
- Narrated by: Brian McLaren
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With his trademark brilliance, generosity of spirit, and clear pastoral calling, Brian McLaren synthesizes an accessible and inviting understanding of what it means to follow Jesus.
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A must-read for Christian thinkers
- By Amazon Customer on 10-26-16
By: Brian McLaren
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I Am a Follower
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- By: Leonard Sweet
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- Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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“Leadership” has become a runaway obsession for those who are called to equip the body of Christ for service in the Kingdom of God. The concept of “followership” is all but lost in the wake of this leadership fetish, a near hypnotic obsession. Jesus’ clear call, and the pattern of New Testament leadership, are actually found in a pattern of followership. We’ve been told otherwise but when it comes to a movement in our churches, our families, or the workplace, everything rises or falls on followership. Sweet proposes an intentional shift from leadership cults to followership cultures.
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A manual for those on the Journey
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The Next Christians
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Turn on a cable news show or pick up any news magazine, and you get the impression that Christian America is on its last leg. The once dominant faith is now facing rapidly declining church attendance, waning political influence, and an abysmal public perception. More than 76% of Americans self-identify as Christians, but many today are ashamed to carry the label. While many Christians are bemoaning their faith’s decline, Gabe Lyons is optimistic that Christianity’s best days are yet to come.
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Optimistic about the church
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Christians in the Age of Outrage
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Today there are too many examples of those claiming to follow Christ being caustic, divisive, and irrational, contributing to dismissals of the Christian faith as hypocritical, self-interested, and politically co-opted. What has happened in our society? One short outrageous video, whether it is true or not, can trigger an avalanche of comments on social media. Welcome to the new age of outrage. In this groundbreaking book featuring new survey research of evangelicals and their relationship to the age of outrage, Ed Stetzer offers a constructive way forward.
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A Balanced Look at an Unbalanced World
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The Unsaved Christian
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What to do when they say they’re Christian but don’t know Jesus. Whether it’s the Christmas and Easter Christians or the faithful church attenders whose hearts are cold toward the Lord, we’ve all encountered cultural Christians. They’d check the Christian box on a survey, they’re fine with church, but the truth is, they’re far from God. So how do we bring Jesus to this overlooked mission field? The Unsaved Christian equips you to confront cultural Christianity with honesty, compassion, and grace, whether you’re doing it from the pulpit or the pews.
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Me. Me. Me! That was me! I thought I was a Christian...
- By Nana B on 04-23-19
By: Dean Inserra
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Unfinished
- Believing Is Only the Beginning
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- Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins
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So you believe in God. Now what? Just before he left, Jesus sent his followers into the world with a revolutionary mission: to change the world by proclaiming God’s truth and demonstrating his incredible love. But the single task he gave us to accomplish remains unfinished. Rich Stearns takes us on a breathtaking journey to rediscover the critical mission of Christ in our world today and the richness of God’s calling on our lives.
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UNFINISHED
- By Anonymous User on 04-30-21
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Spirit and Sacrament
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Spirit and Sacrament by pastor and author Andrew Wilson is an impassioned call to join together two traditions that are frequently and unnecessarily kept separate. It is an invitation to pursue the best of both worlds in worship, the Eucharistic and the charismatic, with the grace of God at the center. Wilson envisions church services in which healing testimonies, creeds, exuberant praise, and ancient liturgy coexist, and in doing so, deepen our worship and increase our joy.
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Is not what I was hoping
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Turning Points
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In this popular introduction to church history, now in its third edition, Mark Noll isolates key events that provide a framework for understanding the history of Christianity. The book presents Christianity as a worldwide phenomenon rather than just a Western experience. Students in academic settings and church adult education contexts will benefit from this one-semester survey of Christian history.
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Excellent, Brief Snippet’s
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Hearing God's Voice
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Based on classic Experiencing God principles, Hearing God's Voice is for those who are ready to listen. Beloved author Henry Blackaby and his son Richard help those who are listening to discern the voice of God, to identify ways He speaks, and to respond to revelations of His will.
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Excellent
- By dotti on 11-06-19
By: Henry Blackaby, and others
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What listeners say about Blessed
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Paul Atwater
- 01-16-18
Engrossing History of the Prosperity Gospel
BLESSED traces the Prosperity Gospel from its earliest roots. Kate Bowler not only wrote a very thorough account but she was also easy to follow and listen to in the Audible version. One thing that amazed me is how the prosperity message has seeped into so many facets of today's church. Tracing links to New Thought philosophy and showing how these ideas were adapted over time, the book peels back the facelift that prosperity teachers keep inventing.
Bowler's tone is not cynical or looking down on her subject, but gently questioning, wanting to see the best and going to where the facts lead. This made her account compelling and engrossing in the way her research unfolded.
There are a few minor glitches, like her surprise about one church calling its drug and alcohol ministry "Celebrate Recovery" while one click of on-line research would reveal that Celebrate Recovery is a national ministry with several hundred chapters that was launched by Saddleback Church more than a decade ago.
This history of the Prosperity movement a must read for pastors, church history lovers, and those who wish to understand the pros and cons of the Prosperity Gospel.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Kim
- 09-01-17
great book
this book was very good. a thorough look at this movement. the information provided insight into the thought and beliefs of this movement.
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- Bennys1stclue
- 07-09-19
Excellent and accurate review of a movement-
I laughed, gasped, cried and shouted AMEN at Kate’s humorous but all too true assessment of the Prosperity Gospel phenomenon! It was like a walk down memory lane for me, as I grew up as a Christian through this avenue of Christianity. As she spoke of many of the ministers and ministries it warmed my heart to remember my roots and the journey along the way. Suspect the Spirit led me out of that as I began to question the veracity and Biblical basis for that preaching. No judgment I just didn’t belong there anymore. Thank you Kate for your candor, your thorough, strong and scholarly approach. I grew richly spiritually through the strong discipline and teaching while learning the Word and under these preachers. People in that movement believe that they are right and belong there. The Spirit knows our hearts and honors our motives. What a book!!! Could listen to it over and over!!
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- geekpreacher
- 12-16-22
An excellent history….
Kate Bowler does an amazing job narrating and writing this history of the American prosperity Gospel and its wider influence on secular culture,
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- TKC
- 04-28-17
Thorough and balanced scholarly review of the prosperity gospel
In addition to being well researched and thoroughly read what I appreciate about this book is that Dr. Bowler tries to stay balanced and fairly unbiased in her arguments OK. This is not an attack manual on the prosperity gospel but a detailed history on how the prosperity gospel grew out of the Pentecostal movement and developed into its own segment of the Christian faith. The book is very well written and references a wealth of literature that will give you insight to the key figures historical account and analyses that have previously been done on the topic.no matter how you feel about the prosperity theology I think this book would be of value to you as in a give you insights into how to develop what a lot of the believe sign and how followers of the theology do you Christianity through the lens of the prosperity gospel.
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- Tom Tom
- 08-07-21
great historical writing
loved the history and it's revealing nature to this large movement that focuses on stuff and not a relationship with God
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- joel McHale
- 05-04-19
Incredible
Nobody has a better grasp and understand of new Christianity in America than Kate. Read now
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1 person found this helpful
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- Karen Mack
- 06-20-18
For Brave and Thoughtful individuals
If you think the prosperity gospel is far removed from your faith, this book will challenge that thinking. For those committed to the prosperity gospel this book provides its history as well as its strengths and weaknesses. This is not a “feel good” treatise or a self help book. It is a book that will prompt deep reflection, honestly and hopefully a more mature faith.
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- Katria
- 03-14-19
A thorough history of the Prosperity Movement
I was hoping this book would include a critique of doctrines followed by Prosperity gospel teaching. It was more of a thorough and neutral history of the Movement. It will still be a valuable resource as it provides details about various ministries and leaders not covered by other writers.
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- Kindle Customer
- 08-25-21
Interesting read
I enjoyed this excepting the liberal political views unnecessarily added by the author. Systemic racism is a farce that denies the real cultural issues and personal responsibility. The work is still worth reading.
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