Heresy of the Week: Osteenism

A modern heresy, Joel Osteen is just my favorite target (hence why he gets the "honor" of a heresy named after him)--but there are many, many others who perpetuate his dangerous nonsense.  This heresy has swept American megachurches and non-denominationalism in particular.

Osteenism (also known as Prosperitism) is the heresy of the Prosperity Gospel (also known as Prosperity Theology and Health and Wealth Theology), which emerged in the 20th century. They claim the Bible teaches that financial blessing is the will of God for Christians, and that faith, a positive outlook and donations to Christian ministries will always increase one’s material wealth. This is taught as an aspect of the path to Christian dominion over society, arguing that the promise of dominion to Israel extends to Christianity today. There is a significant emphasis on personal empowerment and teach that God’s will is for His people to be happy. If atonement (or a large contribution to an approved religious entity) is made, it will remove sickness and poverty. Any material woes are a sign of broken or weak faith. One simply needs to confess that God promises security and prosperity to those faithful to Him to receive those blessings. It is named for Joel Osteen, a prominent televangelist and proponent of this heresy (though far from the only false teacher of this doctrine).