A Historical Study Of Prosperity Gospel Preaching In Nigeria, 1970-2014

ABSTRACT

Prosperity gospel preaching is a double-barrelled socio-religious phenomenon which

is fast becoming one of the most significant expressions of Christianity and is

remarkably wielding a pervasive influence within the Nigerian religious space. As a

dominant strain of popular spirituality, prosperity gospel has remained a major sociocultural

force in Nigeria. The study generally attempts a comprehensive study of

prosperity gospel in Nigeria and specifically, it examines the impacts and conflicting

views on the reasons for the shift in emphasis of prosperity preachers from asceticism

to materialism. The study is crafted using phenomenological approach for its richness

and objectivity. The results show that prosperity preaching is currently the major

preoccupation of the Pentecostals and has challenged endemic poverty in Nigeria

through its emphasis on spiritual and economic empowerment programmes of the

prosperity purveyors which is engendering remarkable social, economic and spiritual

transformation in the Nigerian society. But the Pentecostals’ undue emphasis on

giving as an investment for future prosperity occasioned by wrong interpretation of

Scriptures by prosperity preachers resulting to misinformation and misapprehension

of people about prosperity has negatively impacted on a broad spectrum of the

Nigerian Christians and churches financially, socially and spiritually. At the moment,

there seems to be a gradual paradigm shift in the orientation of people from hard

labour to idleness and from holiness to worldliness in Nigeria. In view of the

foregoing, the work, in recognition of some positivism of prosperity gospel draws its

conclusion that the impacts of prosperity gospel are more damaging than beneficial in

Nigeria