• Latest
  • Trending
Study: Prosperity Gospel Likely to Boost Mood, Lead to Financial Risk

Study: Prosperity Gospel Likely to Boost Mood, Lead to Financial Risk

December 30, 2018
Twitter user posted image of Jesus sitting next to Donald Trump in court

Trump Shares Fake Courtroom Sketch of Himself and White Jesus; Users Respond With ‘Fixed’ Versions of Satan, Black Jesus

October 3, 2023
iraq wedding fire

Wedding Fire That Killed More Than 100 in Iraqi Christian Community Prompts Letter From Pope

October 2, 2023
Pastor Albert Tate has been placed on a leave of absence by his church board for inappropriate text messages and questionable comments

Fellowship Monrovia Church Puts Pastor Albert Tate on Leave Over ‘Inappropriate’ Text Messages

October 2, 2023
Marla Frederick

Religion Scholar Marla Frederick Is First Black Woman to Lead Harvard Divinity School in 200 Years

September 30, 2023
faith leaders

‘God Will Work a Miracle’ — Thousands of Foreign-Born Faith Leaders Could Be Forced to Leave US

September 30, 2023
teacher classroom students

What Black Teachers Face Today Isn’t Much Different From What They Faced During Segregation

September 29, 2023
woman on mic

Professor Charrise Barron Talks Teaching Protest Music’s Evolution From Gospel to Hip-Hop

September 28, 2023
Julie Chen Moonves

‘Big Brother’ Host Julie Chen Moonves Tells How She ‘Found Jesus’

September 27, 2023
Asian Americans

Fear of Ridicule, Desire to Fit In Prompt Some Asian Americans to Partly Hide Heritage

September 27, 2023
laptop

Evangelical Organization Launches ‘Racial Justice Assessment’ Tool

September 27, 2023
megachurches

Are New Jersey’s Megachurches the Answer to the Crisis of Christianity?

September 27, 2023
Christian rapper Dee-1

Rapper Dee-1 Starts Artist/Scholar Residency at Tufts University After Nabbing Nasir Jones Fellowship at Harvard

September 26, 2023
Faithfully Magazine
  • Members
    • Log In
    • Member Home
    • See All Members
    • What’s New
    • Start or Join a Group
    • Your Freebies
Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
  • About
    • Advertise
    • Submit Content
    • Contact Us
    • Give Via PayPal
  • Exclusives
  • Q&As
  • Specials
  • NJ News
  • Listen & Watch
  • Shop
    • Faith Heroes Bookmarks
    • Clothing
    • eBooks
  • Events
    • Community Events
    • FM Live Q&As
  • Resources
    • Black Christian Content
  • Newsletter
Cart / $0.00

No products in the cart.

  • About
    • Advertise
    • Submit Content
    • Contact Us
    • Give Via PayPal
  • Exclusives
  • Q&As
  • Specials
  • NJ News
  • Listen & Watch
  • Shop
    • Faith Heroes Bookmarks
    • Clothing
    • eBooks
  • Events
    • Community Events
    • FM Live Q&As
  • Resources
    • Black Christian Content
  • Newsletter
No Result
View All Result
Faithfully Magazine
Home Faith

Study: Prosperity Gospel Likely to Boost Mood, Lead to Financial Risk

Dianna Herron by Dianna Herron
December 30, 2018
in Faith
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Study: Prosperity Gospel Likely to Boost Mood, Lead to Financial Risk
34
SHARES
ShareTweetPin It

A recent study by researchers affiliated with the University of Toronto’s Department of Psychology proves a rising movement in the church focuses more on feeling good than on being connected to God.

“Our findings show that participants said they’d likely experience more meaning, financial success, wealth and job stability compared to others after viewing a prosperity related message,” Nick Hobson said in a University of Toronto press release.

Hobson is a former Ph.D. candidate at the university and the study’s primary author. Psychology professor Geoff MacDonald and Ph.D. student Juensung J. Kim joined him in co-authoring the study. Their findings, titled “A Camel Through the Eye of a Needle: The Influence of the Prosperity Gospel on Financial Risk-Taking, Optimistic Bias, and Positive Emotion,” was published in the November 5 issue of the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality journal.

The researchers found “evidence suggesting exposure to prosperity gospel messages generate heightened optimistic bias and high arousal positive affect [making] people more financially risky.”

RelatedArticles

black women group

‘Righteous and Ratchet’ Black Women of Faith Embraced on Jemele Hill’s ‘Sanctified’ Podcast

January 23, 2023
Jesus hashtag graffiti

Christianity May Be on the Decline But Thousands Tell Why They Still Believe

August 11, 2020

The high arousal positive affect seen as a result of the prosperity gospel is a positive state where mood is concerned, meaning the messages rely heavily on “mood boosting effects, rather than religious content.” These messages are believed to trigger fleeting feelings, so the study tackled whether or not behaviors and perceptions become negatively influenced by the slight programming of the prosperity gospel. Thus, the study’s goal was to find the psychological role and religious impacts of the prosperity message.

This study is reportedly the first of its kind, utilizing religious and secular messages, with participants coming from multiple religious demographics, including persons identifying as atheists.

Researchers define the prosperity message as teaching that tangible “blessings are part of God’s will [given to those who] demonstrate positive thought or speech on a regular basis [while donating] a certain amount of money to the church ministry.”

Using two brief clips of Texas megachurch pastor and author Joel Osteen’s sermons, “Hobson and the team of researchers randomly assigned one of the two clips, one with prosperity messaging and one without, to study participants and asked them [to] watch it,” according to the University of Toronto press release.

Hobson, Kim, and MacDonald found that while participants checked that they don’t agree with the ideology of the prosperity message, they still took more financial risk after hearing the messages. Researchers gauged this risk by asking participants to donate money either to the church, a charity, or make a financial risk in some other fashion. Church donations produced the highest risk-taking data.

MacDonald suggested that the prosperity gospel messaging “sort of primes people to want to part with their money by making them excited and optimistic.”

Although brief excerpts of Osteen’s messages were presented in the study as examples of the prosperity gospel, the Your Best Life Now author’s representative rejects that characterization.

The research has proven that people are quick and somewhat irrational about seeking personal worldly gain over spiritual Godly gain. Yet, researchers admitted their limitations include understanding why people choose to take greater financial risks.

Christians of various backgrounds have expressed concern about the overall effects the prosperity gospel may have on individuals and their communities. For example, the Vatican has cautioned that the prosperity gospel promotes a false view of God.

Leave your vote

0 Points
Upvote

Browse and manage your votes from your Member Profile Page


Share This Post

Share via

Share This Post

  • Digg
  • Tumblr
  • Flipboard
  • SMS
More
  • Report
Advertisement
Ancestry US
34
SHARES
ShareTweetPin It
Dianna Herron

Dianna Herron

Dianna Herron is a teacher with a love for the Word of God in her heart. She is a straight shooter who finds God's strength and beauty in human weakness. Dianna is passionate about fighting for equity in education and justice for all in this complex age. She believes written words can be deadlier than any sword.

More Articles

Reverend Mark Hatcher
Crime

Philadelphia Pastor Accused of Child Rape Deemed ‘Danger to the Community’

May 26, 2022
rev jesse jackson
Spotlight

Jesse Jackson and Wife Jacqueline Hospitalized With COVID-19

August 23, 2021
Pastor Lawan Andimi executed by Boko Haram in Nigeria
Uncategorized

Boko Haram Executes Brethren Pastor Lawan Andimi in Northeast Nigeria

January 24, 2020

Discussion about this post

Upcoming Events

Oct 5
1:00 pm - 6:00 pm EDT

Event: Black Religion and Critical Theory Colloquium

Oct 10
7:00 am - 11:30 pm EDT

Event: Free Virtual Church Mental Health Summit

View Calendar

Trending

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Tony Evans and Carla Crummie engaged to be married

Dr. Tony Evans Engaged to Former Pastor’s Wife and Widow Four Years After Lois Evans’ Death

September 12, 2023
Pastor Albert Tate has been placed on a leave of absence by his church board for inappropriate text messages and questionable comments

Fellowship Monrovia Church Puts Pastor Albert Tate on Leave Over ‘Inappropriate’ Text Messages

October 2, 2023
faith leaders

‘God Will Work a Miracle’ — Thousands of Foreign-Born Faith Leaders Could Be Forced to Leave US

September 30, 2023
Jemar Tisby Color of Compromise

‘Color of Compromise’ Author Jemar Tisby Comments on Quitting Kendi’s Antiracism Center Amid Probe

September 23, 2023
Marla Frederick

Religion Scholar Marla Frederick Is First Black Woman to Lead Harvard Divinity School in 200 Years

September 30, 2023
Christian Cultural Center

5 Largest Churches in New York City

May 29, 2018
Twitter user posted image of Jesus sitting next to Donald Trump in court

Trump Shares Fake Courtroom Sketch of Him and White Jesus; Users Respond With ‘Fixed’ Versions of Satan, Black Jesus

October 3, 2023
iraq wedding fire

Wedding Fire That Killed More Than 100 in Iraqi Christian Community Prompts Letter From Pope

October 2, 2023
Pastor Albert Tate has been placed on a leave of absence by his church board for inappropriate text messages and questionable comments

Fellowship Monrovia Church Puts Pastor Albert Tate on Leave Over ‘Inappropriate’ Text Messages

October 2, 2023
Marla Frederick

Religion Scholar Marla Frederick Is First Black Woman to Lead Harvard Divinity School in 200 Years

September 30, 2023
faith leaders

‘God Will Work a Miracle’ — Thousands of Foreign-Born Faith Leaders Could Be Forced to Leave US

September 30, 2023
teacher classroom students

What Black Teachers Face Today Isn’t Much Different From What They Faced During Segregation

September 29, 2023

Most Shared Articles

  • Can Money-Making Microgrids Empower Black Churches to Close the Clean Energy Gap?...
  • Dr. Tony Evans Engaged to Former Pastor’s Wife and Widow Four Years After Lois Evans’ Death...
  • Kirk Franklin Finally Finds His Birth Father After 53 Years...
  • Christians Plea for Prayer, Help Amid Haiti’s Surging Gang Violence...
  • ‘Color of Compromise’ Author Jemar Tisby Comments on Quitting Kendi’s Antiracism C...
  • New and Upcoming Books: ‘Sacred Self-Care,’ ‘Unwind,’ ‘Damaged But Not...

From The Archive

Evangelical pastor Paula White and several other Christian leaders pray for President-elect Donald Trump in this screengrab from a Sept. 2015 YouTube video
Uncategorized

Pro-Trump Pastor: Porn Star Affair ‘Totally Irrelevant’

by FM Editors
March 10, 2018
Pastor Jean Pierre Ferrer Michel.
Clippings

This American Pastor Was Abducted in Haiti Weeks Ago, But No One’s Really Talking About It

by FM Editors
October 24, 2021
Dana Chanel and husband Prince Donnell
Clippings

Sprinkle of Jesus Founder Dana Chanel Accused of Scamming Black Business Owners

by FM Editors
November 5, 2021
community
Health

How Living in Community With Others Can Improve Our Health

by Shawn McClendon
July 27, 2019
phone call
Clippings

Pastor Who Spoke With ‘Facebook Killer’ Vows to Keep Conversation Private

by FM Editors
April 19, 2017

Who’s Online

There are no users currently online
Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram
Faithfully Magazine

Faithfully Magazine is a news and culture publication centered on Christian communities of color.

Recent News

  • Trump Shares Fake Courtroom Sketch of Himself and White Jesus; Users Respond With ‘Fixed’ Versions of Satan, Black Jesus

Category

© 2023 Faithfully Media, LLC (Owner and Operator)

  • From The Magazine
  • Inspiration
  • News
  • Opinion & Analysis
  • Profiled
  • Q&As
  • Remember
  • Specials
  • New Jersey
  • Listen & Watch
  • Web Exclusives
  • Shop
    • Clothing
    • Faith Heroes Bookmarks
    • eBooks
  • Events
    • FM Live Events
    • Community Events
  • Resources
    • Black Christian Content
  • About Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Submit Content
    • Give Via PayPal
  • Members
    • Log In
    • Your Freebies
  • Subscribe to Faithfully Magazine
  • Newsletter
No Result
View All Result

© 2023 Faithfully Media, LLC (Owner and Operator)

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms bellow to register

*By registering on our website, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
Share via

Share This Post

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Reddit
  • Email
  • WhatsApp
  • Copy Link
  • Tumblr
  • Digg
  • Flipboard
  • SMS

Add New Playlist

Log In

Sign In

Login with Facebook
Login with Twitter
Forgot password?

Don't have an account? Register

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Back to Login

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Accept

Add to Collection

  • Public collection title

  • Private collection title

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?
Send this to a friend