Health, Wealth, and the (Real) Gospel: The Prosperity Gospel Meets the Truths of Scripture

by Sean DeMars, Mike McKinley

Having experienced its damaging effects, Sean DeMars and Mike McKinley set out to reveal the insidious toxicity found in the prosperity gospel. Naming and claiming promises of material blessing for those who believe enough may seem at first glance to be biblical but turn out to be a distortion of God’s truth.
Beginning by countering claims made by the prosperity gospel with what scripture actually teaches, they highlight the places in scripture that stand directly opposed to prosperity teachings. They explore what the Bible teaches about whether people who believe false doctrine are eternally saved, and how to examine our hearts for a prosperity–style understanding of God.

The Heart of the Prosperity Gospel
Excuse Me, but Your Bible is Upside Down
Yeah, but What About Promises of Health and Happiness?
Yeah, but What About Promises of Wealth?
Do TBN Viewers Go to Heaven?
Should We Pray Together?
The Prosperity Gospel Among the Orthodox

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Theology

112 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2022

Reviews

[C.J. Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, helpful. If you’ve done work on this before, you won’t find much new in the first few chapters, though I think these make the book great for discipleship (or evangelism) in teaching someone the error of the prosperity gospel, biblically speaking. They put everything together for us in sequence.

The last couple of chapters were some of the most helpful, addressing the salvation of those captured by this teaching (salvation’s possible but very low confidence), if we should associate with prosperity teachers in any way (with leaders and purporters, no; with sheep gone astray, yes) and how the prosperity gospel might make its way into our lives without us knowing it (e.g., see David Platt’s Radical for a full length treatment).

[Wood Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a great helpful book. It's gives great nuggets and blows holes in the Prosperity Gospel. It also address how to judge the fruit of those who claim to be a Christian. Shows how Christians are to judge biblically. This is very helpful especially with rise of the Prosperity Gospel.

[Rob Sumrall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a new fanboy for Sean Demars’ excellent podcast, Room for Nuance. I’ve been working my way through some of his books. His writing style reflects the whit and clear thinking that shine through on his podcast. It’s refreshing that he has found a way to keep the same voice in both platforms.

Demars describes himself as a survivor of the prosperity gospel. He brings that testimony and the hard won personal experiences to this short book. I have heard him say that he tried to write a book someone inside of the Prosperity movement might actually read. That isn’t me, so I can’t speak to whether he accomplished that aim; but I can say that he offers clear, biblical rebuttals to many of the excesses found in the teachings behind the Prosperity Gospel adherents. If you have read other books like John MacArthur’s Strange Fire you will find no new material here. But I don’t think that was his aim. What you will find is a helpful tool you can pass along to someone whose aunt is rebuking headaches or a coworker who thinks that admitting they are sick is a lack of faith. Those people exist in spades and this book is needed in our arsenal.

[Jon Pentecost · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clear and to-the-point critique of the prosperity gospel. DeMars and McKinley take several general teachings of the prosperity gospel and simply weigh them against the counsel of Scripture. DeMars' own experience as a young Christian in the prosperity movement provides powerful illustrations of these teachings, and their danger, even when taught by genuinely well-meaning people.

The chapters on how to relate to and view people taken captive by this false teaching is charitable and careful.

Highly recommend to anyone who has been taught the prosperity gospel, thinks they've been taught that, or who know others caught in that deceit.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really clear, persuasive (I think) book on the prosperity gospel (PG). Several chapters help identify PG and critique it. As I’m not a follower of the PG, I found the last three chapters the most helpful personally. They address difficult topics like whether adherents of the PG are Christians, if we should cooperate with adherents of the PG, and how we should be wary of the PG creeping into our own lives. Very well done.

[Joshua Chipchase · Rating 3 out of 5]

An accurate critique of the prosperity Gospel false teaching. Simple and short. Because this was a "9Marks" book I was expecting high quality, but I was a bit disappointed in the writing. Some of the arguments were weak and some of the editing was sloppy. Still helpful to give to those involved in the prosperity movement, but this will not be my "go-to" book.

[Kaitlyn Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

It got clearer nearer the end of the of the book. The beginning was a bit too "apologetic" for my taste.

[Andrei Neacsu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excelentă

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don’t get me wrong, some valid point were made and it sparked some great conversation with my book club group, but the writing itself felt surface-level overall.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, quick read

[Kelton Zacharias · Rating 4 out of 5]

Handy little primer or refresher on the destructive lies of the false gospel of prosperity.

[Andy Treece · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid book that dispels some of the myths and dangers of the prosperity gospel. Co-written by one who was caught up in the prosperity gospel early in his Christian walk.

[Nicholas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book flushes out the "prosperity" gospel in such a helpful, teaching way. Not only do DeMars and McKinley do a great job of addressing specifics of the prosperity gospel, they reveal the true filth and wrong of the health and wealth gospel by contrasting it with the true and real gospel of Jesus Christ. This book is full of encouragement on why Jesus' gospel is so much sweeter and why the prosperity gospel lacks substance. Not only is it teaching, it gives good, on the ground advice to you if you know those who are in a prosperity gospel-teaching church, and makes you reflect on if you subtly believe in the lies of the prosperity gospel as well.

I'd highly recommend this to anyone, especially if you want to learn more about the health and wealth gospel, what it is, and how it falls short compared to the true gospel.

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book. Short and straight to the point. Many helpful arguments from scripture used to dismantle prosperity gospel teaching.