A Beautiful Life

who are you and what do you do

My Senior Paper, "Joel Osteen and Prosperity Theology"

Below is my senior paper.  Please leave your thoughts. 

Preface

During my junior year in college I worked with a United Methodist church in Oklahoma City.  My job was to foster the connection between this particular church and my University.  I dutifully attended the church services and the young adult Sunday school class every week.  But this class was not exactly thriving.  There were even a few Sunday mornings when the Sr. Pastor, who led the class, and I were the only attendants.  On one of those mornings the Sr. Pastor suggested that we sit in on another class.  We were welcomed into a class of about seven couples.  I sat next to a man named, who I call, Bob.  He was friendly, personable, and we chatted until the class began.  Right at about that time, he pulled out Joel Osteen’s book, Your Best Life Now.  “Uh Oh,” I thought.  This poor guy has picked up some shabby devotional material and thinks he should share it with the class.  I was confident the members of an almost one hundred year old United Methodist church would scoff at this slick-haired, prosperity preaching, mega-church non-denominational jokester.  And I was a little worried they would condescend to this poor guy.  However, to my surprise, every other member of the class reached into their bags and pulled out Osteen’s book and the supplementary study guide.  This poor guy turned out to be the discussion leader for the day.  

I bit my tongue during most of the class, listening to their stories of God’s blessing and – Osteen’s favorite synonym for blessing – favor.  Apparently, God’s favor has no more evidence than petty tales of street lights turning green when you are late for work, parking spaces opening up at the front of the grocery store, and getting special boarding on an airplane when your luggage is too large for the overhead storage.  During the later part of the class, I un-bit my tongue and engaged the class by playing Devil’s (or in this case Christ’s) advocate.  But my efforts were unsuccessful.  When I suggested that Jesus’ use of the word blessed in the beatitudes ran opposite to the class’ understanding, I was shot down like a duck on the first day of hunting season.  My lack of knowledge of Osteen and his paradigm was simply ignorance.  My lack of knowledge about the concept of blessing and the assumption that I knew more about blessing than this classroom was a matter of theological arrogance.  This experience, coupled with my interest in mega-churches, is why I am writing my senior on the prosperity gospel. 

Introduction

            Almost every veteran churchgoer can probably relate to this situation: One Sunday morning, a member of the congregation stood up before the sermon to give his testimony.  From the pulpit, he told an emotional story about how faithful God is in blessing God’s people.  When he balanced his checkbook the previous month, his checking account was just about in the red – he had no money left for a tithe.  He worried about this an entire week until, at the last minute, a refund check came in the mail for approximately the amount of his tithe.  It was, we were told, God’s way of delivering a blessing.  Major Christian figures, like Joel Osteen, would endorse this comment.  In fact, Osteen lays out an entire system detailing how to unleash material blessings in your life.  Theological perspectives that focus on receiving God’s blessing, especially through material gain (i.e. health and wealth), are known as prosperity theologies.[1]

            But I have a question.  What if the check did not come in the mail?  Would that have meant God is withholding God’s blessings from this man or that his faith is lacking?  And if God has the power to bless this man with financial support, is it too bold to ask why God has not sent some larger checks to fight the spread of AIDS in Africa?  And when God is allocating God’s blessings, why does God withhold it from the child who is being abused by a family member?  Contemporary Christian’s coldly brush off these kinds of issues with catch phrases like, “God has a plan,” and, “Everything happens for a reason.”  Implicit in this statement is that God controls everything that happens; therefore God causes the woman in Africa to have AIDS and the child to be abused.  I do not believe that.  I do believe one of the reasons Christians believe these kinds of things is related to our understanding of the word and concept of blessing.  Without a doubt, the concept of blessing is complicated.  However, it is not as theologically complicated as it is hermeneutically complicated.  Groups have misinterpreted this term to fit their theological agenda, thus controlling the debate by framing the rhetoric.  Osteen’s church is one of those groups.  This paper is an exposition of Osteen’s prosperity theology and an attempt to describe what it means to be blessed.  

First, I will examine six uses of the term “blessed” in Luke’s Gospel to develop a conclusive understanding of what the term “blessed” means.  In Luke’s Gospel, there are two Greek words to English as “blessed:” makarios and eulegeo.  Second, I will take an in depth look into how Osteen defines blessing and juxtapose his definition with the Biblical understanding.  Third, I will argue that influence from the Word Faith movement[2] virtue ethics can be seen in Osteen’s theology. Finally, I will offer my analysis of the validity of Osteen’s paradigm.  As already noted, I will isolate my Biblical study to the Gospel of Luke – by focusing on just one Gospel, I can research in more depth.  An analysis of prosperity gospel trends as represented by Osteen’s books brings to light an important contradiction for contemporary Christians:  If God wants you to be rich, why did Jesus favor the poor and criticize the rich?  By constructing a Biblical understanding of the word and concept of blessing as presented in Luke’s Gospel, I will demonstrate how the contemporary view of blessing promoted by advocates of the prosperity Gospel is derived from external sources and not from the Bible.

The Biblical Concept of Blessing

            In order to provide a proper background for the discussion of Luke’s use the word blessed, I must discuss how the concept of blessing was applied in the Hebrew Bible.  First, I will discuss the contrary but complimentary concepts in the Hebrew Bible known as blessings and curses.  Second, I will briefly address the Hebrew root term for blessed, brk.  Third, I will exegete three passages each for the two Greek terms for blessed: makarios and eulegeo.  Finally, based on my findings, I will offer a definition for what it means to be “blessed.”  

Blessings and Curses 

The concept of blessings and curses presuppose a world in which every experience is determined by divine and not human power.[3]  When a person is blessed, she can expect happiness, prosperity, and the good life.  But when someone is cursed, she can expect the opposite.  Araomai (to invoke a curse – Judges 17:2; 1 Kings 8:31; Hosea 4:2), anathematizo (to curse – Mark 14:71; Acts 23:12), and kataraomi (to pronounce accursed – Genesis 5:29; Numbers 22:12; 1 Kings 8:31; Nehemiah 10:29) are the three principle Greek renderings of curse language.[4]  Ouai (Luke 6:24-26) is a less severe curse statement that functions as a denunciation or a quasi curse.[5]  Blessings and curses can be pronounced independent of an another as stand-alone events.  Or, they can be uttered together to form a couplet.  The “blessing/woe-sayings” of the Lukan Beatitudes (6:20-6) are an example of this coupling even though the Greek word used is ouai.

            A blessing is certainly a “performative utterance,”[6] with intent to bring about a good, which is enacted by God.  Most scholars agree God is the ultimate actor in blessings and curses; however, there is a discussion about how blessings and curses are given power by God.  In Deuteronomy, God’s policy regarding blessings and curses, and particularly what are appropriate circumstances, is clearly detailed:

See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity.  If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the Lord your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to posses.  But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.  I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.  Choose life so that you and your descendants may live … (Deuteronomy 30:15-20.)

Obedience to God’s commandments produces divine blessings while rejection of God’s laws yields curses.  This perspective is known as the Deuteronomic code or the Deuteronomic theology.  While it focuses on behavior which is in line with the covenant, the motivation behind covenantal behavior is to be in right relationship with God.  Let me be clear that God is the enactor of a blessing, but it seems that proper human behavior triggers God’s blessing.  Humans can access God’s blessing – right relationship – by following the Deuteronomic code.

Brk

            In the Hebrew Bible, the sole root for the words bless, blessed, and blessing is brk.  This root also has variations that mean “be strong,” [7] “to kneel”, “knee,”[8] “pool,” or “pond.”[9]  There is not scholarly agreement on whether or not the terms are semantically related, but the sources I read suggest these terms are not.[10]  When brk is used by God, the proper English translation is a form of the word bless.  When humans referencing other humans or objects use brk, the proper English translation can be a variation of bless.  However, when humans referencing God use brk, oftentimes the translation reads “praise” or “extol” instead of a variation of bless.  For example, in the Apocrypha, when God is the object of brk, the meaning is always, “praise.”[11]  Therefore, we can agree when Scharbert says, “… semantically ‘blessing’ does not exhaust the meaning of brk, which includes the concepts of greeting, congratulating, thanking, and praising.”[12]  Hopefully the discussion of this paragraph shows the complexity, and importance, of translating and applying the Hebrew root brk. 

In this paragraph, I intend to show in what ways the translation and application of brk provides clarity.  Every scholar I read agrees that the intent of a blessing is to promote right relationships between individuals or groups by strengthening solidarity.[13]  Some signs of solidarity are praises, stereotyped blessing formulas, and expressing congratulations.  Generally speaking, these blessings originate from someone of greater status and flow to someone of a lesser status.[14]  More specifically, the most common settings for these blessings are family heads blessing their children.[15]  Aspects of prosperity, to me, seem to be a side note to the real concern of a blessing which is strong relationship between two parties.  Both the concept of blessings and curses and the term brk itself have a semantic emphasis on relationships.  With this background, I will now discuss how the Gospel of Luke applies the term and concept of “blessed.” 

            Makarios

            Makarios, the state of happiness as a result of good fortune or circumstances[16], is one of two Greek words translated into English as “blessed.”  It is used fifteen times in Luke’s Gospel[17] and these sayings are known as macarisms.  Macarisms have a rich history of use in both biblical and extra-biblical texts.  Among the extra-biblical texts, some early uses of the term refer to an ideal state of the gods, those who are beyond our earthly suffering.  Homer uses variations of this term to describe “… the state of godlike blessedness hereafter in the isles of the blessed.”[18]  One synonym that refers to the blessings lavished on humans by the gods is olbios. It describes happiness as inseparably related to possessions.[19]  As Aristotle and Plato use the term, more nuances are added.  In general, when makarios or a variation is used in extra-Biblical texts, it describes or exhorts an ideal state of wealth and happiness.

            Luke’s use of makarios is related but different.  It sometimes refers to a person’s inner-happiness or exalts the person who has received good fortune.[20]  But instead of extolling wealth and possessions, “… it [makarios] refers overwhelmingly to the distinctive religious joy which accrues to man (sic) from his (sic) share in the salvation of the kingdom of God.”[21]  In fact, part of the character of New Testament macarisms is to radically reverse expectations of cultural values.  These “sacred paradoxes”[22] reverse the expectation of blessing from worldly gain to salvation.  The focus is not on possessions or advancement; rather, the focus is on being in relationship with God.  Now, let us turn to investigate the context in which Luke’s Gospel uses makarios. 

The Lukan Beatitudes

“Blessed are you who are hungry now … Blessed are you who weep now … Blessed are you when people hate you …” Luke 6:20-3 NRSV.

            In the sermon on the plain, Jesus instructs the disciples and followers on the ideal way of living – how life is in the kingdom of God and how it should be on earth.  Luke’s Gospel tells us that Jesus came down from a higher location, stood on a level place with the disciples and the followers, focused his attention toward the disciples, and then began the sermon.  The beatitudes are prophetic statements about current economic realities.  Luke’s Jesus uses the word ‘now’ four times in just five verses – Luke 6:20-25 – two of which are seen above.  In contrast, Matthew does not use the word ‘now’ at all.  Matthew’s beatitudes are more spiritual statements that call Christians to higher righteousness while Luke’s account is a decidedly prophetic call to action in the here and now.  Referring to the more spiritual beatitudes in Matthew, one commentator suggests, “Spiritualizing the beatitudes grants those who are not poor access to them, but it domesticates Jesus’ scandalous gospel.”[23]  It is true that both the poor and wealthy can experience blessing, but the fact that Jesus includes the poor is surprising and quite possibly offensive to the original audience.  Are not the blessed supposed to be those who have the good life?

            I have heard several pastors substitute the word ‘happy’ for ‘blessed’ when preaching from this text.[24]  However, one commentator says that happy does not convey the essential meaning of makarios.  More than happiness, makarios means righteousness before God.[25]  To be righteous before God – in a right relationship – Jesus tells us that we ought to spend time with outcastes of society.  Maybe Luke’s Jesus is saying that when a person has nothing in the world but a right relationship with God, they are blessed beyond measure.  Early in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus couples blessing language and reversals of fortune that is, as Craddock put it, “… inescapably clear.”[26]  This motif continues in the next pericope that is sometimes referred to as the ‘maternal blessing.’

The Maternal Blessing Reversed

“Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!”  But he [Jesus] said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!” (Luke 11:27-8.)

            While Jesus taught the followers about casting out of demons, Luke’s gospel says a woman in the crowd raised her voice and offered the above-quoted blessing.  At first reading, it might seem as if Jesus is admonishing this woman for her ignorant statement.  But in fact, this woman’s statement is a typical maternal blessing which can be traced to Genesis 49:25.  Jacob’s deathbed blessing reminds his sons how faithful God has been, and how God has blessed them, “… with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb.” (Genesis 49:25)  Another such maternal blessing can be found in the first chapter of Luke. Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit and blesses Mary saying, “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb … And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” (Luke 1:42, 45)  Scholars point out that Mary is blessed in this passage for hearing the word of God, believing, and acting upon it.[27] 

The meaning of Mary’s blessing becomes clearer in Luke 8:21 when Jesus’ mother and brothers come to see him.  When someone from the crowd tells Jesus his family is near, Jesus responds, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”  It seems Jesus is making a connection between those who hear and do the will of God with those who are blessed.  Given this background, the reader can understand more clearly what Jesus is trying to teach his disciples.  He is not denying the blessing the woman gives to his mother, which is actually a typical maternal blessing; rather, he is building a foundation upon which all blessings can be established.  A loving family does not necessarily indicate that a person is blessed.  Rather, concisely put, “Those who hear God’s Word and obey it will be blessed.”[28]  

            The Watchful Slave

“Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them.” (Luke 12:37.)

            This verse is found in the context of parables teaching watchfulness, using as examples the experience of masters and slaves.  Jesus tells the first parable, Luke 12:35-40, and then Peter asks whether this is applicable to just ‘the twelve’ or to ‘everyone’ (presumably the crowds and Christians everywhere).  Jesus responds by telling a second parable, Luke 12:41-48.  Scholars therefore assume the first is meant for all Christians and the second for Christian leaders.[29]  All Christians should be prepared for the return of the master. 

            The characters and situation of this parable serve as metaphors for major Christian concepts.  The slave represents all Christians and the master returning home represents the parousia – this story is about eschatological spiritual readiness for the coming of the Son of man.[30]  The connection between watchfulness and eschatological language is common in OT literature.[31]  Spiritual preparation includes physical readiness.[32]  Thus, authentic spirituality needs to be supported by corresponding behavior.  Again, Jesus connects the idea of blessing with a reversal of roles – this time masters and slaves.  When the master returns, the slave is ready for him; as a reward, the master serves the slave.  Therefore, blessed is the one who is spiritually prepared.  As in the beatitudes and the maternal blessing, the expectations of who is blessed and what happens to persons who are blessed are reversed. 

              Summary of Macarisms

This brief survey of Lukan macarisms reveals a few patterns of note.  First, to be truly blessed goes beyond material reward.  If fact, those who are poor, those who are hungry, and those who are in mourning are called blessed.  Persons who are blessed often are not the ones society holds in high regard.  Those who might be disadvantaged, underprivileged, and at risk are oftentimes the blessed children of God.  More generally speaking, makarios is often marked by a surprising reversal of expectation.  In this way, Luke’s use of blessed sayings is counter-cultural.  Additionally, those who hear the word of God and obey are blessed.  The blessed person is different in that she wants to listen to God.  She does not tell God what she wants or how things ought to be.  She is open to the will of God and her actions reflect her attitude towards God.  The blessed person fastens his belt in preparation to serve God and her common brother.  Now that we have developed an understanding of Luke’s use of makarios, let us turn now to the second term for blessed, eulegeo.

Eulegeo

The second of two words translated as blessed, eulegeo, is used eleven times in Luke’s Gospel.[33]  It broad usage includes “… to speak finely,”[34] and “… to speak well of, praise, and extol.”[35]  Fine speech includes rhetoric for the sake of itself in addition to the more standard application of complimentary speech.  In the LXX, eulegeo was the translation of the Hebrew term barakh and, in the process, the meaning shifted.  The original use found its meaning nearer “to speak” than the more religiously charged phrase “to bless.”  Van Den Eynde’s comment summarizes the relationship between eulegeo and blessing:

If a blessing often takes place through the uttering of words, it is not strange that a verb of ‘speaking’ such as eulegeo can take up the meaning ‘to bless’ even though it [a blessing] traditionally does not involve such a speech act.[36]

Therefore, in Luke’s Gospel, eulegeo typically refers to passages that indicate a spoken blessing.  I will now discuss the use of eulegeo in three Lukan passages. 

            Mary as Favored

“Greetings, favored one!  The Lord is with you.” Luke 1:28

            The first use of eulegeo I will discuss occurs in the first chapter of Luke.  In perspective of the entire dialogue (1:26-38), it is apparent that Mary’s greeting follows a common five element literary pattern of an angelic birth-announcement found in the Hebrew Bible[37]: 1) the entrance of an angel (1:28); 2) the person is perplexed (1:29); 3) the heavenly message where the person is addressed by name (1:30), and told not to be afraid (1:30), that she will conceive and bear a son (1:31a), and information about the son’s role (1:32-33); 4) the person objects (1:34bc); and 5) reassurance and a sign are given(1:35b-37).[38]  When compared to the similar birth-announcement of John the Baptist, the differences reveal specific details about each person’s identity

John will be great before the Lord (1:15), but Jesus will be great and the Son of the Most High (1:32).  John will prepare a people (1:17), but Jesus will rule the people (1:33).  John’s role is temporary (1:17), Jesus’ kingdom will never end (1:33).  John is to be a prophet (1:15), but Jesus more than another prophet: he is Son of God (1:35).  John will be “filled with the Holy Spirit” as a prophet (1:15), but the overshadowing of the Spirit and Power will make Jesus “the Holy One.”[39] 

One additional difference, maybe the key difference, is the address Gabriel gives to Mary but not to Elizabeth, “Greetings, favored one!”  In Luke 1:42, Elizabeth recognizes the blessing of Mary’s pregnancy and offers the common maternal blessing.  Mary truly is favored.  

            But why is Mary favored instead of someone else?  Interestingly, she seems to be quite unworthy.  Mary is somewhere around the age of fourteen, she is engaged but not married, and her husband-to-be is a carpenter.  Conceiving a child out of wedlock would invite a storm of shame in this culture which so highly values virginity at marriage.  And yet this woman is favored.  Speaking of Mary’s favor, Alan Culpepper poignantly summarizes

… what a strange blessing … Today many assume that those whom God favors will enjoy the things we equate with a good life: social standing, wealth, and good health.  Yet Mary, God’s favored one, was blessed with having a child out of wedlock who would later be executed as a criminal.  Acceptability, prosperity, and comfort have never been the essence of God’s blessing.[40] 

Culpepper’s comments invite us to ask personally, and in this context, “What is the essence of blessing?”  If we consider Mary to be blessed, God’s blessing seems to have little to do with social standing or merit.  The essence of Mary’s blessing has nothing to do with what she can control.  The source of her blessing is the grace of God. 

Jesus’ Entrance Procession into Jerusalem

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord...” (Luke 19:38.)

            Another eulegeo pericope is Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem.  This is the final scene in the long travel narrative (Luke 9:51-19:27) of Luke’s Gospel.  By telling a kingship parable immediately before Jesus’ entrance (Luke 19:11-27), Luke provides the reader with his desired interpretive lens.  Through the entrance and the preceding kingship parable, it becomes clear that the writer’s purpose is to emphasize Jesus’ place as the next Davidic king.[41]   Luke adds the title, “king” to Psalm 118:26 which he quotes.  Instead of “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord,” Luke edits it to read, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Luke 19:38)  This entrance parade is both similar and dissimilar to the common pattern of an entrance parade for a conquering ruler.  The normal parade follows this outline: 1) the ruler is escorted into the city by his army, 2) there are hymns and acclamations praising the ruler, 3) elements of the procession symbolically represent the ruler – e.g. mighty weapons or ornate jewelry and 4) the ruler takes part in a ritual of appropriation whereby the ruler assumes leadership of the city.[42]

            The actualization of this kingship motif is both expected and surprising.  Jesus is certainly a king, but a different kind of king than was expected.  His disciples, rather than an army, escort him into the city.  He rides into town on a humble mule rather than a large strong horse.  And instead of assuming leadership of the temple and sacrificing an animal in honor of his own accomplishments, Jesus prophetically restores the temple from place of commerce to a place of prayer.  The aspect of this pericope that is most telling of Jesus’ nature and role as king is the cleansing of the temple.  Other kinds of kings might have participated in a ritualistic affirmation of their own power at this moment.  But Jesus takes this time to return the focus of the sacred place to God.  Where other kings are blessed because of their own power and glory, Jesus is blessed because he returns power and glory to God.  

            Christ Revealed in the Sacramental Meal

“When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.” Luke 24:30

            Each pericope so far has been about a blessed person – the blessing typically offered by Jesus.  This third eulegeo saying is categorically different from the other blessing language surveyed because a non-human object is blessed.  While Jesus walks with two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-27), he fills their ears and souls with teaching.  They are unaware that this traveler is the same person who was crucified just days ago.  It is in the act of breaking and blessing of the bread that the disciples realize this mysterious companion is actually their risen Lord.  This kind of situation, where persons are unable to recognize someone with whom they are familiar until some revealing event happens, is what Aristotle describes as anagnorisis – recognition in classical drama.  Culpepper explains, “Recognition may be based on visible signs, memory, or reasoning, but the best kind is ‘that which arises from the actions alone.’”[43]  By using the same literary pattern as in the feeding of the five-thousand (9:16) and the Last Supper (22:19), Luke recalls certain memories in the disciples that empower them to see Jesus’ identity through these actions.  Jesus took (lambano), blessed (eulegeo), broke (klao), and gave (eucharisteo).[44] 

By revealing himself in this meal and in this way, Jesus is symbolically saying to the gathered disciples, “I want you to remember this place and this meal every time you take bread, break it, bless it, and give thanks.”  Craddock beautifully summarizes this by saying, “It is the presence of Christ at the table opened to a stranger which transforms an ordinary supper into the sacrament.”[45]  The identity and purpose of Christ is revealed to us in this holy meal which directs our attention towards our Lord, crucified and risen.  In eating this “blessed” bread, we remember that before Jesus arose he suffered persecution, was crucified, and died.  Not only do we remember, but we are called to participate in the suffering of Christ as well.  What a strange blessing indeed.

            Summary of Eulegeo Sayings

            The similarities between these eulegeo sayings are significant.  First, many times the credit of the blessing lies solely with God and not with the persons involved.  The eulegeo sayings remind us that blessings are a gracious gift of God.  Especially in the first pericope, we see that God declares Mary blessed even though she is unworthy by the culture’s standards.  God determines merit not on a moral scale where sins and worthiness are tallied and compared.  God equips those who are willing to serve even if they are unlikely or unqualified.  Second, we clearly see blessed persons are those who promote the glory of God and humble themselves.  Sometimes, being true to the glory of God requires that we ourselves suffer and sacrifice.  The blessing of humility and sacrifice is seen especially in Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem and the blessing of the sacramental meal. 

            Summary

            In conclusion, the concept of blessing is, without a doubt, significant in both Jewish and Christian history.  There also seems to be a plurality of meanings; however, plurality does not mean relativity.  From the background information on eulegeo and makarios, the six pericopes studied, and the concept of blessings and curses, I will now offer a definition which is broad enough to encompass the discussion yet still precise enough to be meaningful.  Someone is blessed when they are in a right relationship with God.  This relationship is marked by a spiritual readiness to serve God and others without thinking of personal reward.  To be blessed by God is to see the worth in yourself and others that God already sees in you.  Those who are blessed recognize the light of God within them and their ability to shine.  The shining neither draws attention to an individual nor does it blind others with its self-satisfaction.  Those who are blessed desire respond to their relationship by giving life and love as God does.   

Osteen, Word of Faith, and Blessing

            Joel Osteen: Biography

            In the first section of the paper, I defined the biblical understanding of what it means to be blessed.  In contrast to this understanding of blessing stands Joel Osteen’s concept of blessing.  In this section, I will discuss ways Osteen is similar to and different from the biblical understandings of blessing.  In particular, I will demonstrate that Osteen’s theology is steeped in extra-biblical theology and philosophy.  While there is an abundance of literature about the success of Osteen the person, there is virtually no scholarly work on Osteen’s theology.[46]  Therefore, one of the major tasks in this section is to clearly articulate the main theological positions of Osteen.  Even though his theology is considered “Christianity light” or a “cotton-candy theology,” seeing his influence on the American religious landscape will open your eyes to the need for a more sophisticated theological response.

             Joel Osteen is the Senior Pastor of the largest church in the United States, Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, which boasts an average worship attendance of at least 42,000 people.[47]  He is also the most watched inspirational figure in America, with his worship services seen by seven million Americans a week.  In addition to the United States, Osteen’s services are broadcast into 100 nations around the world.[48]  In 2004, Osteen published his first book, Your Best Life Now, and it has topped the charts ever since.  It has been on the New York Times bestseller list for over two years and has sold at least four million copies.  Osteen released a new book on October 15^th entitled, Become a Better You. It too is at the top of the New York Times bestseller list. 

Osteen took the helm of his father’s church in 1999 when John Osteen – a well-known and respected teacher in the Word-Faith movement[49] – died suddenly.  Prior to that point, Osteen had only preached one sermon and that had been on the previous Sunday.  Yet within a few months of his father’s death, he was installed as the new Senior Pastor and the church has been experiencing envious growth ever since.  Now let us turn from a biographical account of Osteen to a survey of his theological contributions.[50]

Joel Osteen’s Theology: The Favor of God

Osteen’s theology revolves around the belief that God favors Christians. Favor is Osteen’s favorite synonym for the word ‘blessing.’  God’s favor serves an ever-present spiritual cloak[51] that affects every aspect of your life.  According to Osteen, favor means God wants “to assist, to provide with special advantages and,” for you “to receive preferential treatment.”[52]  God’s favor is often present in the mundane and ordinary moments of life.  It puts you at the front of the line in the supermarket, it opens up traffic so that you can pass slower cars, and it helps you find the best sales at the mall.[53]  In short, this spiritual privilege has material results.  He says, “God wants to make your life easier.  He wants to assist you and give you special advantages.”[54]  Osteen introduces this favor language very early in his book Your Best Life Now, “The Scripture says that God wants to pour out, ‘His far and beyond favor.’”[55]  Osteen makes an endnote to see Ephesians 2:7.  What Osteen writes on this page and the actual Scripture are not the same in either the KJV (which he most often uses), the NIV, or NRSV.  I will devote time later in the essay to challenge both Osteen’s presentation and interpretation of Scripture.  For now, let us turn to a careful examination of Osteen’s theology of God’s favor. 

            Part 1 of Osteen’s book, chapters one through six, develops the concept God’s favor, what it means, and what it has in store for every person’s life.  The six chapters are six steps that explain how you can “Enlarge Your Vision” of what God’s favor can do for you.  Chapters one through six are entitled as follows: 1) Enlarging Your Vision; 2) Raising Your Level of Expectancy; 3) God has more in Store!; 4) Breaking Barriers of the Past; 5) Increasing in Favor; and 6) Living Favor-Minded.  In order to objectively develop an understanding of how Osteen explains his concept of favor, I am going to summarize each of these six chapters in a few sentences and include a quote from Osteen in each. 

In the first chapter, Osteen exhorts the reader to dream bigger than they have ever dreamed before.  Only when you start thinking bigger will God’s favor be bestowed upon you.  Osteen says, “To experience the immeasurable favor, you must rid yourself of that small-minded thinking and start expecting God’s blessings, start anticipating promotion and supernatural increase.”[56]  The second chapter encourages the readers to expect more out of life than what they are currently receiving.   When life is not going according to your plan, Osteen offers these words of wisdom, “If all you expect is more of the same, that’s all you’re going to have.  Our expectations set the boundaries for our lives.  Jesus said, ‘According to your [F]aith … be it done to you.’  In other words, ‘Have what your faith expects.’”[57]  God’s ability to bestow blessings can be limited by your thoughts.

In Chapter three, Osteen repeatedly chides the reader to avoid, “limiting God.”  This is basically a move from thinking better of yourself and bigger about your prospects, which is the goal of chapter one, to thinking bigger about God.  Says Osteen, “… quit limiting God.  He may want to open another opportunity or a better position for you.  God may intervene in your situation, replacing your supervisor so you can be promoted … a second key element to enlarging your vision is believing that God has more in store for you!” [58]  Osteen begins chapter four with the story of Roger Bannister, the first person to break the four-minute mile record.  Within a decade after Bannister’s record-breaking run, over 300 people ran the mile in under four minutes.  Osteen points to this as an example of breaking a barrier of the past.  Barriers are self-erected mental blocks that keep you from accomplishing your goals.  Do you want to break a barrier?  Osteen says, “If you will change your thinking, God can change your life.”[59]  In a section below, “The Power of Thoughts and Words,” I will briefly address how Osteen is, in a way, almost correct.  

Chapter five expands what Osteen says in chapter two about expecting God’s favor in your life.  He says, “… if we’re going to experience more of God’s favor, we must live more ‘favor-minded.’”[60]  “Favor-minded” is one of Osteen’s key phrases and it means to put in action, everyday, the expectations you have for preferential treatment.  Chapter six concludes Osteen’s systematic description of favor by suggesting that when you live “favor-minded,” you will be constantly showered with preferential treatment.  Osteen says, “… when you are living favor-minded, the Bible says, ‘God’s blessings are going to chase you down and overtake you.’”[61]  In effect, living “favor-minded” means that expectation of blessing is part of your character.  The ideal person, in Osteen’s paradigm, is someone who experiences God’s blessing as an almost spontaneous part of his or her lives.  For Osteen, the blessing of being in right relationship with God is not enough.  He wants more – specifically prosperity and progress.  He encourages you to get promotions and buy bigger houses.  In essence, Osteen seems to be claiming God wants you to spend and earn.  In other words, Osteen is saying, “Be an efficient capitalist;” this is something Jesus, a homeless traveling rabbi, most certainly was not. 

 Instead of specific language concerning what blessings are, Osteen uses broad terms like prosperity, progress, and advance.  These broad terms do not specifically tie Osteen down to exactly what favor looks like for an individual.  For example, prosperity, progress and advance could mean earning more money, having a larger home, resolving disputes in your marriage, or bringing about world peace.  Even though Osteen’s theological rhetoric is vague, his stories are not.  The favored person in his stories is the one who earns more money, wins the competitition, sets the records, or closes the business deal.  Generally speaking, Osteen’s concept of favor is oriented towards physical rewards.  In contrast, Luke’s concept of the blessed person is the one in right relationship with God – the true blessing for Luke is a spiritual blessing. 

            The Power of Thoughts and Words

            Now that I have shown how Osteen’s concept is oriented towards the physical and not the spiritual, I will survey how one goes about reaping the benefits of God’s favor or, in Osteen’s parlance, becoming more “favor-minded.”  He outlines this process in the third section of his book, “Discover the Power of your Thoughts and Words.”  Chapter 12, “Choosing the Right Thoughts,” is a warehouse of self-help clichés, and, as such, it succeeds.  Stay positive, keep going even when the odds are against you, and do not let the “enemy” get you down.  All these sayings are practical and generally good advice for any audience, religious or secular.  The religious twist Osteen puts on positive thinking is renaming it “God’s thoughts.”  By labeling positive thinking as “God’s thoughts,” Osteen is able to revisit his familiar themes of prosperity, promotion, and advance as the goal of the blessed life.  Osteen says that when you think failure, you will fail.  And when you think mediocrity, you will just get by.  To avoid this spiritual taboo, Osteen advises his reader to “align your thoughts with God’s thoughts … start dwelling on the promises of His Word, … constantly dwell on thoughts of His victory, favor, faith, power, and strength, nothing can hold you back.”[62]  “Choosing the Right Thoughts” teaches what to do if one wants to tap into the favor of “God’s thoughts.”

            Chapter 13, “Reprogramming Your Mental Computer,” testifies to the power inherent in thinking “God’s thoughts” and warns of the danger in dwelling on the thoughts planted by the evil one.  The bulk of this chapter tells two stories: the first is about a man who dwelled on negative thoughts and the second is about how Osteen broke free from negative thoughts.  A man asks Osteen to help him solve his emotional problems.  This man is depressed about his failed relationship.  He explains how all day everyday he dwells on painful thoughts.  Osteen explains to this man that he does not have an emotional problem.  In fact, his emotions are working just fine.  Instead, his problem is with his thinking because, for Osteen, thoughts control emotions.[63]  Osteen takes it one step further when discussing how thoughts affected Lakewood Church’s decision to buy the Houston Compaq Center.  A legal battle over the right of a religious organization to purchase this publicly owned property promised to keep the church locked in a long and expensive stalemate.  During this time Osteen admits to being possessed by negative thoughts late into the night.  However, one night a scripture inspired him to maintain a positive outlook.  Only three weeks later they settled the legal battle – Osteen claims the reason the business deal went through was his positive attitude.[64]  “God’s thoughts” not only have power over emotions, which might not be too controversial a statement, but it also affects business deals and the outcomes of interactions with others.

            “God’s thoughts” contain spiritual power, but even more power comes from the spoken word.  These powers are explained in chapters 14 “The Power in Your Words” and 15 “Speaking Life-Changing Words.”  For Osteen, the idea of self-fulfilling prophecies is not just a cliché that seems be true some of the time.  While thought affects changes in some mysterious way, spoken words come alive and take action.  He says, “… we need to be extremely careful about what we think and especially careful about what we say.  Our words have tremendous power, and whether we want to or not, we will give life to what we’re saying, either good or bad” (emphasis added).[65]  Osteen thoughtfully chooses the word ‘careful’ because even acknowledging a negative situation gives power to the negative.  So, for example, verbally acknowledging that you have a cold gives life and power to the cold.  Instead, you should proclaim health in the face of this sickness.  If you deny the cold exists it will not. 

            Chapter 15 provides two examples how this principle worked in his and his mother’s lives.  Dodie Osteen, his mother, had terminal cancer of the liver and was given only weeks to live.  Dodie proclaimed divine healing in the face of her situation – Osteen calls this speaking “God’s Words.”[66]  Slowly but surely she returned to normal health and now she is totally cancer free.  Osteen observed this principle in his own life when he spoke “God’s Words” over a business undertaking.  As with his mother, Osteen’s words produced success in his venture.[67]  Chapter 16 simply repeats these themes and exhorts the reader to speak “God’s Words” over close family, friends, and situations.  In summary, for Osteen, an individuals thoughts and words literally create his reality.  They do so not just in an emotional or psychological sense – in a very real physical sense it is one’s thoughts and words which in fact produce the blessings. 

Osteen’s teaching regarding thoughts and words is similar to several forms of cognitive therapy which are a “… treatment approach based on the notion that a dysfunctional thinking plays a role in a number of psychological disorders.”[68]  Cognitive therapists help patients identify negative thoughts and processing styles that cause dysfunctional behavior.  Patients can correct their dysfunction by choosing positive thoughts and thought styles.  This kind of therapy has success in treating depression, anxiety, and even some cases of substance abuse.  Osteen’s focus on positive thoughts and words function in a similar way to cognitive therapy and potentially achieves a similar end.  In this section, I sought to present Osteen’s position sans critique.  In the following section, I will challenge two instances where Osteen misquotes or misinterprets Scripture. 

            Misquoting Ephesians 2:7

            The first Scripture reference in Your Best Life Now is a footnote to Ephesians 2:7.  Interestingly, Ephesians 2:8 was one of John Wesley’s favorite sermon texts.  One such sermon, and a particularly famous one, is the “Scripture Way of Salvation.”[69]  The title obviously suggests Wesley considers this text to be about soteriology.  However, in this Scriptural text, Osteen finds different meaning, “God wants to increase you financially, by giving you promotions, fresh ideas, and creativity.  The Scripture says that Gods want to pour out ‘His far and beyond favor.’”[70]  Favor in Osteen’s usage indicates tangible physical prosperity.  If so, this passage is not about salvation but instead about God’s desire to increase your possessions.  Quotation marks are around the words “His far and beyond favor” leading the reader to believe that these words can actually be found in Ephesians 2:7.  As I have mentioned above, this is not the case.  Where Osteen would have you believe the Scripture reads “his far and beyond favor,” it actually reads, “the riches of his grace” which is the translation in the NRSV, NIV, and the KJV.  

The phrase “riches of his grace” can be understood best when read in context,

But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved – and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God …  (Ephesians 2:4-8, my emphasis added on verse 7.)

The “riches of his grace” refer to the fruits of faith that came in the form of kindness through Jesus Christ.  Wesley identifies the grace of God working in our salvation as the central meaning, saying, “All the blessings which God hath bestowed upon man (sic) are of his mere grace, bounty, or favour: his free, undeserved favour, favour altogether underserved, man (sic) having no claim to the least of these mercies.”[71] Where Osteen says you can earn God’s favor by thinking and saying certain things, Wesley argues that all blessings are solely God’s favor which we cannot earn, no matter how we try. 

            Misrepresenting John 16:33

            Osteen also wrongly applies Scripture in the section on “God’s thoughts.”  Acknowledging the reality of tough times on even the most positive thinker, Osteen encourages his readers to remembers Jesus’ words, “Jesus said, ‘In this life you will have trouble, but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world.’  He wasn’t saying that troublesome times wouldn’t come; He was saying that when they do, we can choose our attitudes … we can choose the right thoughts. ”[72] Osteen is correctly quoting the King James Version this time.  The New International version renders the same verse, “In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart! I have overcome the world.”  The New Revised Standard Version offers, “In the world you face persecution.  But take courage; I have conquered the world!”  The issue at hand is not which version of the Bible Osteen is quoting from.  Instead, the question is whether or not his interpretation of the text – that Jesus is telling his followers to overcome their suffering by choosing optimistic thoughts/attitudes – is suggested by the text. 

Implied in Osteen’s interpretation is that Jesus teaches his disciples how to avoid suffering.  Further, Osteen suggests suffering is a type of spiritual hurdle which can and should be overcome.  What Osteen has correct is that Jesus’ words are aimed to comfort.  But he is confused about the nature of suffering because he does not recognize Jesus’ role as a prophet.  Suffering is an unavoidable fact of a prophet’s life.  One might even say suffering is guaranteed for the prophet.  It is not punishment for negative thoughts, words, or actions.  Jesus has conquered this world through self-sacrifice, suffering, and death on a cross.  His love in the face of suffering defines grace and compassion for us today.  In this prayer, he is exhorting the followers to endure, not avoid, their suffering, as there is peace in him.  Osteen’s worldview is ashamed of the cross.  Again, Osteen misses the point of the Scripture he is quoting. 

If you watch Osteen’s televised sermons, you can see quite clearly in the architecture of the sanctuary how Osteen avoids the cross.  In many Christian worship spaces, the cross is the focal point of the room.  Typically this means a large cross is suspended on the wall behind the chancel (which Osteen calls the stage) or a smaller cross stands on the center of the altar.  But Osteen’s church has no cross on their altar, nor is there a cross suspended from the back wall.  Instead, on the chancel behind Osteen is large slowly revolving globe.  Gloves typically represent wealth, power, influence, or, more generally, culture.  I am confident Osteen and others would justify this globe on the chancel by saying something like, “We have a world-wide ministry,” or, “We want to influence the world.”  What Osteen does not realize is that the objects on the chancel provide direction for what and how we worship.  The pastor, standing on the chancel, leads us in worship.  The choir, sitting high on the chancel, worships God through sound.  The cross, which should be the focal point of the worship space, reminds us that we worship a God who suffers with us and died for us.  But instead, Osteen’s church worships an image of the world. 

            Inspiration of Doctrine

It is clear that Osteen’s concept of blessing is thoroughly contrary to the Biblical concept of blessing.  The focus is on the individual receiving, and any thoughts about giving are a side note – something to be done once one’s personal financial situation is secure.  The prophetic suffering of Christ is avoided.  God is characterized as a peddler of good fortune who only favors those who earn favor – this God is unfamiliar with grace.  Financial gain, success in relationships, and good health (emotional and physical) are the hallmarks of favor which is most effectively earned by speaking “God’s words.”   Given the nuances[73] and success of Osteen’s paradigm, an intriguing question remains, “Where did this system come from?”  Is he just another positive thinking coach along the lines of Norman Vincent Peale?  Or is he some generic prosperity preacher trying to swindle money from desperate parishioners?  In the next section, I intend to show there is more to Osteen than a simple positive thinking coach.  What is most neglected in discussions of Osteen and his theology is his connection to the Word-Faith movement.  The importance of recognizing this connection is paramount because of the connection the Word-Faith movement has to the metaphysical cult known as “New Thought.”

Development of the Word-Faith Movement

In order to understand the influence of New Thought metaphysics in Osteen’s theology, I will briefly discuss the development of the Word-Faith movement including their major figures and beliefs.  There is general agreement that E.W. Kenyon, Oral Roberts, and Kenneth Hagin are the most influential persons in the movement.  This brief history will focus on these three figures who can be thought of as ‘The Grandfather’ E.W. Kenyon, ‘The Uncle’ Oral Roberts, and ‘The Father’ Kenneth Hagin. 

The Grandfather: E.W. Kenyon

Essek William Kenyon can be understood as the grandfather of the Word-Faith movement.  He did not organize the Word-Faith beliefs into its structure today, but he had more influence than any other person on the man who did beget the Word-Faith movement, Kenneth Hagin.  Born in New York in 1867, Kenyon was raised a Methodist but he joined the Baptist church after his teenage conversion experience.  Even though he may have been officially affiliated with the Baptist church, he was also a significant figure in the Pentecostal and Holiness traditions.  He was an enthusiast for education, attended various institutions of higher education in the New England area, and formed his own Bible Institute where he was superintendent from 1900-1923; however, he never himself earned a degree.[74]  In the 1980s he attended Emerson College of Oratory where he became affiliated with New Thought metaphysics – a philosophy started by Phineas P. Quimby that serves as the foundation for Christian Science and, as McConnell argues, Word-Faith Christianity.[75]  The basic teachings of New Thought are, “… the immanence of God, the primacy of the mind as a cause of all effects, freedom from disease and poverty, the divine nature of humans, and the role of incorrect thinking in all sin and disease.”[76]  Kenyon’s lasting impact is the emphasis on the spiritual power of correct thinking and the spoken word in affecting illness – this will later be coined “positive confession.”  Even though he developed the outline for what became the Word-Faith movement, he is not looked upon as the spiritual father. 

The Uncle:  Oral Roberts

Another significant figure in the development of the Word-Faith movement is Oral Roberts.  Like Kenyon, Roberts is connected to the movement but it is not totally clear to what degree.  Roberts might be understood as an uncle to the movement; he prepared the soil for Hagin’s seeds of influence to be planted.  The first of two major themes in Roberts’ theology began with a personal experience of healing.  Born in Oklahoma in 1918, Roberts did not convert to Christianity until, as a teenager, he collapsed while playing a basketball game.  Diagnosed with tuberculosis, Roberts was scheduled to enter a sanitarium just a few weeks later.  However, he was miraculously healed of the tuberculosis and stuttering while attending a Pentecostal revival.[77]  For the next twelve years he studied, preached, and taught but did not emphasize healing.  Then in 1947, he went on an extended period of fasting and praying to discern God’s call in his life.  When he came out, he knew that healing services where his calling.  He held successful healing services in Enid, Oklahoma and felt inspired to enlarge his ministry.  Roberts moved to Tulsa where he continued healing, wrote his first book, started a magazine, went on the radio, and by 1954 took the bold step of preaching the message of healing to a television audience.[78]

The second theme of his two-themed theology came during that period of fasting and prayer in 1947.  It was then that he discovered what is now a key Scripture for the Word-Faith movement.  In the King James Version, 3 John 2 says, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”  Roberts applied his verse not only to prosperity in physical health, but also to his financial matters.  His tagline to accompany this verse is “God is good” which to him and his followers means that a good God wants to and is going to bless his followers with financial prosperity.[79]  He was the first to teach the “seed-faith” concept which claims that gifts to his ministry are seeds of faith that grow and are returned in full to those who give.  Roberts’ contributions, similarities, or kinsmanship with Word-Faith theology are his dual emphasis on financial prosperity and physical healing.  He tilled the soil for the teachings of Kenneth Hagin. 

The Father: Kenneth Hagin

Kenneth Hagin learned from the grandfather, took advantage of a soil prepared by the uncle, and formed a cohesive movement of his own.  Hagin was born a small and weak child in 1917 in McKinney, Texas.  He was born premature, weighing around two pounds, and had heart disease.  Somehow he survived but his childhood continued to be troubled.  For sixteen months during his teenage years (1933-1934) he was bedridden with what he calls a terminal illness; however, no actual diagnosis was ever made.[80]