Blessed Are the Rich and Prosperous For Theirs Is the Kingdom of the World: The Kenyan Challenge

Abstract

Any study on Prosperity Gospel is not only contemporary and significant in its nature but, it is also controversial and affects large populations of people. This makes research on this important area interesting and worthwhile. This article investigates the rapid growth of the prosperity church in Africa and Kenya in particular, the  role of the Prosperity Gospel clergy in their  churches, the impact of Prosperity Gospel on its adherents,  their preachers on Christian spirituality and the negative impact of Prosperity Gospel on the growth of Christianity. In actualizing the findings of this research, the following questions were posed: Have Prosperity Gospel churches grown from preaching Prosperity Gospel? Has the clergy of Prosperity Gospel benefitted from it? How have adherents of Prosperity Gospel advanced in health and wealth promotion? Has Christian spirituality suffered any consequences as a result of preaching Prosperity Gospel? In this article, article literature search, questionnaires and oral interviews were to collect data from a cross section of the targeted population. Ten senior Prosperity Gospel preachers were interviewed; Questionnaires were administered to two hundred followers of these churches, while fifty students who were not necessarily members of the targeted churches were randomly selected from the University of Nairobi.

Key Words: Pentecostalism, Faith teaching, Prosperity Gospel, poverty and Christian spirituality