ABSTRACT
Two intersecting developments, the prosperity gospel and the positive thinking movement, captured the fancy of numerous Americans, including many evangelicals. The desire for prosperity and the good life has caused the rise of the prosperity gospel and positive thinking movement elsewhere in the world, especially in the developing countries. As have some other late twentieth-century developments, the prosperity gospel pointed to the marriage between the segments of conservative Protestantism and American culture. The lines between the prosperity gospel and the possibility thinking movement have been blurred. While the prosperity movement is best known for insisting that all Christians can gain health and wealth by a positive confession of faith, certain doctrines must precede this belief. The prosperity movement argued that God would bless people in many areas, but financial gain topped the list. God endowed certain individuals with the power to heal.
