Thesis (M.A.)--Western Seminary, 1993. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 67-73).

Thesis (M.A.)--Western Seminary, 1993. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 67-73).

Thesis (M.Th.)--University of South Africa, 2002.

Globalization has facilitated the growth of “market-friendly” religions throughout the world, but especially in developing societies in the global South. A popular belief among these movements is prosperity belief. Prosperity belief has several characteristics which make it compatible with liberal individualism, the dominant value in a globalized society. At the same time, its compatibility with this value may be limited, extending only to economic liberalism, but not to liberal attitudes on social issues. Data from the Pew Forum on Religious and Public Life’s 2006 survey Spirit and Power: Survey of Pentecostals in Guatemala is used to conduct a quantitative analysis regarding the economic and social attitudes of prosperity belief adherents in Guatemala in order to examine the potential, as well as the limits, of this belief’s compatibility with liberal individualism. Results suggest that support for liberal individualism is bifurcated. On one hand there is some support for the positive influence of prosperity belief on economic liberalism in regards to matters of free trade, but on the other hand, prosperity belief adherents continue to maintain conservative attitudes in regards to social issues. As prosperity belief and liberal individualism continue to grow along global capitalism, these findings have implications for the future of market-friendly religions and for the societies of the global South.

In a manner similar to other countries on the African continent, Botswana has witnessed the explosive growth of new Pentecostal churches. These churches are most often distinguished by their recent origins, focus on the prosperity gospel and spiritual deliverance ministries. In this study, one specific church, Bible Life Ministries, in the capital city of Gaborone, was researched in an effort to understand its great appeal. I have proposed that their rapid growth is a result of their "promise of power" - spiritual power that provides individuals with temporal results such as health, wealth and control over one's environment. Faced with the rapid changes brought about by external forces such as urbanization and globalization, these churches are deliberately seeking to bridge western and Setswana culture in an effort to contextualize the gospel for contemporary Batswana. Of major missiological concern is whether or not the gospel message has been distorted in this process. / Church Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th. (Missiology)

In a manner similar to other countries on the African continent, Botswana has witnessed the explosive growth of new Pentecostal churches. These churches are most often distinguished by their recent origins, focus on the prosperity gospel and spiritual deliverance ministries. In this study, one specific church, Bible Life Ministries, in the capital city of Gaborone, was researched in an effort to understand its great appeal. I have proposed that their rapid growth is a result of their "promise of power" - spiritual power that provides individuals with temporal results such as health, wealth and control over one's environment. Faced with the rapid changes brought about by external forces such as urbanization and globalization, these churches are deliberately seeking to bridge western and Setswana culture in an effort to contextualize the gospel for contemporary Batswana. Of major missiological concern is whether or not the gospel message has been distorted in this process. / Church Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th. (Missiology)

This thesis is a study of nineteenth and twentieth century faith theology and praxis, seeking to determine a balanced, healthy faith that is both sound in theology and effective in practice, Part 1 presents a history and sources of Faith Teaching and Practices. It first looks historically at the roots of later faith teaching and practice by presenting a sampling of teachings on faith from early church fathers, reformers, mystics, and Pietists. These form the foundation for the movements of faith in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries-the classic faith teaching, followed by the modern faith movement and leaders. Part 2 deals with the foundational issues of faith teaching and practice: the relationship of faith to the supernatural, the concept of the inheritance of the believer and the practice of claiming the promises of God, the nature of faith, and the authority of the believer and its inferences for faith praxis. Part 3 investigates seven major theological issues of faith teaching and practice: faith as a law and force, the object and source of faith, the relationship of faith and the will of God, distinguishing between a logos and a rhema word of God, the concepts of revelation and sense knowledge, the doctrine of healing in the atonement, the question of evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Part 4 examines major practical issues of faith teaching and practice about which controversy swirls: positive mental attitude and positive confession; issues of discernment in acting upon impressions, voices, revelations, and "words from the Lord;" questions of faith regarding sickness and healing, death, doctors and medicine; the relationships between sickness, suffering, healing, and sanctification; and prosperity. Part 5 reflects upon these issues and comes to final conclusions regarding: the role of hermeneutics in determining faith theology and praxis, how to handle unanswered prayers and apparent failures of faith, the seeming paradox and tension between claiming one's inheritance and dying to self, a summary of practical conclusions for exercise of healthy faith, and final conclusions and recommendations on developing a sound theology and practice of faith for the twenty-first century. / Philosophy, Practical & Systematic Theology / D.Th. (Practical Theology)

This thesis is a study of nineteenth and twentieth century faith theology and praxis, seeking to determine a balanced, healthy faith that is both sound in theology and effective in practice, Part 1 presents a history and sources of Faith Teaching and Practices. It first looks historically at the roots of later faith teaching and practice by presenting a sampling of teachings on faith from early church fathers, reformers, mystics, and Pietists. These form the foundation for the movements of faith in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries-the classic faith teaching, followed by the modern faith movement and leaders. Part 2 deals with the foundational issues of faith teaching and practice: the relationship of faith to the supernatural, the concept of the inheritance of the believer and the practice of claiming the promises of God, the nature of faith, and the authority of the believer and its inferences for faith praxis. Part 3 investigates seven major theological issues of faith teaching and practice: faith as a law and force, the object and source of faith, the relationship of faith and the will of God, distinguishing between a logos and a rhema word of God, the concepts of revelation and sense knowledge, the doctrine of healing in the atonement, the question of evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Part 4 examines major practical issues of faith teaching and practice about which controversy swirls: positive mental attitude and positive confession; issues of discernment in acting upon impressions, voices, revelations, and "words from the Lord;" questions of faith regarding sickness and healing, death, doctors and medicine; the relationships between sickness, suffering, healing, and sanctification; and prosperity. Part 5 reflects upon these issues and comes to final conclusions regarding: the role of hermeneutics in determining faith theology and praxis, how to handle unanswered prayers and apparent failures of faith, the seeming paradox and tension between claiming one's inheritance and dying to self, a summary of practical conclusions for exercise of healthy faith, and final conclusions and recommendations on developing a sound theology and practice of faith for the twenty-first century. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D.Th. (Practical Theology)