Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 5, No. 1 1988 Page 98
both because of the selfishness it encourages and because it denies Gods lordship over life by
setting up faith as a tool for acquiring things.
In a nutshell, the faith teachers do believe in divine grace and vicarious atonement. But they see
the crucifixion as redeeming mankind not only from sin, but also sickness and poverty. Because
those blessings have already been guaranteed to God‘s people, they argue that one need only
claim them with enough insistence and faith and he or she will get them.
Barron closes with a chapter designed to separate the excesses and incorrect doctrines of the
faith movement from its positive benefits and true doctrines. He says he has not found the
―mainstream of the faith movement‖ to be ―heretical on any specific point.‖ (p. 152) However, he
believes its leaders need to apply proper hermeneutics to Bible study, to expose followers to Bible
interpretation from outside of the faith movement, and to discontinue the exploitation of viewers
who pay for television ministries.
Barron‘s book is a valuable contribution. Fence mending should not be pushed that far, however.
The differences among Christians in regard to medical science, for example, remain significant
Hagin‘s and the Copelands‘ patronizing attitude toward medicine is very different from that of Dr.
Clark.
Kenneth Hagin was quick to denounce Hobart Freeman after nationwide press coverage of the
unnecessary deaths in his congregation. But Hobart Freeman‘s literature makes use of "positive
confession" and other techniques first promoted by Hagin.
Hagin‘s literature is rife with dangers in this area. He teaches persistent denial of disease
symptoms and construction of a new verbal reality. Arguing that thinking and conversation
determine experience, he criticizes those who ―confess‖ they are or might be sick. He states:
If a person acts upon the Word of God, they will ignore what this outward man tells them.
The body may tell them that the symptoms are still there, even the pain or the misery, or
whatever it is. But instead of walking by natural, human faith, you walk by Bible faith. I
have seen people with conditions that the doctors said could never be cured, but as I
opened the Word to them, I have seen them with every symptom still present say, ―I‘m
healed ...‖ Many of [these people] are alive and well today with no symptoms of the
disease whatsoever. Yet, when they acted in faith and made their confession, they had
every symptom.(1)
Hagin tells of his little daughter Pat developing a growth near her eye. While he was on a tour, his
wife wrote to ask what Pat should tell the school nurse when she checked the children. After two
nights of meditating in his hotel room, Hagin wrote, ―You tell Pat that Daddy said she‘s healed,
just as well as I know in my head that two plus two is four...‖ Hagin says, ―I didn‘t tell her what
to tell the nurse. You see, I had taken the Word of God and built it into my spirit… And I never did
answer that question.‖(2) The growth did disappear before the nurse arrived, but some might be
concerned about the attitude this episode suggests, namely that society‘s questions do not have
to be answered because God has given you a different version of reality.
Hagin does not tell his followers to discard medicine or avoid doctors. But he says that he will
never get sick and that ―God‘s medicine‖ of Bible readings is the only medicine he will ever
take,(3) thus implying what they should do. He also teaches that sickness is caused by Satan. He
repeatedly tells followers to deny disease symptoms, to think, believe, and tell the world that
they are not sick and never will be sick. His literature includes many testimonies in which doctors‖
prognoses are proved wrong. All of these aspects encourage followers to forego medical help and
rely on faith instead. To my knowledge, Hagin gives them no guidance on when to stop denying
symptoms and dash for the emergency room.
The Health and Wealth Gospel should be read by everyone who wants to understand the faith
movement. However, scholars should also study this movement from the perspective of other
both because of the selfishness it encourages and because it denies Gods lordship over life by
setting up faith as a tool for acquiring things.
In a nutshell, the faith teachers do believe in divine grace and vicarious atonement. But they see
the crucifixion as redeeming mankind not only from sin, but also sickness and poverty. Because
those blessings have already been guaranteed to God‘s people, they argue that one need only
claim them with enough insistence and faith and he or she will get them.
Barron closes with a chapter designed to separate the excesses and incorrect doctrines of the
faith movement from its positive benefits and true doctrines. He says he has not found the
―mainstream of the faith movement‖ to be ―heretical on any specific point.‖ (p. 152) However, he
believes its leaders need to apply proper hermeneutics to Bible study, to expose followers to Bible
interpretation from outside of the faith movement, and to discontinue the exploitation of viewers
who pay for television ministries.
Barron‘s book is a valuable contribution. Fence mending should not be pushed that far, however.
The differences among Christians in regard to medical science, for example, remain significant
Hagin‘s and the Copelands‘ patronizing attitude toward medicine is very different from that of Dr.
Clark.
Kenneth Hagin was quick to denounce Hobart Freeman after nationwide press coverage of the
unnecessary deaths in his congregation. But Hobart Freeman‘s literature makes use of "positive
confession" and other techniques first promoted by Hagin.
Hagin‘s literature is rife with dangers in this area. He teaches persistent denial of disease
symptoms and construction of a new verbal reality. Arguing that thinking and conversation
determine experience, he criticizes those who ―confess‖ they are or might be sick. He states:
If a person acts upon the Word of God, they will ignore what this outward man tells them.
The body may tell them that the symptoms are still there, even the pain or the misery, or
whatever it is. But instead of walking by natural, human faith, you walk by Bible faith. I
have seen people with conditions that the doctors said could never be cured, but as I
opened the Word to them, I have seen them with every symptom still present say, ―I‘m
healed ...‖ Many of [these people] are alive and well today with no symptoms of the
disease whatsoever. Yet, when they acted in faith and made their confession, they had
every symptom.(1)
Hagin tells of his little daughter Pat developing a growth near her eye. While he was on a tour, his
wife wrote to ask what Pat should tell the school nurse when she checked the children. After two
nights of meditating in his hotel room, Hagin wrote, ―You tell Pat that Daddy said she‘s healed,
just as well as I know in my head that two plus two is four...‖ Hagin says, ―I didn‘t tell her what
to tell the nurse. You see, I had taken the Word of God and built it into my spirit… And I never did
answer that question.‖(2) The growth did disappear before the nurse arrived, but some might be
concerned about the attitude this episode suggests, namely that society‘s questions do not have
to be answered because God has given you a different version of reality.
Hagin does not tell his followers to discard medicine or avoid doctors. But he says that he will
never get sick and that ―God‘s medicine‖ of Bible readings is the only medicine he will ever
take,(3) thus implying what they should do. He also teaches that sickness is caused by Satan. He
repeatedly tells followers to deny disease symptoms, to think, believe, and tell the world that
they are not sick and never will be sick. His literature includes many testimonies in which doctors‖
prognoses are proved wrong. All of these aspects encourage followers to forego medical help and
rely on faith instead. To my knowledge, Hagin gives them no guidance on when to stop denying
symptoms and dash for the emergency room.
The Health and Wealth Gospel should be read by everyone who wants to understand the faith
movement. However, scholars should also study this movement from the perspective of other
