Gospels of Prosperity: Religion, Wealth, and the Good Life

Undergraduate / Graduate

This course examines the stories cultures tell about what it means to live a "good life"-a life of flourishing, abundance, meaning, and success. Beginning with the Prosperity Gospel in American Protestantism, we will expand to consider other "gospels" of prosperity including Marxism, Manifest Destiny, neoliberal self-help, Black liberation theology, and New Age capitalism. We will consider how these systems define prosperity, who deserves it, and how to get it-and how these narratives shape political, religious, economic, and racial imaginaries.