God, Greed, and the (Prosperity) Gospel. Costi W. Hinn. 2019. 224 pages. [Source: Library] [Christian nonfiction; theology; memoir]
First sentence: Just a short while ago, I had the chance to sit with one of my living heroes. Dr. Steven J. Lawson probably wouldn't like my choice of words because he doesn't view himself as heroic. But his advice rings in my ears every time I share the story of how I left the prosperity gospel. "Telling your testimony is fine," he explained. "Paul the apostle did it. Many others have told their testimonies too. It can be helpful. But don't be one of those people who make sin look so good that people want to go out and do it!" His voice elevated with passion. "And it needs to point to Christ and glorify God! Storytelling for the sake of storytelling doesn't do much good. The gospel must be the focus."
God, Greed, and the (Prosperity) Gospel is a fantastic read. The first half is mostly memoir. Costi Hinn sharing his testimony--his story. This involves sharing his family's background, their rise to fame, AND it also includes a history lesson on how the prosperity gospel came about and prospered so to speak. He shares his doubts and questions. He writes of how he and his wife came to leave that theology--that false teaching--behind. The second half is mainly theological. Both sections are fantastic. The second half goes above and beyond: it is practical, informative, thought-provoking. It seeks to explain, to expose, to teach.
Hinn's goal was for the book to "glorify God and communicate the gospel," and in my opinion he succeeded in this. He differentiates between the true gospel and the false gospel of the prosperity preachers. His zeal comes through, but it's zeal tempered with much love and compassion.
I would definitely recommend this one.
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