Word of Faith is a movement within charismatic Christianity which teaches that Christians can get power and financial prosperity through prayer, and that those who believe in Jesus' death and resurrection have the right to physical health.
81-553: The movement was founded by the American Kenneth Hagin in the 1960s, and has its roots in the teachings of E. W. Kenyon . Word of Faith is rejected as unbiblical and heretical by almost all Christian scholars and theologians across nearly every denomination. N. T. Wright , an Anglican bishop and theologian, referred to it as “myth” and a “pact with the Devil.” The Baptist minister E.W. Kenyon (1867–1948)
162-409: A "positive confession" of God's promise and believing God's word stirs the power of resurrection which raised Christ from the dead ( Ephesians 1:19–20, 3:20), and brings that promise to fulfilment. This teaching is interpreted from Mark 11:22–23. A more recent variant of positive confession is "decree and declare". Word of Faith preachers have called faith a "force". Conversely, "negative confession"
243-432: A belief or conviction that is not based on religious or supernatural doctrines. Secular faith can arise from a wide range of sources and can take many forms, depending on the individual's beliefs and experiences, including: The epistemological study focuses on epistemic justification, the rationality of belief, and various related issues. A justified belief is a belief that is well-supported by evidence and reasons, and that
324-672: A big sin and strictly forbidden to Jews). Rather, in Judaism, one is to honor a (personal) idea of God, supported by the many principles quoted in the Talmud to define Judaism, mostly by what it is not. Thus there is no established formulation of Jewish principles of faith which are mandatory for all (observant) Jews . In the Jewish scriptures, trust in God – Emunah – refers to how God acts toward his people and how they are to respond to him; it
405-612: A camp meeting in 1973, Hagin announced the creation of a "bible training center." In 1974, Hagin opened RHEMA Bible Training College, in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, which now has training centers in fourteen different countries, planted over 1,500 congregations worldwide, and has 25,000 alumni . In 1979, he founded the Prayer and Healing Center to provide a place for the sick to come and "have the opportunity to build their faith." Its Healing School continues to be held free of charge twice
486-476: A classic understanding of faith that is referred to as evidentialism , and which is part of a larger epistemological tradition called classical foundationalism , which is accompanied by deontologism , which holds that humans must regulate their beliefs following evidentialist structures. They show how this can go too far, and Alvin Plantinga deals with it. While Plantinga upholds that faith may be
567-527: A day on the Rhema campus. On May 20, 1994, Hagin received an Honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree from Faith Theological Seminary in Tampa, Florida. Hagin went to bed on Saturday September 13 feeling well, according to a news release from his ministry. He sat at the breakfast table on Sunday morning and smiled at his wife, Oretha, then sighed and his head fell to his chest. He died on Friday, September 19, 2003, at
648-614: A degree of trust, primarily in the spiritual attainment of Gautama Buddha . Faith in Buddhism can still be described as faith in the Three Jewels (the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha). It is intended to lead to the goal of enlightenment, or bodhi , and Nirvana . Volitionally, faith implies a resolute and courageous act of will. It combines the steadfast resolution that one will do a thing with the self-confidence that one can do it. In
729-446: A dramatic conversion experience , he reported dying, due to the deformed heart, three times in 10 minutes, each time seeing the horrors of hell and then returning to life. He remained paralyzed after his conversion. On August 8, 1934, he says he was raised from his deathbed by a revelation of "faith in God's Word" after reading Mark 11:23–24. He was also healed of his paralysis and never struggled with walking. His dramatic healing
810-403: A greater understanding of God. Faith is not fideism or simple obedience to a set of rules or statements. Before Christians have faith, but they must also understand in whom and in what they have faith. Without understanding, there cannot be true faith, and that understanding is built on the foundation of the community of believers, the scriptures and traditions, and on the personal experiences of
891-413: A necessary means for being a practicing religious Jew, but the emphasis is placed on true knowledge , true prophecy , and practice rather than on faith itself. Very rarely does it relate to any teaching that must be believed. Judaism does not require one to explicitly identify God (a key tenet of Christian faith , which is called Avodah Zarah (foreign worship) in Judaism, a minor form of idol worship ,
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#1732790928243972-695: A personal god or a representational god by a devotee. In ancient texts such as the Shvetashvatara Upanishad , the term simply means participation, devotion, and love for any endeavor, while in the Bhagavad Gita , it connotes one of the possible paths of spirituality and towards moksha , as in bhakti marga . Ahimsa , also referred to as nonviolence , is a fundamental tenet of Hinduism that advocates harmonious and peaceful co-existence and evolutionary growth in grace and wisdom for all humankind unconditionally. In Hinduism, most of
1053-485: A society's religiosity into corruption, secularism, or atheism , —interpretable as the ultimate loss of faith. In contrast to Richard Dawkins ' view of faith as "blind trust, in the absence of evidence, even in the teeth of evidence", Alister McGrath quotes the Oxford Anglican theologian W. H. Griffith Thomas (1861–1924), who states that faith is "not blind, but intelligent" and that it "commences with
1134-459: A spiritual Ponzi scheme , making the people at the top of the food chain rich, preying on the desires, the material worldly desires, of the people who want all this stuff. Comes under the name the Word Faith movement, prosperity gospel, name-it-and-claim-it." Many Word of Faith teachers use phrases such as "little gods" to describe believers. Kenneth Hagin wrote that God had created humans "in
1215-522: A thesis, Kenyon Connection , to the faculty at Oral Roberts University, tracing the teaching back through Hagin to Kenyon and ultimately to New Thought , and calling the distinctive Word of Faith beliefs a heretical " Trojan Horse " in the Christian church. McConnell repeated this argument in his book, A Different Gospel , in 1988. One of McConnell's classmates, Dale H. Simmons, published his own doctoral research at Drew University , arguing that Kenyon
1296-466: A trusting commitment of person to person and thus involves Christian commitment to the divine person of Jesus Christ . In Methodism , faith plays an important role in justification , which occurs during the New Birth . The Emmanuel Association , a Methodist denomination in the conservative holiness movement , teaches: Living faith is the gift of God ( Ephesians 2:8 ; Romans 4:16 ) imparted to
1377-531: Is "an old verb meaning 'to furnish', used regularly by Demosthenes for bringing forward evidence." Tom Price (Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics) affirms that when the New Testament talks about faith positively it only uses words derived from the Greek root [ pistis ] which means "to be persuaded". British Christian apologist John Lennox argues that "faith conceived as a belief that lacks warrant
1458-546: Is a G‑d who hears his cries, yet it escapes him that this G‑d may be able to provide for him without requiring that he abrogate G‑d's will by stealing from others. For emunah to affect him in this way he needs study and contemplation. Faith is not a religious concept in Sikhism. However, the five Sikh symbols, known as Kakaars or Five Ks (in Punjabi known as pañj kakkē or pañj kakār ), are sometimes referred to as
1539-505: Is arrived at through a reliable and trustworthy process of inquiry. Faith is often regarded as a form of belief that may not necessarily rely on empirical evidence. However, when religious faith does make empirical claims, these claims need to undergo scientific testing to determine their validity. On the other hand, some beliefs may not make empirical claims and instead focus on non-empirical issues such as ethics, morality, and spiritual practices. In these cases, it may be necessary to evaluate
1620-555: Is believed to be harmful, and so it is taught that believers should be conscious of their words. This is argued on the interpretation of Proverbs 18 :21, "Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and they that love them will eat the fruit thereof", and also Numbers 14 :28, "...saith the Lord, as you have spoken in my ears, so will I do", among other scriptures. Many of the movement's essential beliefs are criticised by other Christians. Christian author Robert M. Bowman, Jr. states that
1701-545: Is confidence or trust in a person , thing, or concept. In the context of religion , faith is " belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion". According to the Merriam-Webster's Dictionary , faith has multiple definitions, including "something that is believed especially with strong conviction", "complete trust", "belief and trust in and loyalty to God", as well as "a firm belief in something for which there
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#17327909282431782-678: Is detailed in Roberts Liardon's book God's Generals . Mark 11:23–24 defined his ministry and was his most frequently quoted verse: For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. In 1936, he founded his first non-denominational church. He preached his first sermon as
1863-492: Is generally Satan 's attempt to rob believers of their divine right to total health. Word of Faith teaching holds that its believers have a divine right to prosper in all areas of life, including finances, health, marriage, and relationships. Prosperity is not desired for the hoarding of finances but to be an avenue God uses to fund missions for the spreading of the gospel and to help the needy. Word of Faith preachers such as Creflo Dollar and Kenneth Copeland claim that Jesus
1944-914: Is generally cited as the originator of Word of Faith's teachings. Kenyon's writings influenced Kenneth Hagin Sr., the recognized "father" of the Word of Faith movement. Hagin, who had founded a ministry known as the Kenneth E Hagin Evangelistic Association, started disseminating his views in the Word of Faith magazine in 1966, and subsequently founded a seminary training Word of Faith ministers. Distinctive Word of Faith teachings include physical, emotional, financial, relational, and spiritual healing for those who keep their covenant with God. The movement urges believers to speak what they desire, in agreement with
2025-572: Is included in Christ's atonement and therefore is available immediately to all who believe. Frequently cited is Isaiah 53 :5, ("by his stripes we are healed"), and Matthew 8 :17, which says Jesus healed the sick so that "it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the Prophet, 'Himself took our infirmities, and bore our sicknesses'." Because Isaiah speaks in the present tense ("we are healed"), Word of Faith teaches that believers should accept
2106-679: Is located on 110 acres (0.45 km ) in Broken Arrow , a suburb of Tulsa , Oklahoma . The curriculum is derived from a Charismatic / Pentecostal heritage. There are seven ministry concentrations specializing in Children's Ministry , Youth Ministry , Evangelism , Pastoral Care , Missions , Biblical Studies , and Supportive Ministry . Rhema has established training centers in Austria, Brazil, Colombia, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Romania, Greece, Singapore, South Africa,
2187-487: Is meant, first, as conscious knowledge, second, as the practice of good deeds, and ultimately as the acceptance of the divine authority of the Manifestations of God . In the religion's view, faith and knowledge are both required for spiritual growth. Faith involves more than outward obedience to this authority, but also must be based on a deep personal understanding of religious teachings. Secular faith refers to
2268-520: Is no proof". Religious people often think of faith as confidence based on a perceived degree of warrant , or evidence , while others who are more skeptical of religion tend to think of faith as simply belief without evidence . In the Roman world, 'faith' (Latin: fides ) was understood without particular association with gods or beliefs. Instead, it was understood as a paradoxical set of reciprocal ideas: voluntary will and voluntary restraint in
2349-449: Is only justified if there is evidence to back it up." "Evidence-based faith is the normal concept on which we base our everyday lives." Peter S. Williams holds that "the classic Christian tradition has always valued rationality and does not hold that faith involves the complete abandonment of reason while believing in the teeth of evidence". Quoting Moreland , faith is defined as "a trust in and commitment to what we have reason to believe
2430-656: Is rooted in the everlasting covenant established in the Torah , notably Deuteronomy 7:9: Know therefore that the LORD thy God, He is God; the faithful God, who keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations; The specific tenets that compose required belief and their application to the times have been disputed throughout Jewish history. Today many, but not all, Orthodox Jews have accepted Maimonides 's Thirteen Principles of Belief . A traditional example of Emunah as seen in
2511-479: Is true". Regarding doubting Thomas in John 20:24–31 , Williams points out that "Thomas wasn't asked to believe without evidence". He was asked to believe based on the other disciples' testimony. Thomas initially lacked the first-hand experience of the evidence that had convinced them... Moreover, the reason John gives for recounting these events is that what he saw is evidence... Jesus did many other miraculous signs in
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2592-492: Is true. In this view, a person believes something when they are presented with adequate evidence that it is true. The 13th-century theologian Saint Thomas Aquinas did not hold that faith is mere opinion: on the contrary, he held that it represents a mean (understood in the Aristotelian sense) between excessive reliance on science (i.e. demonstration) and excessive reliance on opinion. According to Teresa Morgan , faith
2673-442: Is very different from faith conceived as a belief that has warrant". He states that "the use of the adjective 'blind' to describe 'faith' indicates that faith is not necessarily, or always, or indeed normally, blind". "The validity, or warrant, of faith or belief depends on the strength of the evidence on which the belief is based." "We all know how to distinguish between blind faith and evidence-based faith. We are well aware that faith
2754-706: The Amitabha Buddha in Pure Land Buddhism . In the Japanese form of Pure Land Buddhism, under the teachers Hōnen and Shinran , only entrusting faith toward the Amitabha Buddha was believed to be a fruitful form of practice, as the practice of celibacy, morality, and other Buddhist disciplines were dismissed as no longer effective in this day and age, or as contradicting the virtue of faith. {{ Harvey2013 }} Faith
2835-504: The Five articles of Faith . The articles include kēs (uncut hair), kaṅghā (small wooden comb), kaṛā (circular steel or iron bracelet), kirpān (sword/dagger), and kacchera (special undergarment). Baptised Sikhs are bound to wear those five articles of faith, at all times, to save them from bad company and keep them close to God. In the Baháʼí Faith , faith
2916-565: The Proto-Indo-European (PIE) root * bheidh- , signifying concepts of trust , confidence , and persuasion . This root has given rise to various terms across different languages, such as Greek πίστις ( pístis ), meaning "faith", and Latin fidēs , meaning "trust", "faith", "confidence". Furthermore, the Proto-Indo-European root * were-o- adds another layer to the word's etymology, emphasizing
2997-535: The South Pacific , Thailand, Nigeria, Zambia, Egypt, and the Philippines. After Hagin's death in 2003, his son, Kenneth W. Hagin, continued to run the institution. Rhema has trained over 80,000 graduates who reside and minister in 52 countries. Locally, Rhema is known for its annual Christmas display, which in recent years has included more than 2 million lights synchronized to Christmas music. Rhema
3078-463: The believer . Christians may recognize different degrees of faith when they encourage each other to, and themselves strive to, develop, grow, and/or deepen their faith. This may imply that one can measure faith. Willingness to undergo martyrdom indicates a proxy for depth of faith but does not provide an everyday measurement for the average contemporary Christian. Within the Calvinist tradition
3159-590: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints states that "faith in the Lord Jesus Christ" is the first principle of the gospel. Some alternative, yet impactful, ideas regarding the nature of faith were presented by church founder Joseph Smith in a collection of sermons, which are now published as the Lectures on Faith . Faith in Buddhism ( saddhā , śraddhā ) refers to a serene commitment to
3240-617: The Hadith of Gabriel, Iman in addition to Islam and Ihsan form the three dimensions of the Islamic religion. Muhammad referred to the six axioms of faith in the Hadith of Gabriel : " Iman is that you believe in God and His Angels and His Books and His Messengers and the Hereafter and the good and evil fate [ordained by your God]." The first five are mentioned together in
3321-610: The Holy Spirit. The result of the work of the Holy Spirit is faith." The four-part Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) gives Part One to "The Profession of Faith". This section describes the content of faith. It elaborates and expands, particularly upon the Apostles' Creed . CCC 144 initiates a section on the "Obedience of Faith". In the theology of Pope John Paul II , faith is understood in personal terms as
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3402-519: The Jewish annals is found in the person of Abraham . On several occasions, Abraham both accepts statements from God that seem impossible and offers obedient actions in response to direction from God to do things that seem implausible. The Talmud describes how a thief also believes in G‑d: On the brink of his forced entry, as he is about to risk his life—and the life of his victim—he cries out with all sincerity, "G‑d help me!" The thief has faith that there
3483-466: The New Testament, the Greek word πίστις ( pístis ), can also be translated as "belief", "faithfulness", or "trust". Faith can also be translated from the Greek verb πιστεύω ( pisteuo ), meaning "to trust, to have confidence, faithfulness, to be reliable, to assure". Christianity encompasses various views regarding the nature of faith. Some see faith as being persuaded or convinced that something
3564-573: The Qur'an. The Quran states that faith can grow with remembrance of God. The Qur'an also states that nothing in this world should be dearer to a true believer than faith. Judaism recognizes the positive value of Emunah (generally translated as "faith", or "trust in God") and the negative status of the Apikorus (heretic), but faith is not as stressed or as central as it is in some other religions, especially Christianity or Islam . Faith could be
3645-720: The Spirit . He concedes some New Thought influence in Kenyon's teaching, but argues that Kenyon's views helped the church rediscover some biblical truths. Arguing similarly but in an opposite direction is Robert M. Bowman, Jr. , formerly of the Christian Research Institute. His book The Word-Faith Controversy is more sympathetic to Kenyon's historical background yet more critical of his doctrine than DeArteaga's work. Evangelist Justin Peters, an outspoken critic of
3726-510: The Vedic prayers begins with the chants of Om. Om is the Sanskrit symbol that amazingly resonates the peacefulness ensconced within one's higher self. Om is considered to have a profound effect on the body and mind of the one who chants and also creates a calmness, serenity, healing, strength of its own to prevail within and also in the surrounding environment. In Islam, a believer's faith in
3807-617: The West but is understood and defined differently than in traditional interpretations. Within the Dalit Buddhist Movement communities, taking refuge is defined not only as a religious, but also a political choice. Bhakti ( Sanskrit : भक्ति ) literally means "attachment, participation, fondness for, homage, faith, love, devotion, worship, purity". It was originally used in Hinduism , referring to devotion and love for
3888-473: The Word of Faith movement with heresy and accused many of its churches of being " cults ." He accused the Word of Faith teachers of "demoting" God and Jesus, and "deifying" man and Satan . Hanegraaff has focused a significant portion of his anti-heresy teaching since the 1990s on addressing and refuting Word of Faith teachings. Other critics, such as Norman Geisler , Dave Hunt and Roger Oakland, have denounced Word of Faith theology as aberrant and contrary to
3969-609: The Word of Faith movement, wrote his Master of Divinity thesis on Benny Hinn and has appeared frequently as an expert on Word of Faith pastors in documentaries and TV news stories. In his seminar "Clouds Without Water", he traces the movement's origins to the Phineas Quimby 's New Thought and E.W. Kenyon 's Positive Confession in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In contrast, Pastor Joe McIntyre, now head of Kenyon's Gospel Publishing Society in Washington , argues that
4050-463: The age of 86. Kenneth E. Hagin, in his book The Woman Question , accepts and approves the ordination of women as pastors and preachers in the Church. He and his son, Kenneth Hagin jr. were wrapped up in controversy over their stances on interracial couples. Hagin founded Rhema Bible Training College, previously Rhema Bible Training Center, in 1974. The college is accredited by Transworld Accrediting Commission International, This Bible institute
4131-478: The approach taken to faith, all Christians agree that the Christian faith (in the sense of Christian practice) is aligned with the ideals and the example of the life of Jesus . The Christian contemplates the mystery of God and his grace and seeks to know and become obedient to God. To a Christian, the faith is not static, but causes one to learn more of God and to grow in faith; Christian faith has its origin in God. In Christianity, faith causes change as it seeks
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#17327909282434212-452: The community of spiritually developed followers, or the monastic community seeking enlightenment (the Sangha ). Although offerings to the monastic community were valued highest, early Buddhism did not morally condemn peaceful offerings to deities . A faithful devotee was called upāsaka or upāsika , for which no formal declaration was required. In early Buddhism, personal verification
4293-472: The conviction of the mind based on adequate evidence...", which McGrath sees as "a good and reliable definition, synthesizing the core elements of the characteristic Christian understanding of faith". American biblical scholar Archibald Thomas Robertson (1863–1934) stated that the Greek word pistis used for "faith" in the New Testament (over two hundred forty times), and rendered "assurance" in Acts 17:31 ,
4374-495: The degree of prosperity may serve as an analog of the level of faith. Other Christian strands may rely on personal self-evaluation to measure the intensity of an individual's faith, with associated difficulties in calibrating to any scale. Solemn affirmations of a creed (a statement of faith) provide broad measurements of details. Various tribunals of the Inquisition , however, concerned themselves with precisely evaluating
4455-646: The first time on radio on KSKY in Dallas . The North Texas District Council of the Assemblies of God ordained him a minister in 1967. In 1967, he began a regular radio broadcast that still continues as "Faith Seminar of the Air." Teaching by his son, Rev. Kenneth Hagin Jr, is heard on the program. Since Hagin's incorporation 1963, his organization grew to include numerous media outreaches and ministries. These are: At
4536-457: The fulfillment of their words. While similar, it should not be confused with Norman Vincent Peale 's positive thinking theology focusing on the individual, as evidenced by the motto, "Faith in God and believe in oneself". Noted Word of Faith teachers, such as Kenneth E. Hagin and Charles Capps , have argued that God created the universe by speaking it into existence ( Genesis 1 ), and that God has endowed believers with this power. Thus, making
4617-650: The later stratum of Buddhist history, especially Mahāyāna Buddhism , faith was given a much more important role. The concept of the Buddha Nature was developed, as devotion to Buddhas and bodhisattvas residing in Pure Lands became commonplace. With the arising of the cult of the Lotus Sūtra , faith gained a central role in Buddhist practice, which was further amplified with the development of devotion to
4698-463: The metaphysical aspects of Islam is called Iman ( Arabic : الإيمان ), which is complete submission to the will of God, not unquestioning or blind belief. A man must build his faith on well-grounded convictions beyond any reasonable doubt and above uncertainty. According to the Quran, Iman must be accompanied by righteous deeds and the two together are necessary for entry into Paradise . In
4779-916: The notions of truth and trustworthiness. This root is evident in English words like veracity , verity , and verify , as well as in Latin with verus , meaning "true". The term faith in English emerged in the mid-13th century, evolving from Anglo-French and Old French forms like feid and feit , ultimately tracing back to the Latin fidēs . This Latin term, rooted in the PIE root * bheidh- , encompassed meanings such as trust , confidence , and belief . Referring to "religions" (plural), Pope Francis claims that "the majority of people living on our planet profess to be believers". The word translated as "faith" in English-language editions of
4860-512: The obedient heart through the Word of God ( Romans 10:17 ), and the ministry of the Holy Ghost ( Ephesians 2:18 ). This faith becomes effective as it is exercised by man with the aid of the Spirit, which aid is always assured when the heart has met the divine condition ( Hebrews 5:9 ). Living faith is to be distinguished from intellectual confidence which may be in the possession of any unawakened soul ( Romans 10:1–4 ). The Articles of Faith of
4941-409: The orthodoxy of the faith of those it examined – to acquit or to punish in varying degrees. The classification of different degrees of faith allows that faith and its expression may wax and wane in fervor—during the lifetime of a faithful individual and/or over the various historical centuries of a society with an embedded religious system. Thus, one can speak of an "Age of Faith" or of the "decay" of
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#17327909282435022-604: The pastor of a small, community Baptist church in Roland, Texas. In 1937, he became an Assemblies of God minister. During the next twelve years he pastored five Assemblies of God churches in Texas: in the cities of Tom Bean , Farmersville (twice), Talco , Greggton , and Van . Van, Texas was the last church he pastored before starting to travel. On November 25, 1938, he married Oretha Rooker. They had two children. Their first child Kenneth Wayne Hagin, known as Kenneth Hagin Jr.,
5103-570: The practice of the Buddha's teaching and trust in enlightened or highly developed beings, such as Buddhas or bodhisattvas (those aiming to become a Buddha). Buddhists usually recognize multiple objects of faith, but many are especially devoted to one particular object of faith, such as one particular Buddha. In early Buddhism , faith was focused on the Three Jewels or Refuges, namely, Gautama Buddha , his teaching (the Dhamma ), and
5184-448: The presence of his disciples... But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that believing ye might have life in his name. John 20:30–31 ." Concerning doubting Thomas, Michael R. Allen wrote: "Thomas's definition of faith implies adherence to conceptual propositions for the sake of personal knowledge, knowledge of and about a person qua person". Kenneth Boa and Robert M. Bowman Jr. describe
5265-427: The primary influences of Kenyon were A.B. Simpson and A.J. Gordon of the Faith Cure branch of the Evangelical movement. McIntyre's version is told in the authorized biography, E.W. Kenyon : The True Story . The same year, Pentecostal scholar Gordon Fee wrote a series of articles denouncing what he called The Disease of the Health-and-Wealth Gospel . In 1993, Hank Hanegraaff 's Christianity in Crisis charged
5346-419: The promises and provisions of the Bible, as an affirmation of God's plans and purposes. They believe this is what Jesus meant when he said in Mark 11 :22–24 that believers shall have whatsoever they say and pray with faith. The term word of faith itself is derived from Romans 10 :8 which speaks of "the word of faith that we preach". The Word of Faith teaches that complete healing (of spirit, soul, and body)
5427-438: The reality of a healing that is already theirs, first by understanding that physical healing is part of the New Testament's promise of salvation. It is reinforced by confessing the Bible verses which assert this healing and believing them while rejecting doubt. This does not deny pain, sickness, or disease, but denies its right to supersede the gift of salvation in Isaiah 53:5 and many other passages. According to adherents, sickness
5508-424: The result of evidence testifying to the reliability of the source (of the truth claims), yet he sees having faith as being the result of hearing the truth of the gospel with the internal persuasion by the Holy Spirit moving and enabling him to believe. "Christian belief is produced in the believer by the internal instigation of the Holy Spirit, endorsing the teachings of Scripture, which is itself divinely inspired by
5589-461: The same class of being that he is himself," and reasoned that if humans are made in God's image, they are "in God's class", and thereby 'gods'. Many Evangelical critics have condemned the "little gods" teaching as cultic. Hank Hanegraaff , for example, contends the 'little gods' doctrine is on a par with the teachings of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and Jim Jones . Kenneth Hagin Kenneth Erwin Hagin (August 20, 1917 – September 19, 2003)
5670-570: The sense of father over family or host over guest, whereby one party willfully surrenders to a party who could harm but chooses not to, thereby entrusting or confiding in them. According to Thomas Aquinas , faith is "an act of the intellect assenting to the truth at the command of the will". Religion has a long tradition, since the ancient world, of analyzing divine questions using common human experiences such as sensation, reason, science, and history that do not rely on revelation—called Natural theology . The English word faith finds its roots in
5751-450: The teachings of the Bible. John Macarthur of Grace Community Church accused Benny Hinn , Marilyn Hickey , Joyce Meyer , Kenneth Copeland , Kenneth Hagin , Robert Tilton , Oral Roberts , Paul Crouch and others of preying on the "weak and the desperate" through the "blasphemous lie" of the Word Faith Movement. He said, "You have been exposed to this lie, this deception, this pagan pantheistic perspective that has been turned into
5832-560: The word of faith movement is "neither soundly orthodox nor thoroughly heretical ". One of the earliest critics of Word of Faith teaching was Oral Roberts University professor Charles Farah , who published From the Pinnacle of the Temple in 1979. In the book, Farah expressed his disillusionment with the teachings, which he argued were more about presumption than faith. In 1982, one of Farah's students, Daniel Ray McConnell, submitted
5913-563: Was an American preacher . He is known for pioneering the Word of Faith movement, following in the footsteps of E. W. Kenyon . Kenneth E. Hagin was born August 20, 1917, in McKinney, Texas , the son of Lillie Viola Drake Hagin and Jess Hagin. According to Hagin's testimony, he was born with a deformed heart and what was believed to be an incurable blood disease . He was not expected to live and at age 15 he became paralyzed and bedridden. In April 1933 he converted to Christianity. During
5994-598: Was born on September 3, 1939. A daughter, Patricia (Hagin) Harrison, was born 19 months later on March 27, 1941. His son Kenneth Wayne Hagin is currently the pastor of Rhema Bible Church and President of Kenneth Hagin Ministries. Hagin began an itinerant ministry as a Bible teacher and evangelist in 1949 after an appearance by Jesus. He joined the Voice of Healing Revival in the U.S. with Oral Roberts , Gordon Lindsay and T. L. Osborn between 1947 and 1958. Hagin
6075-400: Was defined as a state similar to enlightenment, with a sense of self-negation and humility. Thus, the role of faith increased throughout Buddhist history. However, from the nineteenth century onward, Buddhist modernism in countries like Sri Lanka and Japan, and also in the West, has downplayed and criticized the role of faith in Buddhism. Faith in Buddhism still has a role in modern Asia and
6156-743: Was given full admission to the Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship International (also known as the FGBMFI) which had been established in 1951. On January 23, 1963, he formed the Kenneth E. Hagin Evangelistic Association (now Kenneth Hagin Ministries) in Garland, Texas. In September 1966, the ministry offices were moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma into a space previously used by T.L. Osborn. He started selling his sermons on reel-to-reel tape in 1966. In November of that year, he taught for
6237-463: Was granted an exception to Title IX in 2016, Its 2020-2021 student handbook states that among students, "RBTC will not allow any type of physical or sexual activity/behavior other than what the Bible states is permitted for a husband and wife who are legally married. This includes, but is not limited to, homosexual activities, fornication, adultery, pornography, and so forth ...." Faith Faith
6318-523: Was influenced by heterodox metaphysical movements and the Faith Cure movement of the nineteenth century. In 1990, The Agony of Deceit surveyed the critiques of Word of Faith doctrines. One of the authors, Christian Research Institute founder Walter Martin , issued his personal judgment that Kenneth Copeland was a false prophet and that the movement as a whole was heretical. Milder criticisms were made by William DeArteaga in his book Quenching
6399-475: Was rich, and teach that modern believers are entitled to financial wealth. In Word of Faith teaching, a central element of receiving from God is "confession", often called "positive confession" or "faith confession" by practitioners. Practitioners will claim and affirm they have healing, well being, prosperity, or other promises from God, before actually experiencing such results. They do so in demonstration of their faith, which they believe will ultimately result in
6480-486: Was understood by early Christians within the cultural milieu of the period as a relationship that created a community based on trust, instead of a set of mental beliefs or feelings of the heart. Numerous commentators discuss the results of faith. Some believe that true faith results in good works, while others believe that while faith in Jesus brings eternal life, it does not necessarily result in good works. Regardless of
6561-412: Was valued highest in attaining the truth, and sacred scriptures, reason, or faith in a teacher were considered less valuable sources of authority. As important as faith was, it was a mere initial step to the path to wisdom and enlightenment , and was obsolete or redefined at the final stage of that path. While faith in Buddhism does not imply "blind faith", Buddhist practice nevertheless requires
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