Nigerian Prosperity Politics

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/13/gospel-glamour-how-nigerias-pastors-wield-political-power

It is sad and disheartening to read of the corruption and heresy that has overtaken much of the African Church. And thanks to American-style Dominionism they (through the efforts of Theonomists, Evangelicals and Charismatics) have learned about 'worldview' and the need to capture the culture.

As I've argued elsewhere the Charismatic Prosperity Gospel is but a tacky and unrestrained variant of Evangelical norms which have long worshipped wealth and power. This is one of the rotten fruits of the Magisterial Reformation which sunk deep roots in the political order, blessing the then nascent Capitalism and generating the equally dubious values of the Middle Class. The chasm between the Middle Class ethos of 'security and respectability' and that of 'prosperity' isn't nearly as wide as many a 'worldview' teacher would pretend.

As Western Culture has become decadent and drunk on its own power and status it's no surprise that the sell-outs and sycophants in the developing world become all the more inebriated with its tantalising enticements and given their cultural situations the potential for wealth and power are amplified. And hence we behold the obscenity of these prosperity politicians... apostles of Satan born from the slime that is Dominion Theology.

Thankfully Okotie received only a tiny percentage of the vote but this doesn't mean that he or those like him are going away. If anything these movements are on the rise and we're seeing them not just in Africa but in Latin America. I'm waiting for the Asian wave to reach maturity. It's only a matter of time.

The situation in Nigeria is exacerbated by the various conflicts which are on the one hand religious but on the other hand are about a struggle for resources. When one adds the new Great Game into the mix, and considers the struggle for Africa between China, the United States and various nations of Europe, there's a great deal of fog and confusion.

But it is this very fog that is being exploited by these Western connected Church leaders. Swimming in money and looking for allies, they are conduits for Western politicised 'ministries', sometimes working hand-in-glove with corporate and state interests.

It's a crime. It's a theological crime and heresy but it's also criminal in how it seeks to exploit these people. Do you think Western leaders are outraged and upset over Boko Haram? Think again. To them the murderous guerillas are a godsend. The militants provide the justification they need to 'intervene'.

And the false prophets on both sides of the Atlantic are cashing in.

Rejecting the way of the cross and the call to bear witness, they as antichrists seek the power and authority of Christ Himself and would rule over His Kingdom in the here and now. They labour to build this 'kingdom' but instead they build a new Babel crowned with a cross of gold.