Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-fscjk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-24T17:41:26.820Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Prosperity Gospel of Coronavirus Response

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 September 2020

Paul A. Djupe Open the ORCID record for Paul A. Djupe [Opens in a new window]  and
Ryan P. Burge Open the ORCID record for Ryan P. Burge [Opens in a new window]
Paul A. Djupe*
Affiliation:
Denison University
Ryan P. Burge
Affiliation:
Eastern Illinois University
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Paul A. Djupe, Political Science, Denison University, 100 W. College St., Granville, OH43023. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The sweep of the coronavirus pandemic across the world and the United States offers an almost unparalleled opportunity to study how social systems cope with the threat and opportunities for collective action. In this paper, we draw on survey data collected as the United States flailed in response and before a general consensus among executive officeholders developed in the following weeks. In particular, we assess how holding prosperity gospel views strongly shaped perceptions of the virus and reactions to state responses to the virus. Research on the prosperity gospel is slowly expanding and this paper helps to highlight some missing dimensions. At a time when concerted action for the social good could be uniting the country, prosperity gospel beliefs systematically undermine that possibility by augmenting threat, raising outgroup barriers, and decreasing social trust.

Type
Article
Information
Politics and Religion , Volume 14 , Issue 3 , September 2021 , pp. 552 - 573
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Religion and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Barker, David C., and Bearce, David H.. 2012. “End-Times Theology, the Shadow of the Future, and Public Resistance to Addressing Global Climate Change.” Political Research Quarterly 66 (2): 267–279.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beck, Sedefka V., and Gundersen, Sara J.. 2016. “A Gospel of Prosperity? An Analysis of the Relationship Between Religion and Earned Income in Ghana, the Most Religious Country in the World.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 55 (1): 105–129.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ben-Nun Bloom, Pazit, and Arikan, Gizem. 2013. “Priming Religious Belief and Religious Social Behavior Affects Support for Democracy.” International Journal of Public Opinion Research 25 (3): 368–382.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bowler, Kate. 2018. Blessed: A History of the American Prosperity Gospel. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Brouwer, Steve, Gifford, Paul, and Rose, Susan D.. 1996. Exporting the American Gospel: Global Christian Fundamentalism. New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Burge, Ryan. 2017. “Do Americans Believe in the Prosperity Gospel? Here's What the Data Says.” Religion in Public. https://religioninpublic.blog/2017/11/21/do-americans-believe-in-the-prosperity-gospel-heres-what-the-data-says/ (Accessed May 25, 2020.Google Scholar
Burge, Ryan P., and Djupe, Paul A.. 2019. “What is a Black Protestant? Why Are They Their Own Category?” https://religioninpublic.blog/2019/06/24/what-is-a-black-protestant-why-are-they-their-own-category/ (Accessed May 25, 2020).Google Scholar
Burke, Daniel. 2020. “Police Arrest Florida Pastor for Holding Church Services Despite Stay-at-Home Order.” CNN. March 30. https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/30/us/florida-pastor-arrested-river-church/index.html.Google Scholar
CNN. 2020. “Despite Warnings, Churchgoers Explain Why They're Still Going to Services.” https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2020/04/04/ohio-church-service-covid-19-pandemic-tuchman-pkg-ac360-vpx.cnn.Google Scholar
Coyne, Marley. 2020. “In Idaho, Lawmakers Flout Stay-At-Home Requirements—And Encourage Others To Follow Suit.” https://www.forbes.com/sites/marleycoyne/2020/04/07/in-idaho-lawmakers-flout-stay-at-home-requirements--and-encourage-others-to-follow-suit/#6daa4be120cc.Google Scholar
Dale, Daniel. 2020. “Fact Check: Trump Tries to Erase the Memory of Him Downplaying the Coronavirus.” March 17. https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/17/politics/fact-check-trump-always-knew-pandemic-coronavirus/index.html.Google Scholar
Djupe, P.A., Neiheisel, J.R., and Sokhey, A.E. 2018. “Reconsidering the Role of Politics in Leaving Religion – The Importance of Affiliation.” American Journal of Political Science 62(1):161–175.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dougherty, K. D., Neubert, M. J., and Park, J. Z. 2019. “Prosperity Beliefs and Value Orientations: Fueling or Suppressing Entrepreneurial Activity.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 58: 475–493.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eckberg, D., and Blocker, T. J.. 1989. “Varieties of Religious Involvement and Environmental Concerns: Testing the Lynn White Thesis.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 28 (4): 509–517.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Enns, P. K., Kellstedt, P. M., and McAvoy, G. E. 2012. “The Consequences of Partisanship in Economic Perceptions.” Public Opinion Quarterly 76 (2): 287–310.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Froese, Paul, and Bader, Christopher. 2010. America's Four Gods: What We Say About God and What That Says About Us. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
George, C. V. 2019. God's Salesman: Norman Vincent Peale and the Power of Positive Thinking. New York: Oxford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guth, James L., Green, John C., Kellstedt, Lyman A., and Smidt, Corwin E.. 1995. “Faith and the Environment: Religious Beliefs and Attitudes on Environmental Policy.” American Journal of Political Science 39 (2): 364–382.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guth, James L., Kellstedt, Lyman A., Smidt, Corwin E., and Green, John C.. 1993. “Theological Perspectives and Environmentalism among Religious Activists.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 32 (4): 373–382.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harris-Lacewell, Melissa V. 2007. “From Liberation to Mutual Fund: Political Consequences of Differing Conceptions of Christ in the African American Church.” In From Pews to Polling Places: Faith and Politics in the American Religious Mosaic, ed. Wilson, J. Matthew. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 131–160.Google Scholar
Harvey, Josephine. 2020. “Rush Limbaugh Claims Health Experts Are Hillary Clinton Allies Trying To Hurt Trump.” April 7. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/rush-limbaugh-fauci-trump-coronavirus-conspiracy_n_5e8cfc45c5b6e1a2e0fb746e.Google Scholar
Hout, M, and C, Fischer 2002. “No Religious Preference: Politics and Generations.” American Sociological Review 67(2):165–190.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jelen, Ted G., and Wilcox, Clyde. 1990. “Denominational Preference and the Structure of Political Tolerance.” Sociological Analysis 51 (1): 69–80.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jelen, Ted G., and Wilcox, Clyde. 1991. “Religious Dogmatism Among White Christians: Causes and Effects.” Review of Religious Research 33 (1): 32–46.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jenkins, J. 2009. "See which states have religious exemptions in their stay-at-home orders." https://religionnews.com/2020/04/09/see-which-states-have-religious-exemptions-in-their-stay-at-home-orders/ April 9.Google Scholar
Johnson, Christine. 2014. “FaithWords Celebrates 10 Years of ‘Your Best Life Now.’” Christian Retailing. https://www.christianretailing.com/index.php/newsletter/latest/27354-faithwords-celebrates-10-years-of-your-best-life-now.Google Scholar
Johnson, K. A., Li, Y. J., Cohen, A. B., and Okun, M. A. 2013. “Friends in High Places: The Influence of Authoritarian and Benevolent god-Concepts on Social Attitudes and Behaviors.” Psychology of Religion and Spirituality 5 (1): 15–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kaleem, Jaweed. 2020. “Megachurch pastors defy coronavirus pandemic, insisting on right to worship.” Los Angeles Times. March 31. https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-03-31/coronavirus-megachurches-meeting-pastors.Google Scholar
Kellstedt, Lyman A., and Smidt, Corwin E.. 1993. “Doctrinal Beliefs and Political Behavior: Views of the Bible.” In Rediscovering the Religious Factor in American Politics, eds. Leege, David C. and Kellstedt, Lyman A.. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, pp. 177–198.Google Scholar
Koch, Bradley A. 2009. “The Prosperity Gospel and Economic Prosperity: Race, Class, Giving, and Voting.” Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Department of Sociology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN.Google Scholar
Margolis, M. 2018. From Politics to the Pews: How Partisanship and the Political Environment Shape Religious Identity. University of Chicago Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marsh, Christopher, and Tonoyan, Artyom. 2009. “The Civic, Economic, and Political Consequences of Pentecostalism in Russia and Ukraine.” Society 46 (6): 510–516.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mazzei, Patricia. 2020. “Florida Pastor Arrested After Defying Virus Orders.” March 30. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/30/us/coronavirus-pastor-arrested-tampa-florida.html.Google Scholar
McClendon, Gwyneth H., and Riedl, Rachel Beatty. 2019. From Pews to Politics: Religious Sermons and Political Participation in Africa. New York: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McDaniel, Eric L. 2016. “What Kind of Christian Are You? Religious Ideologies and Political Attitudes.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 55 (2): 288–307.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mencken, F. C., Bader, C., and Embry, E. 2009. “In God We Trust: Images of God and Trust in the United States among the Highly Religious.” Sociological Perspectives 52 (1): 23–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Osteen, Joel. 2018. Next Level Thinking: 10 Powerful Thoughts for a Successful and Abundant Life. New York: Faithwords.Google Scholar
Palmer, Ewan. 2020. “Virginia Pastor Dies from Coronavirus After Previously Saying ‘Media is Pumping Out Fear’ About Pandemic.” March 27. https://www.newsweek.com/virginia-pastor-dies-coronavirus-after-previously-saying-media-pumping-out-fear-about-pandemic-1494702.Google Scholar
Reno, R. R. 2020. “Keep the Churches Open.” First Things. https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2020/03/keep-the-churches-open.Google Scholar
Reuters. 2020. “The Americans Defying Palm Sunday Quarantines: ‘Satan's Trying to Keep Us Apart’.” https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/04/04/us/04reuters-health-coronavirus-usa-palmsunday.html.Google Scholar
Rocha, Abby. 2020. “Central Church Hosts More than 1,800 People Amid Covid-19 Outbreak.” March 22. https://www.brproud.com/health/coronavirus/central-church-hosts-1800-people-amid-covid-19-outbreak/.Google Scholar
Rosin, Hanna. 2009. “Did Christianity Cause the Crash?” Atlantic. December 2009. http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2009/12/did-christianity-cause-the-crash/307764/.Google Scholar
Schieman, Scott, and Jung, Jong Hyun. 2012. “’Practical Divine Influence’: Socioeconomic status and Belief in the Prosperity Gospel.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 51 (4): 738–756.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Seipel, Brooke. 2020. “Louisiana Church Expecting 2,000 at Easter Service Despite Coronavirus: ‘Satan and a Virus Will Not Stop Us’.” The Hill. April 10. https://thehill.com/homenews/news/492277-louisiana-church-expecting-2000-at-easter-service-despite-coronavirus-satan-and.Google Scholar
Shelton, Jason E., and Cobb, Ryon J.. 2018. “Black Reltrad: Measuring Religious Diversity and Commonality Among African Americans.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 56 (4): 737–764.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shelton, Jason E., and Emerson, Michael O.. 2012. Blacks and Whites in Christian America: How Racial Discrimination Shapes Religious Convictions. New York: New York University Press.Google Scholar
Shepperd, James A., Pogge, Gabrielle, Lipsey, Nikolette P., Miller, Wendi A., and Webster, Gregory D.. 2019. “Belief in a Loving Versus Punitive God and Behavior.” Journal of Research on Adolescence (Special Section: Processes of Religious and Spiritual Influence in Adolescence) 29 (2): 390–401.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sherkat, Darren E., de Vries, Kylan Mattias, and Creek, Stacia. 2010. “Race, Religion, and Opposition to Same-Sex Marriage.” Social Science Quarterly 91 (1): 80–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sherkat, Darren E., and Ellison, Christopher G.. 2007. “Structuring the Religion-Environment Connection: Identifying Religious Influences on Environmental Concern and Activism.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 46 (1): 71–85.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shin, Youjin, Berkowitz, Bonnie, and Kim, Min Joo. 2020. “How a South Korean Church Helped Fuel the Spread of the Coronavirus.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/world/coronavirus-south-korea-church/.Google Scholar
Thomson, Robert A. Jr., and Froese, Paul. 2016. “God Versus Party: Competing Effects on Attitudes Concerning Criminal Punishment, National Security, and Military Service.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 55 (4): 839–858.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Woodberry, Robert D. 2006. “The Economic Consequences of Pentecostal Belief.” Society 44 (1): 29–35.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zaveri, Mihir, and Diaz, Johnny. 2020. “Paula White Says Video About ‘Satanic Pregnancies’ Was Taken Out of Context.” New York Times. January 27. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/27/us/politics/paula-white-miscarriage-video.html.Google Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Djupe and Burge Supplementary Materials

Djupe and Burge Supplementary Materials

Download Djupe and Burge Supplementary Materials(File)
File 344.9 KB