Deconstructing the Prosperity Gospel: An Original Critical Theology for Nigerian Christianity

The prosperity gospel is arguably the most influential theological movement in contemporary Nigerian Christianity, reshaping the spiritual lives of millions while generating intense scholarly criticism. Yet a comprehensive, contextually grounded critical theology of the prosperity gospel that is adequate for the Nigerian context, addressing both its theological errors and its socio-cultural appeal, remains to be developed. This study constructs an original critical theology of the prosperity gospel for Nigerian Christianity. A constructive-critical theological methodology integrates biblical theology, systematic theology, African social analysis, and empirical research across five stages: systematic analysis of prosperity theology's biblical hermeneutics, pneumatology, hamartiology, ecclesiology, and social ethics through documentary analysis of fifty major Nigerian prosperity theology texts; empirical investigation of prosperity theology's appeal and social effects through surveys of 600 Nigerian church members and interviews with 40 pastors; sociological analysis of how Nigerian social conditions create receptivity to prosperity frameworks; development of a biblical and systematic theological critique grounded in canonical exegesis, Reformation soteriology, and Nigerian contextual realism; and original constructive proposal of an alternative theology of flourishing that addresses legitimate Nigerian aspirations for wellbeing within the boundaries of orthodox biblical theology. Original contributions include a Nigerian Contextual Flourishing Theology that affirms God's desire for human wellbeing while rejecting the transactional and triumphalist elements of prosperity theology, and a Pastoral Transition Framework for churches moving from prosperity to biblically grounded stewardship theology. Expert validation by fifteen Nigerian theologians confirmed the framework's originality and contextual adequacy.

Keywords: prosperity gospel, critical theology, Nigeria, contextual theology, original contribution