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The prosperity gospel offers a picture of an ideal life in the midst of neighborhoods wracked by poverty, gang violence, substandard education, and pervasive drug and alcohol abuse. Yet it rarely, if ever, changes the real-life picture in those neighborhoods.

What do you see ahead for Latino prosperity congregations?
Some traditionalists will always preach the "pure Hagin" or "pure Copeland" gospel, and they will remain on the margins. But others will become more moderate in their theology and will move into the mainstream of nondenominational charismatics.

Maranatha, for example, recently disavowed the worst excesses of its prosperity theology. Just look how Joel Osteen has handled his church. He has morphed his father's Assemblies of God background and later Word of Faith teaching with Robert Schuller's positive-thinking ideas to make himself a non-threatening charismatic celebrity.

Latino Pentecostalism in the U.S. is a bit different because of its constant immigrant stream. You will always have a first-generation group that tends to be more conservative, more traditionalist. But when you move to the English-speaking second and third generations, they will be ready for a change. Historically, they have tended to move away from the faith of their fathers and mothers, and the prosperity gospel will fare no differently.

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This article accompanied "Gospel Riches" which described the prosperity gospel in Africa.

The Pew Forum's section on Pentecostalism has the results of a 10-country survey of Pentecostalism.

Madison Trammel and Arlene Sanchez Walsh commented on the Pew Forum's research on Hispanics and religion.

Walsh wrote "Whither Pentecostal Scholarship" for Books & Culture.

Charisma 's article, "Another View of the Prosperity Gospel," focused on the pitfalls of giving to receive.

Mainstream media coverage of the prosperity gospel includes:

Does God want you to be rich? | A growing number of Protestant evangelists raise a joyful Yes! But the idea is poison to other, more mainstream pastors (Time)

Pastor Hinn in Nigerian money row | Whatever disappointment he felt on the first and second days of the miracle crusade, Hinn kept to himself - but he opened up with anger on the final day. (BBC News)

Black Baptists eschew 'prosperity preaching' | Thirty-five thousand Baptists are visiting Dallas this week. They represent the nation's largest African-American organization, the National Baptist Convention (WFAA, Dallas)

Pay the Lord! | The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God has no visible doctrine or moral message and is almost silent on the Bible, but it believes passionately in generous "sacrifices" to the sect by its followers (Mail & Guardian, South Africa)

Our special section on Pentecostalism has more articles on the prosperity gospel, including:

What Really Unites Pentecostals? | It's not speaking in tongues. It may be the prosperity gospel. (December 5, 2006)

Full Gospel's Fractured Thinking | The problems with shunning the life of the mind. (Mar. 30, 2006)

Grading the Movement | Three leaders talk frankly about Pentecostalism: the good, the bad, and the unpredictable.(Mar. 31, 2006)

Pentecostal Connections | Full Gospel's forbidden fruit. (April 1, 2006)

Other Christianity Today articles on the Global South include:

Global Ultimatum | The larger meaning of Anglican leaders' demand that the Episcopal Church change its ways. (March 16, 2007)

"Shall the Fundamentalists Win?" | An excerpt from Philip Jenkins' new book, The New Faces of Christianity: Believing the Bible in the Global South. (December 5, 2006)

God's Word in an Old Light | Philip Jenkins on how global South Christians read the Bible. (December 5, 2006)

Out of Africa | The leader of nearly 18 million Nigerian Anglicans challenges the West's theology and control. (July 2005)

It's a Small Church After All | Globalization is changing how Christians do ministry.(November 6, 1998)

Turning the World Upside Down | The coming of global Christianity. (March 1, 2002)

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July 2007, Vol. 51, No. 7