The word-faith prosperity gospel is not really the Gospel at all. Much of the heretical theology and practice within the word-faith movement comes from much older and long-standing occult beliefs and practice. This week and next on Apologetics Profile, we'll be featuring president of Watchman Fellowship James K. Walker's conversation with Dr. Richard Howe about the occult influences in the doctrines of highly popular word-faith teachers such as Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn and Joyce Meyer.

Dr. Richard G. Howe is a writer as well as a public speaker and debater in churches, conferences, and university campuses on issues concerning Christian apologetics and philosophy. He is Norman L. Geisler Chair of Christian Apologetics at Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina where he also serves as Professor of Philosophy and Apologetics and as the Provost. Dr. Howe is Past President of the International Society of Christian Apologetics.

Related Links: Here are some of our related 4-page Profiles on the Word Faith Movement, popular Prosperity Gospel preachers, the occult and New Age / Mind Science religions:

• Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Word Faith Movement by Dr. Robert M. Bowman: www.watchman.org/WordFaith
• Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Benny Hinn by Justin Peters: www.watchman.org/Hinn
• Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Joel Osteen by Dr. Robert M. Bowman: www.watchman.org/Osteen
• Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Joyce Meyer by Tim Martin: www.watchman.org/Meyer
• Watchman Fellowship Profile on The Occult by James Walker: www.watchman.org/TheOccult
• Watchman Fellowship Profile on The Secret by James Walker: www.watchman.org/TheSecret
• Watchman Fellowship Profile on Christian Science by Craig Branch: www.watchman.org/ChristianScience
• Watchman Fellowship Profile on Unity School of Christianity by Rick Branch: www.watchman.org/Unity
• Watchman Fellowship Profile on Witchcraft / Wicca by Dr. Brady Blevins: www.watchman.org/Wicca
• Watchman Fellowship's Profile on Spiritual Abuse Recovery Workbook by David Henke: www.watchman.org/SA

Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (around 700 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: www.watchman.org/Notebook

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/Give

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

In early 1820 a young farm boy by the name of Joseph Smith believed he had a vision of God the Father and Jesus Christ appearing to him, exhorting him not to join any of the existing churches of his day, for they were all corrupt. Just over 200 years later in 2023 in Wilmore, Kentuck in the main chapel on the campus of Asbury Theological Seminary, something of a revival began. For two weeks, thousands of people from all over the world came to Ashbury to see for themselves what was happening. During these two weeks, people prayed and sang worship songs. Many Christians, however, debated as to whether or not this was a genuine revival or just an emotive outpouring of mostly Gen-Z'ers. And most Evangelical Christians criticize Joseph's Smith's first vision as either legendary, completely fabricated, or theologically aberrant. How can we rightly discern whether or not people's personal experiences are truly from God? This week on the Profile we wrap up our conversation with theologian and literary scholar Dr. Jeffery Barbeau about his new book The Last Romantic - C.S. Lewis, English Literature, and Modern Theology and consider more of Lewis's insights and how they can equip us to think biblically about personal religious experiences.

Jeffery Barbeau (Ph.D., Marquette University) is professor of theology at Wheaton College, Editor of The Coleridge Bulletin, and a writer on British Romanticism, religion and literature, and the history of Christian thought. His other works include The Cambridge Companion to British Romanticism and Religion (2021), The Spirit of Methodism: From the Wesleys to a Global Communion (2019), and Religion in Romantic England (2018).

Related Links: Go deeper with these related apologetics tools:

• Watchman Fellowship's Spiritual Abuse Recovery Workbook by David Henke: www.watchman.org/SA
• Watchman Fellowship Profile on the International Christian Church: by Steve Matthews and Dr. Brady Blevins: www.watchman.org/ICC
• Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Tim Martin: www.watchman.org/Mormonism
• Watchman Fellowship Profile on Atheism by Dr. Robert M. Bowman, Jr: www.watchman.org/Mormonism
• Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Islam by James Walker: www.watchman.org/Muslim

Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (around 700 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: www.watchman.org/Notebook

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/Give

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

If you have ever had a deeply moving personal experience with God, you know it can be something that words cannot adequately convey. Perhaps it is deeply emotional, powerful, and moving. The experience solidifies your conviction that what you believe about God is true. You might also believe God "spoke" to you in that moment. But given that there are a multitude of other religions today with devotees who claim to have similar experiences, how can we know that what we have experienced is an authentic movement of the God who is there? This week and next on the Profile, we talk with theologian and literary scholar Dr. Jeffrey Barbeau about his new book The Last Romantic - C.S. Lewis, English Literature, and Modern Theology and how Lewis's thoughts about Romantic poetry might give us some insight about the nature of personal religious experiences and how properly to think about them.

Jeffery Barbeau (Ph.D., Marquette University) is professor of theology at Wheaton College, Editor of The Coleridge Bulletin, and a writer on British Romanticism, religion and literature, and the history of Christian thought. His books include monographs, anthologies, and edited books, including The Last Romantic: C. S. Lewis, English Literature, and Modern Theology (2025), The Cambridge Companion to British Romanticism and Religion (2021), The Spirit of Methodism: From the Wesleys to a Global Communion (2019), Religion in Romantic England (2018), and Sara Coleridge: Her Life and Thought (2014).

Related Links: Go deeper with these related apologetics tools:

• Watchman Fellowship's Spiritual Abuse Recovery Workbook by David Henke: www.watchman.org/SA
• Watchman Fellowship Profile on the International Christian Church: by Steve Matthews and Dr. Brady Blevins: www.watchman.org/ICC
• Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Tim Martin: www.watchman.org/Mormonism
• Watchman Fellowship Profile on Atheism by Dr. Robert M. Bowman, Jr: www.watchman.org/Mormonism
• Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Islam by James Walker: www.watchman.org/Muslim
• Former Latter-day Saint, Isaac Hess, describes Mormonism's "Burning in the Bosom" https://youtu.be/ChULWVM6AF8

Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (around 700 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: www.watchman.org/Notebook

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/Give

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.