I am cutting myself off. I’m done with Your Best Life Now, literally and figuratively. I am attempting to find kind words to describe my feelings but nothing is coming to my tongue. I am trying to push positive language forward in my mind, like Joel says too, and still nothing. The book and the sermons I have watched have proven my hypothesis that I started out with, Joel Osteen and Prosperity Theology sprinkles Jesus over selfish promotion of a consumer society and a pursuit of material gain.
Your Best Life Now, was a theologically dip into the kiddy pool, extremely shallow. It Proof texted many different pieces of scripture and only a handful of times mentioned Jesus. If I was new to the Christian faith I would have a hard time figuring out the difference between the God Joel presents in his sermons and in this book and an ATM machine. If someone is looking for a self-help book they may want to check this out but there is nothing, overall, that is Gospel about this theology.
I say overall because, like my last post stated, there are droplets of correct theology. There are moments of good advice. Yet, they all these promising paths lead up the wrong mountain. The place that Joel leads his reader and listeners is not a place to find the resurrected Savior, Jesus Christ. Buddy Christ maybe, but not Jesus Christ.
I am cutting myself off now. I feel I have done enough to please my soul with my knowledge of Joel. I now need to turn my mind and attention to other things. This is one of three books I have been reading and I would much rather read the other two now. I have confidence that when Joel is brought up in conversation I can ask good questions to his fans and speak honestly and wisely about him. That was my whole goal in this endeavor and I’m glad I am at the end of my journey. Goodbye Joel, may the peace of Christ be with you.
Link - to a paper on Osteen - HT: Hacking Christianity
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