The Origins of the Prosperity Gospel

Russell Conwell, founder of Temple University and half the namesake of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, was an American minister who began his ministry in 1880. While he wrote and preached countless sermons, there was one sermon he preached over six thousand times: “Acres of Diamonds.” In the speech, which he delivered at churches, revivals, and universities across the country, Conwell suggests that a chief Christian responsibility was to get rich in order to wield power and further the mission of the church.