Benedict’s Prosperity Gospel

The 20th Century saw the rise of a “prosperity gospel”: many American Christians now mistakenly associate health and wealth with faith and God’s approval. If you have enough faith, the thinking goes, you can “claim” any material possession or physical healing, and God will grant it. Prosperity is defined in terms of material wealth, which becomes a sign of God’s favor. This “gospel” fits well with a growing Western consumerism and an ethic of personal indulgence. 

In chapter 34 of the Rule, “Distribution of Goods According to Need,” we read Benedict’s understanding of prosperity. For Benedict, prosperity is not the material result of how much you can get, but the spiritual foundation for how little you need. In several subsequent chapters, Benedict lays out how to meet the monks’ needs in various situations: the young and elderly, the sick, those chosen for special work, etc. But in the seven short sentences of chapter 34, Benedict sketches a theology of prosperity that runs counter to the American prosperity gospel. 

According to Benedict, distribution according to need must not be a matter of favoritism, whether God’s or the abbott’s. Instead, distribution according to need is distribution according to relative strength and weakness. Benedict focuses on the weaknesses of age, sickness, etc., but there is also a spiritual dimension. In the relationship between stronger and weaker monks, Benedict is especially concerned with their attitudes toward each other. As ever, he’s also worried about grumbling, the petty complaining of the malcontent. His insights here are important. 

The strong, those who can do with less, should not be envious of their weaker brothers, who require more material provision. Rather, they should thank God for the strength they have been given and for the spiritual prosperity they enjoy. And though Benedict does not mention this, his teaching on humility more generally demands that the stronger not be proud of their spiritual strength. It should not lead to judgmental grumbling regarding the condition of the weaker. 

Likewise, the weak, those who are given more, should not be proud of their increased provisions. Such pride can lead to an expectation of further special treatment and grumbling in its absence. Also, the pride of the weaker can fuel the grumbling of the stronger, who could resent their weak brothers’ complaints. Rather, the weak should be humbled by their weakness, which requires the increase. 

For Benedict, in stark contrast to the prosperity gospel of many American Christians, the need and desire for material increase are signs of spiritual poverty. Something isn’t quite right in the Christian who is acquisitive. But as a Christian grows into spiritual prosperity, material needs can and should decrease. “In this way all the members will be at peace” (34:5). This is actually Benedict’s main concern. The distribution of the community’s goods, according to need, should contribute to the harmony of the community. Benedict’s vision of spiritual prosperity can help us understand how this could actually be achieved.