American Gospel – Documentary Review

“This is the best clarifying juxtaposition of truth and prosperity preaching I know of. I pray millions of people around the world will watch this for the glory of Christ and his Good News.” -John Piper

American Gospel will stir even the most devout Christian to repent of not resting entirely in Jesus. For even the most sanctified among us, indwelling sin is working to turn our eyes from Christ and toward the lust of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, and the pride of life, and the gospel is the only answer.

American Gospel is masterfully crafted and lays out the gospel with such clarity that everyone should take note. From the interviews to the beautiful artwork and graphics, all of it is calculated to communicate the truth of the word of God. The first part of the documentary focuses on accomplishing this goal, then it moves into exposing the counterfeit gospel of the prosperity movement.

Anyone who has been told that if you are suffering, it is because you do not have enough faith, needs to hear the message of the film. Several stories of people whose lives have been harmed by such a theology appear in the documentary, but not merely to expose the errors and the harm that it caused, but, more importantly, to point people to our true hope in Jesus Christ.

I have spoken against the dangerous heresies of the prosperity preachers for quite some time, so the information presented in the film was not new to me, but what I was not expecting, was how much the Holy Spirit used the film to stir my heart to repentance. Christ is our everything, yet too often, the American Gospel of health, wealth, notoriety, and prosperity seeps into the hearts of us all. American Gospel is indeed a must-see film.

-D. Eaton