Kenyonism is one of the five heresies (along with Vinism , Osteenism, Rauschenbuschism and Theoerosism) coined by Polemics Report or its sister ministry, Pulpit and Pen. Kenyonism is so named in the tradition after naming heresies for their founders or most prominent proponents. In this case, Kenyonism is named after the founder, E.W. Kenyon (1867-1948), and is often called Word-Faith or Word of Faith, and is closely associated with a similar but slightly different doctrine, Osteenism.
Kenyonism teaches a spiritually perverted interpretation of Matthew 17:14-20, holding that Christians by faith can attain any of their desires, making faith itself into a force by which things can be attained. Central to Kenyonism is the notion of “positive confession,” that by speaking one’s desires as though they’re already come to pass will actually cause those things to come to pass. Most Kenyonists also hold to “Little God Theology,” which teaches that man is just a smaller, weaker version of God, but essentially deified. Kenneth Hagin instituted this stream of thought into Kenyonism, and it has been taught by the most popular Kenyonists, from Kenneth Copeland to Creflo Dollar to Joyce Meyer.
Aside from those three names (Copeland, Dollar, Meyer), popular adherents today include Joel Osteen, Eddie Long, Fred Prince, Brian Houston, Christine Caine and others. Kenyonism comprises most of the personalities regularly broadcast on TBN, and is gradually attracting up and coming evangelical stars like Steven Furtick.
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