Many people ask whether Unity teaches the so-called prosperity gospel that is so popular in Christian churches today.

The short answer is no. Although prosperity has been taught in Unity for more than a century, it is not the “prosperity gospel.”

What Is the Prosperity Gospel?

First, let’s explore what the prosperity gospel is and how it is used.

The term refers to a religious belief that “faith—expressed through positive thoughts, positive declarations, and donations to the church—draws health, wealth, and happiness into believers’ lives. Adherents believe that God wants believers to be richly blessed in this life and that physical well-being and material riches are always God’s will for the faithful.”

God is understood to be a heavenly being who intervenes in your life, bringing you good or punishing you depending on your behavior. Prosperity is defined as an accumulation of material wealth and objects you desire, and some extend the definition to include an outer expression of physical health.

We are each called to be the presence of God in this world. Each of us has unique resources, gifts, and talents to help us fulfill that calling. And when we give in service to our calling, everything we need to carry out that calling will become available to us.

To receive this God-given prosperity, there are two things you must do, according to the prosperity gospel:

First, you must give money to the religious organization represented by the person or group preaching the prosperity gospel. Followers are taught that the more they give, the more prosperity they will receive in return.

Second, you must think and speak positively about what you desire to have in your life. For example, envision and imagine a large bank balance, an abundant flow of income, a perfect state of health, and so forth.

The promise of the prosperity gospel is that God will reward you with material wealth or things you desire. The underlying assumption is that you will find your soul’s fulfillment through the accumulation of this treasure. And by your contributions, you are helping your religious organization bring this teaching to others.

So Is This What Unity Teaches? No!

On the surface, there seem to be similarities between the teachings. We do practice positive speech and affirmative prayer. We say that if we want more of something in our lives, we must first be willing to give of that thing—love, money, and so on.

What makes Unity teachings about prosperity different?

First and foremost, in Unity we understand God not as a being but as the creative force out of which everything arises. Since everything arises out of God, that means we humans also arise out of God. We are unique expressions of God made manifest. Our one and only purpose in our human life is to unfold more of God into this manifest universe.

We are each called to be the presence of God in this world. Each of us has unique resources, gifts, and talents to help us fulfill that calling. And when we give in service to our calling, everything we need to carry out that calling will become available to us.

Jesus taught this law when he said, “Give and it shall be given unto you.” He was quite clear that he was not talking only about giving money. For example, the author of the Gospel of Luke remembered his teachings this way: “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back” (Luke 6:37-38). In other words, give people your trust, your mercy, and your forgiveness, and you will receive the same.

Our soul’s fulfillment comes from establishing and growing our prosperity consciousness. As we build our capacity to maintain this level of awareness, we become acutely aware of the abundance that is already available to us and to others. We engage in giving as just one of a wide variety of exercises to build our capacity to maintain this consciousness.

Unity cofounder Myrtle Fillmore summed this up beautifully. “True prosperity is not making money or putting out goods or developing property. It is determining what our souls require in order to cause them to unfold more of God.”

True prosperity happens when we live into our calling to be the presence of God. When we hold this prosperity consciousness, we find lasting fulfillment. Everything we need to support our calling will be drawn to us and flow through us abundantly.