Historical Origins of the "Believer's Authority" Doctrine¶

Deep Research: How a 19th-Century Metaphysical Philosophy Became a 21st-Century Church Doctrine¶

Historical Timeline (Chronological)¶

The Philosophical Foundation: New Thought Movement (1830s–1900s)¶

Date	Figure	Development
1802	Phineas Parkhurst Quimby born	Later regarded as "father of the New Thought Movement"
~1838	Quimby begins healing practice	Developed "mental science" — taught that illness originates from incorrect beliefs; "changing one's thoughts" enables healing; God is a "universal, divine mind or principle"
1862	Mary Baker Eddy studies under Quimby	Later founded Christian Science (1879), teaching spiritual reality supersedes material reality; "disease is a false belief"; Scripture must be read through a "metaphysical lens"
1866	Quimby dies	His ideas continue through students and the broader New Thought network
1875	Mary Baker Eddy publishes Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures	Systematized Quimby's mental healing into a religious system
1880	Charles Wesley Emerson founds Boston Conservatory of Elocution, Oratory, and Dramatic Art	Emerson was a Unitarian minister who studied Delsarte and Swedenborg; the school became a hub for New Thought philosophy
1890	School renamed Emerson College of Oratory	By this time, the college environment was "immersed in the metaphysical cults, and the underlying New Thought" (McConnell)
1897	Ralph Waldo Trine publishes In Tune with the Infinite	A leading New Thought bestseller teaching that one's ability to channel positive thoughts leads to success; Kenyon reportedly read Trine and was influenced

The New Thought Core Teaching¶

The New Thought movement taught: - True reality is spiritual, not physical - The spiritual is the cause of all physical effects - The human mind, through positive mental attitude and positive confession, has the power to create its own reality - Disease is a mental/spiritual error, correctable by right thinking - Words and thoughts have creative power over material circumstances

E.W. Kenyon (1867–1948): The Originator¶

Date	Event
April 25, 1867	Essek William Kenyon born in Hadley, New York
Age 17	Converted at a Methodist prayer meeting
1892	Attended Emerson College of Oratory in Boston for one year, studying acting
1893	Crisis of faith ended; returned to Christianity at Clarendon Street Baptist Church under pastor A.J. Gordon; married Evva Spurling; joined Free Will Baptists
1898	Founded Bethel Bible Institute in Spencer, Massachusetts (served as president for 25 years, until 1923)
1914	First wife Evva dies
1916	Published The Father and His Family
1927	Published The Wonderful Name of Jesus — his foundational work on "authority in Jesus' name"
~1930s	Published The Two Kinds of Knowledge, The Two Kinds of Faith, The Two Kinds of Righteousness, The Two Kinds of Life
1940	Published Jesus the Healer
1942	Published The Two Kinds of Faith
1945	Published What Happened from the Cross to the Throne — contained the "spiritual death of Jesus" doctrine
1948	Kenyon dies. Daughter Ruth Kenyon Houseworth continues his publishing ministry
1949	The Blood Covenant published posthumously

Kenyon's Time at Emerson College¶

Kenyon attended Emerson College of Oratory in Boston for one year in 1892. At the time, the college's founder Charles Wesley Emerson was a Unitarian minister. The school was described by scholars as "a hub for New Thought philosophy" and was "immersed in the metaphysical cults, and the underlying New Thought" (McConnell, A Different Gospel).

The scholarly debate: Kenyon biographer Joe McIntyre argues that Kenyon developed his positive confession teaching primarily "from the teachings of Holiness Movement, Faith Cure and Higher Life movement ministers of the late 19th Century," not from New Thought influence. However, D.R. McConnell and others demonstrated that Kenyon was "widely read" concerning the metaphysical cults. Ern Baxter recalled Kenyon speaking positively of Mary Baker Eddy's Key to the Scriptures. John Kennington recalled a conversation in which Kenyon admitted he had "freely used ideas from Mary Baker-Eddy."

Kenyon's Key Theological Innovations¶

1. "Revelation Knowledge" vs. "Sense Knowledge"

Kenyon divided all human knowledge into two categories:

Sense Knowledge: "All the knowledge that is taught in our schools, colleges and universities has been gained through our five senses." Sense Knowledge "cannot find God, can never know Him." It gives "theories" but not reality.
Revelation Knowledge: Knowledge that "we receive only from the Word of God." Revelation knowledge gives "reality."

Where this came from: This mirrors the New Thought/Christian Science distinction between material (illusory) reality perceived by the senses and spiritual (true) reality perceived by the mind/spirit. Mary Baker Eddy taught that physical senses deceive and that spiritual perception reveals truth. Kenyon Christianized this by replacing "spiritual perception" with "revelation from God's Word" — but the underlying dualistic structure (senses lie, spiritual knowledge is true) comes directly from metaphysical philosophy, not from Scripture.

2. "Power of Attorney" in the Name of Jesus

From The Wonderful Name of Jesus (1927): Kenyon recounted a conversation with a lawyer during a sermon in Tennessee, where the lawyer affirmed that "if language means anything, then Jesus gave to the church the Power of Attorney." Kenyon developed this into a systematic teaching that:

Prayer is placed on a "purely legal basis"
Jesus has given believers "the legal right to use His Name"
Believers have "the same authority He had when He was here"
The believer's "position in Christ" gives them "the same standing with the Father that Christ had"

Kenyon's quote: "With that Word, we conquer disease...Cancer, in the Name of Jesus, shrivel up and stop being."

3. Positive Confession

Kenyon taught that spoken words in faith carry divine power:

"Faith talks in the language of God. Doubt talks in the language of man."
"When you confess your weakness and your disease you are openly confessing that the Word of God is not true."
"What I confess, I possess."

Where this came from: This directly mirrors New Thought's "affirmation" technique — speaking positive statements to create positive reality. The language shifted from "affirmation" to "confession," and the power source shifted from "universal mind" to "God's Word," but the mechanism is identical: spoken words create physical reality.

4. "Identification" Theology

Kenyon taught that believers are identified with Christ in such a way that they share His authority, power, and standing. "The New Creation is just like the Master. He is its head. He is the Vine, you are the branch. As He is, so are you."

5. The Spiritual Death of Jesus

From What Happened from the Cross to the Throne (1945): Kenyon was the first within the church to teach that Jesus died spiritually (not just physically), took on Satan's nature, was dragged to hell, suffered there for three days, and was "born again" — becoming "the first born again man."

Kenyon wrote: "Jesus died twice on the cross. I knew this for many years before I found the actual proof in Scripture." He claimed to find proof in Isaiah 53:9, arguing that "the word 'death' is plural in the Hebrew."

6. Believers as "Little Gods"

Kenyon taught that man is "a little god 'in God's class'" who can use "the same faith-force" that God uses.

What Kenyon Was NOT¶

Critically, Kenyon was not Pentecostal or Charismatic. He actually criticized the Pentecostal movement as "as destructive as it was instructive" and rejected speaking in tongues as overly subjective. He was a Baptist pastor and Bible school founder. His theology was a hybrid: evangelical language wrapped around metaphysical concepts.

As McConnell concluded, Kenyon created a "Christianized metaphysical cult" — a response to mainline churches' perceived anti-supernatural tendencies, but one that drew its power concepts from New Thought rather than from Scripture.

John A. MacMillan (1873–1956): The Orthodox Parallel¶

An important but often overlooked figure in this history is John A. MacMillan, a missionary with the Christian and Missionary Alliance (CMA).

Date	Event
1885	Andrew Murray teaches believers are "kings and priests" through whom God rules
1895	A.T. Pierson teaches "authority of faith" based on Luke 10:19
1897	Jessie Penn-Lewis teaches believer's position in Christ from Ephesians 1–2
1906	Penn-Lewis publishes Throne Life of Victory as "God's answer to powers of darkness"
1919	A.B. Simpson uses "policeman badge" illustration in Alliance Weekly
1932	*John MacMillan publishes "The Authority of the Believer" — a series of articles in The Alliance Weekly* (January 9, 16, 23, 30; February 6, 13, 20, 27, 1932)**
1933	Seventh edition of War on the Saints (Penn-Lewis/Roberts) references MacMillan
1935	Additional material by MacMillan published March 9, 1935
1940s	Herald of His Coming publishes MacMillan extensively
1948	Herald of His Coming editor calls MacMillan's work "best presentation" available
1963	Herald of Faith publishes MacMillan's series in Pentecostal periodical

What MacMillan Actually Taught¶

MacMillan's teaching was rooted in Ephesians 1–2 and emphasized: - Believers possess delegated authority from Christ based on their position in Him - Authority operates through "throne-union" with Christ via prayer and faith - The "policeman analogy": a police officer's badge gives authority to stop traffic because "the whole power of the state is behind him" — the authority is delegated, not inherent - Believers can bind demonic forces and claim protection through "binding and loosing"

Critical difference from Kenyon/Hagin: MacMillan grounded authority in positional truth (Ephesians) and covenant relationship with God, emphasizing consecration and obedience as prerequisites. His authority operated within God's sovereign will through intercession. He focused on missionary spiritual warfare, not personal prosperity or material gain.

MacMillan "would not approve of all that is currently taught...such as 'little gods' and 'name it and claim it'" (Paul L. King, scholar of MacMillan's work).

Merrill Unger (Dallas Theological Seminary) and Wayne Grudem included MacMillan in theological bibliographies as a credible source on spiritual warfare — evidence that evangelical scholars viewed his work as orthodox.

Why This Matters¶

MacMillan represents an orthodox stream of teaching about spiritual authority that existed independently of Kenyon's metaphysical-influenced version. Hagin plagiarized both — taking from MacMillan's orthodox framework and from Kenyon's heterodox innovations, then blending them into a single system that appeared biblical on the surface but carried Kenyon's metaphysical DNA underneath.

Kenneth Hagin (1917–2003): The Popularizer¶

Date	Event
August 20, 1917	Kenneth Erwin Hagin born in McKinney, Texas; claimed deformed heart and incurable blood disease
April 1933	Converted to Christianity at age 15; reported three near-death experiences within 10 minutes where he claims to have seen hell
August 8, 1934	Claims miraculous healing after reading Mark 11:23–24 — "whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed...shall have whatsoever he saith." This verse "defined his ministry"
1936	Founded first non-denominational church
1937	Became Assemblies of God minister
1940s	*Hagin later acknowledged: "Then I came across a wonderful pamphlet, entitled The Authority of the Believer* by John A. MacMillan"** (1984 edition acknowledgment)
1947–1958	Joined Voice of Healing Revival with Oral Roberts, Gordon Lindsay, T.L. Osborn
1950s	Hagin claims his teachings came through divine visitations; McConnell demonstrated these are plagiarized from Kenyon
1963	Formed Kenneth E. Hagin Evangelistic Association in Garland, Texas
1966	Moved headquarters to Tulsa; began selling sermons on reel-to-reel tape
1967	Published The Believer's Authority booklet — 35 years after MacMillan's original
1974	Founded RHEMA Bible Training College in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma (73 initial students)
1979	Son-in-law Doyle Harrison founded International Convention of Faith Churches and Ministers (ICFCM)
1985	Rhema Ministerial Association International established
September 19, 2003	Hagin dies at age 86 in Tulsa

The Plagiarism Documentation¶

D.R. McConnell's findings (A Different Gospel, 1988/1995):

McConnell, originally a student at Oral Roberts University, demonstrated:

Word-for-word copying: "The very doctrines that have made Kenneth Hagin and the Faith movement such a distinctive and powerful force...are all plagiarized from E.W. Kenyon."
Extent: McConnell placed side-by-side passages from both men across eight books, showing "word-for-word uniformity...beyond the bounds of coincidence." Hagin "plagiarized Kenyon both repeatedly and extensively."
Triple plagiarism: Hagin plagiarized from at least three ministers: E.W. Kenyon, John A. MacMillan, and Finis Jennings Dake. McConnell noted that "as much as 75%" of Hagin's Authority of the Believer "was taken from a series of articles published in 1932 by John A. MacMillan under the same title."
Specific documented parallels (compiled by Tricia Tillin, Banner Ministries):
Kenyon's What Happened from the Cross to the Throne (1945/1969) → Hagin's "Christ our Substitute," The Word of Faith (March 1975): Nearly identical descriptions of Jesus's death by ruptured heart and blood coagulation
Kenyon's Identification: A Romance in Redemption (1968) → Hagin's "The Resurrection! What it Gives Us," Word of Faith (April 1977): Matching theological statements about union with Christ
Multiple parallels in teachings on the Name of Jesus, physical healing, Satan, covenant rights, Greek word studies (zoe, psuche, bios)

Witness testimony: - Ruth Kenyon Houseworth (Kenyon's daughter): "They've changed it a little bit and added their own touch...but they couldn't change the wording." She considered Hagin "just one more preacher...who had used her father's material without giving proper credit." - John Kennington (Kenyon's former colleague): "I readily recognize...pure plagiarism. I can almost tell you book, chapter and page where the material is coming from."

Hagin's defense (April 23, 1986 letter): Claimed he used the same words as others because "God had supernaturally led him to do so." Argued that persons speaking on the same subject use "virtually the same words" because "it is the same Spirit that is leading and directing."

Hagin's Key Theological Teachings¶

On the spiritual death of Jesus (The Name of Jesus, 1981): "Spiritual death also means having Satan's nature. Jesus tasted death — spiritual death — for every man."

"He tasted spiritual death for every man. He died on the Cross and took our place in spiritual death. His spirit, His inner man, went to hell in our place."

On confession and faith (Mark 11:23–24 basis): "You are spirit but you live in a physical body."

RHEMA's Reach¶

RHEMA Bible Training College became the primary vehicle for spreading these teachings globally: - 80,000+ graduates residing and ministering in 52 countries - Alumni established 298 Bible schools in 56 nations - Rhema South Africa (1979) produces 300 graduates annually - The Word of Faith magazine reached ~600,000 subscribers - Faith Library Publications distributed 65 million book copies

The Word of Faith Movement: The Vehicle¶

Key Figures and Their Contributions¶

Kenneth Copeland (b. 1936) — Hagin's most prominent protege:

"Faith is a spiritual force....It is substance. Faith has the ability to effect natural substance."
"Faith was the raw material substance that the Spirit of God used to form the universe."
"Words are spiritual containers."
"You don't have a god in you, you are one."
"On the cross, Jesus won the right for believers to be born again back into the god-class. Adam was created, not subordinate to God, but as a god; he lost it, and in Christ we are taken back to the god-class."
"Are we gods? We are a class of gods!"
"Satan conquered Jesus on the Cross."
"He [Jesus] allowed the devil to drag Him into the depths of hell....He allowed Himself to come under Satan's control...every demon in hell came down on Him to annihilate Him....They tortured Him beyond anything anybody had ever conceived."
"When His blood was poured out, it did not atone."
"When He said 'It is finished,' redemption had just begun."
"Jesus was born again — the firstborn from the dead the Word calls Him — and He whipped the devil in his own backyard."

Joyce Meyer (b. 1943): - "The minute that blood sacrifice was accepted, Jesus was the first human being that was ever born again." - "He could have helped himself up until the point where he said I commend my spirit into your hands, at that point he couldn't do nothing for himself anymore. He had become sin, he was no longer the Son of God." - In her 1991 booklet The Most Important Decision You Will Ever Make, she taught that Christ had to suffer in hell to atone for sins and be born again. She later contradictorily denied ever teaching this.

Benny Hinn (b. 1952): - "He promises to heal all — every one, any, any whatsoever, everything — all our diseases." - Taught that Jesus was "born again" in hell.

Creflo Dollar (b. 1962): - "If Jesus came as God, then why did God have to anoint Him? Jesus came as a man."

Kenneth Hagin Jr. (b. 1939): - "You are as much the incarnation of God as Jesus Christ was."

Fred Price (1932–2021): - "If you allow your faith to be affected by your senses, you will be defeated." - "We need to realize that prosperity is the will of God." - "Yet by walking in God's financial plan, you can have the $15,000 automobile, wear the $300 suit." - On Jesus: "He was responsible for feeding five thousand people...He must have had something, somewhere, somehow."

Gloria Copeland (b. 1942): - On Mark 10:30: "Give one house and receive one hundred houses or one house worth one hundred times as much."

The Theological System¶

The Word of Faith movement developed a complete theological system from Kenyon's innovations:

Faith as a Force: Faith is not trust in God but a substance/force that believers wield. God Himself used faith to create the universe. Believers can use the same force.
Words as Containers: Spoken words are "spiritual containers" that carry faith-force into the material world. Positive words create positive reality; negative words create negative reality.
Believers as "Little Gods": Through the new birth, believers enter the "god-class." They are not subordinate to God but partners with Him, wielding the same creative power.
Positive Confession: Speaking faith-filled words brings desired outcomes into existence. Confessing weakness, sin, or disease empowers those negative realities. "What I confess, I possess."
"Name It and Claim It": Believers can claim specific material outcomes — health, wealth, success — by declaring them in Jesus' name. God is obligated to honor such declarations.
Spiritual Death of Jesus: Jesus's physical death on the cross was insufficient for atonement. He had to die spiritually, take on Satan's nature, descend to hell, be tortured by demons for three days, and then be "born again" — becoming the "first born again man."
Prosperity as Divine Right: Material wealth is always God's will for believers. Poverty indicates lack of faith. Giving to ministries triggers supernatural financial returns.

The Theological Innovations (With Sources)¶

Innovation 1: "Spiritual Death of Jesus" — Did Jesus Die Spiritually and Go to Hell?¶

Originated by: E.W. Kenyon, What Happened from the Cross to the Throne (1945)

The teaching: Jesus died spiritually on the cross, was separated from God, took on Satan's sinful nature, was dragged to hell by Satan, suffered demonic torment for three days, and was then "born again" by God — becoming "the first born again man."

Academic assessment: William P. Atkinson's PhD thesis at the University of Edinburgh (A Theological Appraisal of the Doctrine that Jesus Died Spiritually, as Taught by Kenyon, Hagin and Copeland, 2007; winner of the Award of Excellence of the Foundation for Pentecostal Scholarship, 2010) found that the alleged "spiritual death" incorporates three major elements: (1) Jesus was separated from God, (2) partook of a sinful, satanic nature, and (3) was Satan's prey. Atkinson traced the doctrine's origin to Kenyon and its transmission through Hagin to Copeland.

Why it has no biblical precedent: - "It is finished" (John 19:30) indicates the atonement was completed on the cross - Christ remained sinless throughout (1 Peter 2:22; Hebrews 4:15) - Christ's deity is inseparable from His person — He could not "become sin" in an ontological sense - Old Testament sacrificial animals remained holy throughout the sacrificial ceremony - No church father, Reformer, or pre-Kenyon theologian ever taught this

Innovation 2: "Born Again Jesus" — Did Jesus Need to Be Born Again?¶

Originated by: E.W. Kenyon (derived from his "spiritual death" doctrine)

The teaching: After three days of torment in hell, God spoke and Jesus was "born again" — His spirit was recreated. He was the "firstborn from the dead" (Colossians 1:18) in the sense of being the first person to be spiritually regenerated.

Why it has no biblical precedent: - "Firstborn from the dead" refers to resurrection priority, not spiritual regeneration - Being "born again" implies prior spiritual death/sinfulness — attributing sin to the sinless Son of God - No historical Christian tradition ever interpreted Colossians 1:18 as spiritual rebirth

Innovation 3: "Little Gods" Doctrine — Are Believers Gods?¶

Originated by: E.W. Kenyon (from New Thought concept of human divinity)

Key quotes: - Copeland: "You don't have a god in you, you are one." - Copeland: "Adam was created, not subordinate to God, but as a god." - Hagin Jr.: "You are as much the incarnation of God as Jesus Christ was."

Why it has no biblical precedent: - Isaiah 43:10: "Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me" - The passage most often cited (Psalm 82:6, "I have said, Ye are gods") is addressing human judges who will "die like men" (v. 7) — a rebuke, not a promotion - Historic Christianity unanimously taught the Creator/creature distinction

Innovation 4: "Faith as a Force" — Is Faith a Substance Believers Wield?¶

Originated by: E.W. Kenyon (from New Thought's "mind power" concept)

The teaching: Faith is not trust in God's character but a metaphysical force/substance that even God uses. God created the universe by "releasing faith." Believers can use this same force to create material reality.

New Thought parallel: New Thought taught that the human mind could manipulate spiritual forces to reshape material reality. Kenyon replaced "mind" with "faith" and "universal principle" with "God" — but the mechanism remained identical: invisible force wielded by human will produces material effects.

Why it has no biblical precedent: - Hebrews 11:1 ("faith is the substance of things hoped for") describes faith as confident trust, not as a metaphysical force - Biblical faith is always directed toward God — it is trust in a Person, not a force to be wielded - No biblical text describes God as using faith; God speaks and it happens by His sovereign power

Scholarly Critiques (With Citations)¶

D.R. McConnell — A Different Gospel (1988; updated edition 1995)¶

McConnell's work, originally his master's thesis at Oral Roberts University, established three foundational claims:

The faith movement represents "metaphysical thought masquerading in evangelical garb." He demonstrated that Kenyon's key theological concepts — positive confession, sense knowledge vs. revelation knowledge, the spiritual death of Jesus, believers as gods — parallel New Thought/Christian Science teachings and were developed during or after Kenyon's time at Emerson College.
Kenneth Hagin plagiarized E.W. Kenyon "both repeatedly and extensively." Side-by-side comparison across eight books showed "word-for-word uniformity...beyond the bounds of coincidence."
Hagin also plagiarized John A. MacMillan. McConnell documented that "as much as 75%" of Hagin's Authority of the Believer was taken from MacMillan's 1932 article series.

Hank Hanegraaff — Christianity in Crisis (1993; updated Christianity in Crisis: 21st Century, 2009)¶

Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute, built on McConnell's research to identify five critical F.L.A.W.S. in Word of Faith teaching:

F = Faith in faith (faith as a force rather than trust in God)
L = Little gods (deification of believers)
A = Atonement atrocities (spiritual death of Jesus, born-again Jesus)
W = Wealth and want (prosperity as divine right)
S = Sickness and suffering (illness always indicates lack of faith)

Hanegraaff documented that Word of Faith teachings are "similar to those of metaphysical cults, such as Christian Science and the Unity School of Christianity, which have similar teachings on creative visualization, mind over matter, and spiritual healing."

The original 1993 edition focused on Kenyon, Hagin, Copeland, Hinn, and Hagee. The 2009 update incorporated newer teachers including Osteen, Meyer, Dollar, Jakes, and Parsley.

Kate Bowler — Blessed: A History of the American Prosperity Gospel (Oxford University Press, 2013)¶

Bowler, assistant professor of religion at Duke Divinity School (adapted from her PhD dissertation), spent a decade traveling the United States and Canada visiting megachurches, archives, television studios, and revivals. She visited 25% of all prosperity megachurches and participated for 18 months in a small African American prosperity church.

Bowler identified four central themes of the prosperity gospel: faith, wealth, health, and victory. She traced the movement's origins from late 19th century roots through its flourishing during WWII-era Pentecostal revivals to its maturation after the 1960s.

This is the first academic book to fully explore the origins, unifying themes, and major figures of the movement from a historical perspective.

Robert Jackson — Themelios Article: "Prosperity Theology and the Faith Movement"¶

Jackson's article in Themelios (The Gospel Coalition) provides a scholarly critique tracing: - Kenyon as the originator and Hagin as the plagiarizer/popularizer - The "dominating influence on Kenyon's theology" as "the metaphysical cults which abounded at the turn of the century" - Specific theological errors: faith as mechanism, prosperity as right, healing as guaranteed - Biblical counter-evidence from the Synoptic Gospels showing Jesus' "systematic hostility toward wealth" (Mark 8:34; 10:21; Luke 6:24; 16:19–31) - Thomas Schmidt's observation that Jesus repeatedly commanded disciples to abandon wealth - Jacques Ellul's argument that wealth functioned as a temporary Old Testament sacrament, not a permanent principle - C.K. Barrett's note that Paul's own experiences (shipwreck, imprisonment, poverty) contradicted guaranteed material prosperity

William P. Atkinson — The 'Spiritual Death' of Jesus: A Pentecostal Investigation (Brill, 2009)¶

Originally a PhD thesis at the University of Edinburgh (2007), winner of the Foundation for Pentecostal Scholarship Award of Excellence (2010). Atkinson conducted a primarily theological appraisal of the JDS ("Jesus Died Spiritually") doctrine as taught by Kenyon, Hagin, and Copeland. He examined each element against both Scripture and historic Christian theology, finding the doctrine without precedent in Christian history.

Other Notable Critiques¶

Walter Martin (Christian Research Institute founder): Issued personal judgment that Kenneth Copeland was a false prophet and that the movement as a whole was heretical
Donald Carson: Explained why healing isn't as automatic as forgiveness in New Testament theology
Dale H. Simmons (Oral Roberts University): Co-documented Hagin's plagiarism alongside McConnell (1983)
Merrill Unger (Dallas Theological Seminary): Included MacMillan's orthodox spiritual warfare teaching in theological bibliographies, implicitly contrasting it with the Word of Faith distortion

Was This Doctrine EVER Taught Before Kenyon?¶

What the Church Fathers Taught About Spiritual Authority¶

The early church taught that believers have authority over demons — but in a completely different framework from the Word of Faith doctrine:

Justin Martyr (c. 100–165): Testified that "even the demons do fear; and at this day, when they are exorcised in the name of Jesus Christ, crucified under Pontius Pilate, they are overcome." But this was exorcism through Christ's name and power, not an autonomous "believer's authority."
Tertullian (c. 155–220): Affirmed that Christians could cast out demons, but always by the power of Christ, not by any inherent authority of the believer.
The early church fathers: Believed "freedom from and authority over the devil are marks of a true Christian," but this was understood as Christ's authority exercised through believers, not believers wielding independent spiritual force.

Critical distinction: Patristic sources emphasized submission to God and to ecclesiastical authority. The authority over demons was derived and delegated, exercised through prayer, fasting, and invocation of Christ's name — never through "positive confession," "faith force," or claiming one's rights as a "little god."

What the Reformers Taught¶

Martin Luther: Maintained belief in exorcism and demonic deliverance. His Large Catechism included making the sign of the cross to drive away the devil. Lutheran liturgies included exorcism in conjunction with baptism. But Luther's framework was God's sovereign power working through ordinary means, not believers commanding reality.
John Calvin: Taught that demons had been essentially banished from the world after the resurrection. He "did away with exorcism and deliverance, at least for Christians." His emphasis on God's sovereignty left no room for autonomous "believer's authority."

Was the Specific "Believer's Authority" Doctrine Ever Taught Before Kenyon?¶

No. Here is what did NOT exist before Kenyon:

No church father taught that believers are "little gods" or share God's nature ontologically
No Reformer taught that faith is a "force" or "substance" that believers wield
No pre-1890 Protestant taught that spoken words create physical reality
No historical Christian tradition taught the "spiritual death of Jesus"
No theologian before Kenyon taught that Jesus was "born again" in hell
No orthodox tradition taught that prayer operates on a "legal basis" where God is obligated to respond
No pre-New Thought teaching framed "revelation knowledge" vs. "sense knowledge" as competing epistemological systems

What DID Exist Before Kenyon¶

The Keswick/Higher Life tradition (1870s–1920s) taught concepts of spiritual authority that were orthodox:

Andrew Murray (1885): Believers are "kings and priests" through whom God rules — but this was through prayer and submission, not autonomous command
A.T. Pierson (1895): "Authority of faith" based on Luke 10:19 — but within God's sovereign will
Jessie Penn-Lewis (1897): Believer's position in Christ (Ephesians 1–2) — but focused on spiritual warfare, not material prosperity
A.B. Simpson (CMA founder): Believers receive exousia (authority) over spiritual enemies — but Simpson distinguished this from dunamis (power), emphasizing that authority is delegated, not inherent
John MacMillan (1932): The definitive systematic treatment of "the authority of the believer" — but firmly orthodox, focused on missionary spiritual warfare, requiring consecration and obedience, operating within God's will

Russell Kelso Carter (1884): Published The Atonement for Sin and Sickness, demonstrating that elements of faith-healing theology existed before Kenyon. But Carter's teaching was about trusting God for healing, not about wielding faith as a force.

How This Connects to the Biblical Study's Findings¶

The Transmission Chain¶

New Thought Movement (Quimby → Eddy → Trine → Emerson College)
                    ↓
           E.W. Kenyon (1892: attended Emerson; 1916–1948: published books)
            ↓                          ↓
   [Metaphysical innovations]    [Biblical language]
            ↓                          ↓
   Kenneth Hagin (1950s–2003: plagiarized Kenyon + MacMillan)
                    ↓
   RHEMA Bible Training College (1974: 80,000+ graduates globally)
                    ↓
   Word of Faith Teachers (Copeland, Hinn, Meyer, Dollar, Osteen, Price)
                    ↓
   Mainstream Evangelical/Charismatic Churches (adopted terminology and concepts)

The Core Problem¶

The "believer's authority" doctrine as commonly taught today is not a recovery of biblical truth but a 19th-century metaphysical philosophy that was:

Developed by Phineas Quimby and the New Thought movement (1840s–1890s)
Christianized by E.W. Kenyon after exposure at Emerson College (1892 onward)
Plagiarized and systematized by Kenneth Hagin (1950s–1970s)
Spread globally through RHEMA and televangelist networks (1974–present)
Absorbed unconsciously by mainstream churches that adopted Word of Faith vocabulary without knowing its origins

What the Bible Actually Teaches About Authority¶

The biblical concept of spiritual authority is fundamentally different from the Word of Faith version:

Authority is delegated, not inherent: Jesus told the seventy-two, "I have given you authority" (Luke 10:19) — it was His to give, not theirs to claim
Authority operates within God's sovereign will: Jesus prayed, "Not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22:42) — the model prayer is submission, not command
Faith is trust in a Person, not a force to wield: "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness" (Romans 4:3)
Suffering is normative, not a failure of faith: Paul's thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7–10); "all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (2 Timothy 3:12)
Authority over demons is Christ's power working through believers: "In my name shall they cast out devils" (Mark 16:17) — "in my name," not "by their own authority"

Sources and Bibliography¶

Primary Academic Sources¶

Atkinson, William P. A Theological Appraisal of the Doctrine that Jesus Died Spiritually, as Taught by Kenyon, Hagin and Copeland. PhD thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2007. Published as The 'Spiritual Death' of Jesus: A Pentecostal Investigation. Brill, 2009.
Bowler, Kate. Blessed: A History of the American Prosperity Gospel. Oxford University Press, 2013.
McConnell, D.R. A Different Gospel: Biblical and Historical Insights into the Word of Faith Movement. Hendrickson Publishers, 1988; updated edition 1995.
Hanegraaff, Hank. Christianity in Crisis. Harvest House, 1993. Updated: Christianity in Crisis: 21st Century. Thomas Nelson, 2009.

Primary Works Referenced¶

Kenyon, E.W. The Wonderful Name of Jesus. 1927.
Kenyon, E.W. The Two Kinds of Knowledge. 1942.
Kenyon, E.W. Jesus the Healer. 1940.
Kenyon, E.W. The Two Kinds of Faith. 1942.
Kenyon, E.W. What Happened from the Cross to the Throne. 1945.
Kenyon, E.W. Identification: A Romance in Redemption. 1968.
Kenyon, E.W. The Father and His Family. 1916.
Hagin, Kenneth E. The Believer's Authority. 1967/1985.
Hagin, Kenneth E. The Name of Jesus. 1981.
MacMillan, John A. "The Authority of the Believer." Alliance Weekly, January–February 1932.

Themelios Article¶

Jackson, Robert. "Prosperity Theology and the Faith Movement." Themelios (The Gospel Coalition). https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/themelios/article/prosperity-theology-and-the-faith-movement/

Scholarly Analysis¶

King, Paul L. "John A. MacMillan's Teaching Regarding the Authority of the Believer and its Impact on the Evangelical, Pentecostal, and Charismatic Movements." https://www.hopefaithprayer.com/word-of-faith/john-a-macmillans-teaching-regarding-the-authority-of-the-believer-and-its-impact-on-the-evangelical-pentecostal-and-charismatic-movements/

Web Sources Consulted¶

"E.W. Kenyon." Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._W._Kenyon
"Kenneth E. Hagin." Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_E._Hagin
"E.W. Kenyon & New Thought Influence." PresentingTheGospel.com. https://www.presentingthegospel.com/post/lesson-1-ew-kenyon-new-thought-influence-student-handout
"Who was E.W. Kenyon?" GotQuestions.org. https://www.gotquestions.org/E-W-Kenyon.html
"The Heretical Jesus Died Spiritually/Born-Again Jesus Doctrine." https://how2becomeachristian.wordpress.com/2010/01/06/the-heretical-jesus-died-spirituallyborn-again-jesus-doctrine-of-word-faith/
"How Did Kenneth Hagin Plagiarize E.W. Kenyon?" https://thewordonthewordoffaith.wordpress.com/2010/10/14/hagin_copied_kenyon/
"A Different Gospel" (review). Christian Research Institute. https://www.equip.org/articles/a-different-gospel/
"Word of Faith Movement." Monergism.com. https://www.monergism.com/word-faith-movement
"Exposing Word of Faith." Justin Peters / SO4J. https://www.so4j.com/exposing-word-of-faith-justin-peters/
"Joyce Meyer's Shocking Doctrine." Berean Research. https://bereanresearch.org/word-of-faith-false-teacher-joyce-meyers-shocking-doctrine-and-heresy/
"Charles Wesley Emerson." Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Wesley_Emerson