![]() However, what speaks to Kate the most are the people who write to her about love. People are consumed with finding a logic or a reason behind the seemingly random cruelty of tragedy. People tell her that their problems are worse, that death is relative, that she should accept God’s plan for her, or that cancer is a just punishment for her sins. While many people are sympathetic, understanding, and supportive, most do not know how to deal with the realities of death sympathetically. She publishes an article in the New York Times which prompts countless people to write to her to share advice and their experiences. ![]() Kate then begins writing about the challenging of living with dying “in a world where everything happens for a reason” (106). Kate is then tested and accepted into a clinical trial in Atlanta which combines her chemotherapy with special immunotherapy. ![]() When her insurance company refuses to pay for the treatment, friends in high places pull strings to get it covered. Kate then learns that she is part of just three percent of people with her condition who are eligible for experimental treatments. She knows that her previous arm condition and infertility should have taught her that she cannot control life, but nevertheless, she tries. At the same time, she pushes herself to control and direct her healing, determined not to surrender to death. She is filled with love for her family and friends and wants them to live happily, unburdened, and free, regardless of what happens to her. Recovering from surgery, Kate tries to prepare for her death psychologically and practically. However, just a year later, she receives her terminal cancer diagnosis and she is forced to question not just her personal philosophies, but many of the cultural beliefs that surround her. ![]() Now she is held up as an example of how God rains blessings down upon the faithful. Waves of good fortune follow her healing as she lands her dream job, gets a book deal, and has a baby. At the same time, Kate suffers from infertility and a miscarriage.įinally, Kate finds a physiotherapist who can heal her arms. As she struggled to navigate the medical system and find a diagnosis, believers in the prosperity gospel held up her illness as an object lesson, proof that she must have committed some unknown sin to have been punished with this illness. She remembers past illnesses when weakness in her arms made it difficult for her to use them for a long period in her late twenties. She is forced to contemplate the reality of dying and cannot imagine leaving behind her husband and baby son. After being diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer, Kate realizes how she had inadvertently bought into these tenets, which are not just reflected in the prosperity gospel, but also in the cultural ethos of North America in general which believes, according to the American Dream, that hard work, positivity, and good behavior will be justly rewarded.Īfter diagnosis, Kate is rushed into surgery and is not expected to live out the year. Thus, life’s tragedies can be easily explained and individuals have control over their lives. Kate Bowler is a professor and religious scholar who specializes in the prosperity gospel, a branch of Christianity that believes that God rewards the faithful and punishes the sinful. The following version of this book was used to create this guide:
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