Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I've Loved

According to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, colorectal cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths. (“Colorectal Cancer Statistics.” CDC.gov.) According to the American Cancer Society, however, colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths, unless statistics combine female and male populations, in which case colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths.

(“Key Statistics for Colorectal Cancer.” Cancer.org.)

Regardless of its precise rank, colorectal cancer is a deadly illness that continues to grow more so. While this disease has traditionally appeared in populations of those 50 and older, incidences of colorectal cancer have begun to increase dramatically in younger populations. At the time of her diagnosis, Bowler would have had to wait another 15 years before a recommended colonoscopy. That the disease had metastasized dramatically by the time of her diagnosis is an indication it had been present for years.

As with other cancerous illnesses, references to colon cancer by a particular stage indicate how advanced the disease is. Stage I colorectal cancers are localized, usually contained within a polyp, or growth in the colon’s lining. Stage II colon cancers have escaped from the polyp in which they originated into the surrounding tissue. Stage III cancers have invaded the lymph system, which indicates that transmission to other areas of the body is imminent. Stage IV cancers are those in which the original cancer has metastasized to other areas of the body.

Bowler relates how physicians discover four metastatic tumors in her liver. She writes that, from the beginning, doctors refer to her treatment as palliative care, meaning they do not expect her to recover from the cancer or to live with it as a chronic condition. Bowler’s doctors expect her to die, giving her a 50% chance of living up to two years. The chemotherapy she receives, as explained by her Atlanta oncologist, typically slows or reverses the growth of the tumors for several months. Bowler’s treatment trial is unique in that she experiences not only chemotherapy but also immunotherapy. This involves the use of medicines that promote the body’s own immune system to attack cancer cells.

Theological Context: The Prosperity Gospel

Bowler’s interest in the prosperity gospel stems from an occasion in which a Mennonite congregation rewarded its pastor with a motorcycle to express their thanks to him for introducing them to prosperity theology. Depicting it as uniquely American in its genesis, Bowler researched the phenomenon exhaustively. She writes that America’s uniquely optimistic, capitalistic mindset—that greater things always lie in store—melds with the circular reasoning that God wants to bless abundantly those who worship with proper dedication, and that lack of abundance implies a lack of faith. This theological viewpoint, as Bowler expresses it, requires perpetual positivity. It is often expressed—either sincerely by adherents or cynically by detractors—through certain simple proverbs, such as “Name it and claim it” (83).

As is the case with doctoral scholars, Bowler confines her research to the financial abundance element of prosperity theology. There are other important elements connected to the prosperity gospel that the author does not mention. In particular, there are two distinct 21st century religious movements that often embrace prosperity theology, incorporating it into their traditional roots. The first are among predominantly Black congregations in which the doctrine of divine favor and abundant blessings is often called triumphalism. Material blessings and the relative ascendance of the Black community are spiritually yoked, supported by the assumption that divine blessings, long delayed, are now being revealed. The second movement is comprised of evangelical Christian churches. Most of these have either departed from the heritage of mainline denominations or, increasingly, have emerged as creations of unaffiliated well-spoken ministers who embrace literalist biblical theology, conservative social views, and adhere closely to prosperity beliefs.