The denial of flesh, or the material world is an important Christian teaching. In Matthew 16:24 Christ says “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me." Then in Galatians 5:24 “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Much of our daily actions are driven by our bodily desires. The German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer argued that humans lack free will; our actions are entirely determined by external stimuli and causes, and we merely react to these motives. Schopenhauer believed that to achieve true freedom, we must abandon our passions and desires. Similarly, Christ teaches that to attain spiritual freedom, we must deny our flesh and follow Him. How, then, does any of this relate to prosperity? 400