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spiritually, socially and economically resulting from their new faith and life of sobriety. For this reason these pastors feel that the essential key to eradicate poverty is evangelism.\u000AConversion is the fundamental factor that also brings material benefits as result of the blessing of God and hard work. Mariz from her study of Pentecostalism in Brazil found a similar idea. She says that they help to re-establish the dignity of the poor, by strengthening self worth, providing them with a direct experience of the sacred gives them potential and offers them a support network. These factors contribute to resolving the material problems of their daily lives (1995a: 205-207, 211-215).\u000AOther pastors think that the cause of the poverty is due to a lack in positive thinking. For example, the ICV pastor thinks that poverty is caused by the lack of a positive attitude to life. It is the result of a defeatist and conformist mental attitude which needs to be transformed. For that reason he pleads for mental transformation in order to change culture and the reality (PIICV). Another pastor from a similar perspective affirms that \u2018people can learn to raise their standard of life and their limited capacity if they do their part\u0027 (P2FCG). These pastors conceived that poverty here results from a defeatist mentality.\u000AOther pastors affirm that poverty also is due to a lack of faith. They state that wealth or poverty depends on positive confession.110 The words have power to evoke poverty or prosperity. This belief is based essentially on the criteria of the movement of positive confession from authors like Kenneth Copeland (1999), David Yonggi Cho (1987), Catherine Ponder (1983) and local pastors who promote and spread these ideas by means of their books and preaching. This explanation sounds strange or irrational for non- believers, but NPS and lay people say that they have seen how God blesses and provides for their material needs.\u000A110 Martin Oca\u00F1a analyses in detail the origin and development of the theology of prosperity (2002). Garrard- Burnett links the theology of prosperity with the movement of the gospel of prosperity which arose in the United States in 1890 at a time of great tumult and social uncertainty. Among the apostles were David Rockefeller and J.P.Morgan (1998: 118-29).\u000A 218\u000A