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Rigorous Joy

The Lost Virtue of Happiness says happiness comes from pursuing goodness, not pleasure.

W. Jay Wood | posted 2/08/2007 08:11AM

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Everyone wants happiness, yet this country's record levels of depression, suicide, and general malaise attest to our limited success at achieving it. The problem, according to Moreland and Issler, may be the distorted belief that happiness resides in personal pleasure and self-satisfaction rather than in "a life well lived, a life of virtue and character, a life that manifests wisdom, kindness, and goodness."

While the Holy Spirit initiates and sustains our growth in Christlike virtues, we must, as the subtitle suggests, train ourselves in godliness through a regimen of spiritual disciplines—practices or habits we undertake to help in our gradual transformation into whole and happy persons. The pursuit of godly virtues is no matter of mere academic concern for Moreland and Issler. They confess with refreshing candor their struggles, respectively, with depression and being emotionally closed and unaware.

Chapters 3 through 5 discuss cultivating virtues of heart, mind, and will. Chapters 6 through 8 address, in order, embracing the hiddenness of God, dealing with anxiety and depression, and forming spiritual friendships.

The body, unfortunately, does not receive a separate chapter, but does receive attention at various points, especially in chapters 2 and 7. This clearly written book is replete with concrete suggestions that will be useful for all ranges of maturity in the spiritual disciplines.

Related Elsewhere:

The Lost Virtue of Happiness is available from ChristianBook.com and other retailers.

'The History—and Theology—of Happiness' and 'Straitened and Narrowed,' both from Books & Culture, discuss the virtue of happiness.

Christianity Today articles by and about J.P. Moreland include a brief Books & Culturereview of Three Views on Creation and Evolution and:

Jesus from East to West | Ravi Zacharias defends Christianity using the narrative of his life.(J. P. Moreland, August 1, 2006)

Masters of Philosophy | How Biola University is making inroads in the larger philosophical world (June 1, 2003)

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February 2007, Vol. 51, No. 2

Comments (5)

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2-for-1 Gifts!

Deborah DG

February 15, 2007 6:13pm

The joy of the LORD is our strength! It seems that most people (including many Christians), have great difficulty differentiating circumstance-based happiness, from true, lasting joy. This is a wonderful read that helps illuminate the understanding of those who don't know the difference between the two, and an excellent reminder for those of us who sometimes forget.

Keith Wilson

February 08, 2007 10:44pm

It's great when a philosopher/apologist of Moreland's calibre nails such an important subject so neglected by Christendom yet so basic. This is a book that challenges my moral and spiritual life as much as his philosophical works have challenged my intellectual life.

Kathy

February 08, 2007 7:31pm

This article was interesting and i think it holds truth!

George

February 08, 2007 7:15pm

Of course !! Vert good indeed!!

E. Van Liere

February 08, 2007 4:11pm

This is the kind of article I think about printing to keep, but at this point in my life I'm trying to discard rather than add to.

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