The Art of Happiness

January 24, 2011 By scotmcknight 6 Comments

Happiness has become a hot topic for discussion among philosophers and theologians, and one reason for this is that it has always been a part of intellectual history. But the discussion was more or less taken over by the social sciences and it became a discussion about our inner state — answering the question “What makes you (feel) happy?”

Healing and happiness are connected; only as we are healed do we become happy. Notice these words: “Healing is learned by enacting healing behavior, not first by talking and thinking about healing as an outcome” (252). As we enact healing behaviors toward others we are ourselves healed. Obedience to God’s commands creates human flourishing and heals and leads to genuine (redemptive) happiness.

Question: Is happiness a result of love properly ordered, or is happiness something we pursue? How then does one find happiness?

In her new thorough study of happiness in the Christian tradition, Princeton theologian Ellen Charry offers a full-scale study that ought to be in every theologian’s library: God and the Art of Happiness. Her book is cut in two: a history of the discussion, which involves a very careful study of Augustine but also examines Boethius, Aquinas and Joseph Butler, with some brief sketches of others.

The second half is about “Asherism” in the Bible, her term for the “blessed life.” She takes “asherism” out of the Hebrew word for blessed: ashrey. She has full-orbed biblical and Trinitarian approach to happiness. The scope is breathtaking at times.

So, what is happiness according to Charry?

First, it is connected to salvation. “Salvation is the healing of love that one may rest in God.” This Augustinian framing of salvation may be Augustinian but it is also profoundly biblical. Furthermore, salvation works toward our healing into happiness and human flourishing: “Asherism works out that healing process in a life of reverent obedience to divine commands that shape character and bring moral-psychological flourishing and enhance societal well-being” (xi). This from her introduction, but having read the book that’s the best summary in the whole book. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Happiness Tagged With: , 6 Comments

Christmas Minnesota Style (RJS)

December 30, 2009 By RJS 6 Comments

Scot headed for warmer climes – we headed north.

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Filed Under: Happiness 6 Comments

Do you need God to be moral?

March 23, 2009 By scotmcknight 44 Comments

C.S. Lewis famously argued that morals need God, that one cannot have universal morals without a divine foundation for those morals. That is, apart from belief in God it is hard to maintain belief in morals. The question Lewis provokes for some is this: Are there cultures where folks are both demonstrably moral and irreligious. One of the more interesting books I’ve read of late is Phil Zuckerman’s new book, Society without God: What the Least Religious Nations Can Tell Us About Contentment , because Zuckerman argues he’s found just that.

Here’s our question: How do traditional Christians explain places where there is very little religious belief but there is a clear presence of good, respectable morals and civlity?

Zuckerman studies cultures or societies where folks are:

1. Moral.
2. Happy.
3. Irreligious.

Where?

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Happiness, Public Issues 44 Comments

Friday is for Friends

February 27, 2009 By scotmcknight 6 Comments

Thinker.jpgWe’re looking at happiness and using David Naugle, Reordered Love, Reordered Lives: Learning the Deep Meaning of Happiness,and what he says here dovetails nicely with our examination of Jean Twenge’s book about the iGens. There is a significant increase in anxiety and depression records today, and there is also a constant pursuit of happiness.

But why can’t people find happiness? Everyone in history has agreed that happiness is the general pursuit of all of us — but humans don’t find it. Why?

Naugle examines both theological and cultural reasons for why we don’t find happiness. We are ignorant of the chief good for humans and we are ignorant for a variety of reasons:

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Happiness 6 Comments

Friday is for Friends

February 20, 2009 By scotmcknight 10 Comments

Augustine.jpg David Naugle’s second chapter in his fine new book, Reordered Love, Reordered Lives: Learning the Deep Meaning of Happiness, is about Augustine.

Augustine lists the three causes of unhappiness and the one cause of genuine happiness.

What do you think of his breakdown? How about a concrete instance of each one?

Here they are:

1. Some people are unhappy because they cannot obtain what they treasure most. This person does not get what he or she most wants. They are unhappy because of what they lack.

2. Some people are unhappy because they have what they want but what they want cannot or does not make them happy. These folks love what they should not love.

3. Some people are unhappy because they have what makes them happy but they don’t value what makes them happy enough. They live an ironic life. They don’t love what they should.

4. Those who are truly happy — and he’s not talking about happy faces — are those who know the chief good of life and have it.

Filed Under: Happiness 10 Comments

Friday is for Friends

February 13, 2009 By scotmcknight 5 Comments

David Naugle’s new book, Reordered Love, Reordered Lives: Learning the Deep Meaning of Happiness, is a delightful series of reflections on a Christian understanding of happiness. I like his theme of balance and I wonder if some want to converse about the struggle to find the balance or to live happily with the imbalance. Here’s a good statement by Naugle:

Trying to live in the creation without the Creator, or
trying to live with the Creator without creation
is incomplete and ultimately harmful.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Happiness 5 Comments

Friday is for Friends

January 23, 2009 By scotmcknight 7 Comments

Naugle.jpgWe begin a new “friday is for friends” series next week, but today we introduce the theme: happiness. I encourage you to purchase and read David Naugle‘s newest book, Reordered Love, Reordered Lives: Learning the Deep Meaning of Happiness
, if you want to enter more completely into this series.

The theme of happiness interests me, and so does this new book by Naugle, someone known for his book on Worldview (Worldview: The History of a Concept
). This new book on happiness should provide for us a couple of months of conversation. (There is even more discussion of Naugle’s book at his own website: www.reorderedlove.com.)

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Happiness 7 Comments