Holy Unhappiness: God, Goodness, and the Myth of the Blessed Life
What does it mean to be blessed? Are Christians entitled to happiness, fulfilment, and perfect peace? Holy Unhappiness explores these questions and challenges the false beliefs many in the church hold about "the good life" and what it means to walk in communion with God.
American Christians have developed a long list of expectations about what the life with God will feel like. Many Christians rightly deny the Prosperity Gospel--the idea that God wants you to be healthy and wealthy-- but instead embrace its more subtle spin-off, the Emotional Prosperity Gospel, or the belief that God wants you to always experience happiness and fulfillment. Our society has become increasingly averse to sadness and emotional discomfort. Too often, people of faith assume that difficult feelings are a result of either God's judgment or our own lack of spiritual maturity. Some even equate happiness with holiness.