Desiring God by John Piper

Week 11: Appendix 1 — The Indirect Pursuit of Joy / Objections Answered

Read Appendix 1 of Desiring God ("The Ethics of Christian Hedonism" or the section addressing objections to Christian Hedonism). Key Scripture: Matthew 5:11–12; Galatians 5:22–23.

Piper anticipates the most serious objections to his thesis and answers them with care — this week is a chance to wrestle honestly with the pushback you may have been carrying through the whole book.

Discussion Questions

8 questions

1.By this point in the book, what is the objection to Christian Hedonism that has felt most compelling to you personally? What has Piper said or not said that either strengthened or answered that objection?

2.One of the strongest objections to Piper's thesis is that pursuing joy in God is ultimately still selfish — you are still doing it for yourself, even if the object is God. How does Piper answer this? Do you find his answer sufficient?

a.Is there a meaningful difference between "selfishness" (using others for your own gain) and "self-interest" (caring about your own ultimate good)? How does this distinction matter for Piper's argument?

b.What is the difference between pursuing joy AS the end, and pursuing God as the end and finding that he brings joy?

3.Piper addresses the objection that Christian Hedonism sounds too much like the health-and-wealth gospel — the idea that following God should make you happy, healthy, and prosperous. How does Piper distinguish his view from the prosperity gospel?

4.Another objection: What about the times when we simply don't feel joy in God? Is Piper's call to joyful Christianity oppressive to those who are depressed, grieving, or spiritually dry? How does Piper handle the gap between the command to rejoice and the felt reality of spiritual dryness?

5.Piper introduces what he calls the "indirect pursuit" of joy — the idea that joy in God cannot always be directly manufactured, but must often be sought indirectly through practices (reading Scripture, prayer, fellowship, worship) that create the conditions for joy to arise. How does this idea make his theology more practically livable?

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Closing Prayer

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Holy Spirit, we confess that we have sometimes used our objections to Piper's argument as a way of protecting ourselves from its demands. Examine our hearts. Where we have genuine theological questions, grant us wisdom and discernment. But where we have been resisting because the truth is too costly or too demanding, break down our resistance with your kindness. Produce in us the joy that is a fruit of your presence — a joy we cannot manufacture but can only receive, and that we cannot receive without coming to you with open hands. Amen.

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