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Lost Virtue of Happiness: Discovering the Disciplines of the Good Life
We are only happy when we pursue a transcendent purpose--something larger than ourselves. This pursuit involves a deeply meaningful relationship with God through a selfless preoccupation with the spiritual disciplines.The Lost Virtue of Happiness takes a fresh, meaningful look at the spiritual disciplines, offering concrete examples of ways you can make them practical and life-transforming.
220 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2006
About the author
J.P. Moreland
97 books230 followersJ.P. Moreland is the Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University in La Mirada, California. He has four earned degrees: a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Missouri, a Th.M. in theology from Dallas Theological Seminary, an M. A. in philosophy from the University of California-Riverside, and a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Southern California.
He has co-planted three churches, spoken and debated on over 175 college campuses around the country, and served with Campus Crusade for Christ for 10 years. For eight years, he served as a bioethicist for PersonaCare Nursing Homes, Inc. headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland.
His ideas have been covered by both popular religious and non-religious outlets, including the New Scientist and PBS’s “Closer to Truth,” Christianity Today and WORLD magazine. He has authored or co-authored 30 books, and published over 70 articles in journals, which include Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, American Philosophical Quarterly, Australasian Journal of Philosophy, Metaphilosophy, Philosophia Christi, and Faith and Philosophy.
He has co-planted three churches, spoken and debated on over 175 college campuses around the country, and served with Campus Crusade for Christ for 10 years. For eight years, he served as a bioethicist for PersonaCare Nursing Homes, Inc. headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland.
His ideas have been covered by both popular religious and non-religious outlets, including the New Scientist and PBS’s “Closer to Truth,” Christianity Today and WORLD magazine. He has authored or co-authored 30 books, and published over 70 articles in journals, which include Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, American Philosophical Quarterly, Australasian Journal of Philosophy, Metaphilosophy, Philosophia Christi, and Faith and Philosophy.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 30, 2015
Far from being a self-help book, Moreland and Klauss (MK) define happiness in terms of its more ancient setting: a happy life is one that allows me to pursue virtue. In Christian terms, a happy life is a disciplined life that allows me to pursue the Kingdom of God.
Today happiness is defined as “good feeling” (MK 16). If happiness is defined as my good feelings, and if the goal of happiness is to pursue my good feelings, then everything has to center around...me! This creates what sociologists call “the empty self.”
Further, the empty self is what we project outwards to others. MK also have interesting suggestions on how the empty self leads to loneliness--and they posit solitude as the correction to loneliness.
Unlike other spiritual disciplines books, this offers a number of practical suggestions for enabling the “disciplined life.” Of course, the reader won’t accept every suggestion (and in fact, I disagree with a few of them). Nevertheless, most are quite helpful and have further enriched my own prayer life.
Of Particular help:
studying: the mind works from whole to part to whole. Moreland suggests--and this is something I’ve been doing for about a decade--to study the table of contents before you read a difficult book. If it is well-organized, the book won’t be that difficult.
increasing prayer time: It’s hard to kneel down a pray for a good, cold hour. However, Moreland suggests a number of strategies that can enrich and eventually lengthen prayer time. Instead of “dive-bomber prayers,” he urges “pressure cooker prayers.” Instead of saying, “Dear Jesus, please be with Suzy today,” we can keep coming back to the Lord in 2 or 3 minute increments and lifting Suzy up, often bolstered by Psalms, and “wrestling with the Lord in prayer” over Suzy. After a while, we realize we have been often in prayer, even working with God.
Calm down: Moreland has a controversial, yet probably workable suggestion on anxiety. He has noted that neuroscience is seeing that the heart has its own “system.” He recommends breathing techniques that will calm the heart. This is fine as long as we don’t say “thus saith the Lord.”
Deliverance ministries: MK are correct that demons cannot possess believers. Let that be said loud and clear. However, demons can attack and afflict believers. This isn’t that startling a statement. If you are attacking satanic strongholds and winning victories for the kingdom, do you really expect Satan to stand idly by? How will a demon attack you? As Paul says, by letting sinful passions “gain a foothold.”
Evaluation:
I recommend it for intermediate believers who already have a strong foundation in the spiritual disciplines.
Today happiness is defined as “good feeling” (MK 16). If happiness is defined as my good feelings, and if the goal of happiness is to pursue my good feelings, then everything has to center around...me! This creates what sociologists call “the empty self.”
Further, the empty self is what we project outwards to others. MK also have interesting suggestions on how the empty self leads to loneliness--and they posit solitude as the correction to loneliness.
Unlike other spiritual disciplines books, this offers a number of practical suggestions for enabling the “disciplined life.” Of course, the reader won’t accept every suggestion (and in fact, I disagree with a few of them). Nevertheless, most are quite helpful and have further enriched my own prayer life.
Of Particular help:
studying: the mind works from whole to part to whole. Moreland suggests--and this is something I’ve been doing for about a decade--to study the table of contents before you read a difficult book. If it is well-organized, the book won’t be that difficult.
increasing prayer time: It’s hard to kneel down a pray for a good, cold hour. However, Moreland suggests a number of strategies that can enrich and eventually lengthen prayer time. Instead of “dive-bomber prayers,” he urges “pressure cooker prayers.” Instead of saying, “Dear Jesus, please be with Suzy today,” we can keep coming back to the Lord in 2 or 3 minute increments and lifting Suzy up, often bolstered by Psalms, and “wrestling with the Lord in prayer” over Suzy. After a while, we realize we have been often in prayer, even working with God.
Calm down: Moreland has a controversial, yet probably workable suggestion on anxiety. He has noted that neuroscience is seeing that the heart has its own “system.” He recommends breathing techniques that will calm the heart. This is fine as long as we don’t say “thus saith the Lord.”
Deliverance ministries: MK are correct that demons cannot possess believers. Let that be said loud and clear. However, demons can attack and afflict believers. This isn’t that startling a statement. If you are attacking satanic strongholds and winning victories for the kingdom, do you really expect Satan to stand idly by? How will a demon attack you? As Paul says, by letting sinful passions “gain a foothold.”
Evaluation:
I recommend it for intermediate believers who already have a strong foundation in the spiritual disciplines.
February 24, 2015
I think my main frustration with this book stems from misplaced expectation. Considering JP Moreland's reputation as a leading evangelical apologist, I anticipated a book with greater intellectual content. Instead I found a book that was extremely practical, and sometimes almost too practical. There are better, more engaging books about the disciplines than this book.
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August 20, 2019Unsatisfying — less because of content and more because it seemed like a book that didn't know what it was supposed to be. The chapters are not integrated, and I am not sure the title has much to do with the main idea — the conclusion recapped the central idea of the book and I felt like I had never heard it before. Needed some work, despite some reasonably good practical reminders.
November 30, 2021
The book is a good as an introduction to christian practices as disciplines. The chapter about the hiddeness of god is esp good. However the chapters seemed disjointed. Most of the ideas in the same chapter seemed as if a mini article was placed there with no relation to the rest. If you regard it as an introduction, it's marvelous, but it's disjointed. Btw, The epilogue was heart-warming.
December 23, 2018
This book is as wonderful as they come. Includes lots of practical strategies for increasing success and happiness in a Christ-centered life.
February 23, 2019
There were some really good nuggets of wisdom and truth throughout this book! But the authors are not reformed and it was a little too charismatic for me.
October 6, 2023
Less philosophical and more Christian Living category that I would have liked.
October 21, 2009
This book serves as a good reminder that there is greater meaning to life than just feeling pleasure, or a fleeting sense of happiness. I was a bit disappointed in the beginning section, distracted by an awkward golf analogy and the authors’ focus on the ancient philosophers' views on happiness. However, the rest of the book was more helpful, and related more to God than Aristotle (not that the latter isn't worth reading, it's just I don't think his words are the standard).
The authors discuss various disciplines to “practice, practice, practice” in order to know truer happiness than what is touted in magazine ads today. These disciplines include forming a "tender, receptive heart," a "thoughtful mind stayed on God," and a "trusting will that risks with God."
I especially appreciated one of the later chapters on dealing with anxiety and depression because of the vulnerability of the author in describing his own experience, the reminder to meditate on God's goodness and miracles, and the practical suggestions offered to promote good mood.
Overall, this is a decent book. I learned something new—that the two talents the master gave to his servant in the parable were equivalent to a lifetime’s wages! And I was struck by this exhortation to remember God’s faithfulness: “Our problem is not that God does not act on our behalf. Our problem is that, as time passes, we forget how needy we once were, and we forget the details, the drama, and the gratitude we experienced from answers to prayer.” I am glad for Moreland and Issler’s reminder to notice God’s provision, which will no doubt contribute to any attentive receiver’s happiness.
The authors discuss various disciplines to “practice, practice, practice” in order to know truer happiness than what is touted in magazine ads today. These disciplines include forming a "tender, receptive heart," a "thoughtful mind stayed on God," and a "trusting will that risks with God."
I especially appreciated one of the later chapters on dealing with anxiety and depression because of the vulnerability of the author in describing his own experience, the reminder to meditate on God's goodness and miracles, and the practical suggestions offered to promote good mood.
Overall, this is a decent book. I learned something new—that the two talents the master gave to his servant in the parable were equivalent to a lifetime’s wages! And I was struck by this exhortation to remember God’s faithfulness: “Our problem is not that God does not act on our behalf. Our problem is that, as time passes, we forget how needy we once were, and we forget the details, the drama, and the gratitude we experienced from answers to prayer.” I am glad for Moreland and Issler’s reminder to notice God’s provision, which will no doubt contribute to any attentive receiver’s happiness.
January 10, 2014
This is a very helpful, well-written, thoughtful book. My only beef was that the authors seem to load it up with a lot of the typical "spiritual" exercises that are so common to these types of books. Some just seemed like silly filler, especially since I was more interested in reading more of a philosophical treatment of happiness rather than doing the standard retreat-type exercises.
That said . . . I do think I will go back and do several of the exercises, especially the ones that concern anxiety and friendship. I found the book very convicting in regard to friendship. As I considered my on-the-fly answers to some of the questions in the chapter on friendship, I found myself stumped. I know I have issues with friendship, trust, and relationships in general, and I've resisted for many years the idea that I "need fellowship" to flourish as a believer, but . . . it may be time to yield my stubborn spirit and try to develop a few deeper friendships.
I will have to revisit this book at a more leisurely pace and pay special attention to those chapters that had particular relevance to the current stage in my human journey.
That said . . . I do think I will go back and do several of the exercises, especially the ones that concern anxiety and friendship. I found the book very convicting in regard to friendship. As I considered my on-the-fly answers to some of the questions in the chapter on friendship, I found myself stumped. I know I have issues with friendship, trust, and relationships in general, and I've resisted for many years the idea that I "need fellowship" to flourish as a believer, but . . . it may be time to yield my stubborn spirit and try to develop a few deeper friendships.
I will have to revisit this book at a more leisurely pace and pay special attention to those chapters that had particular relevance to the current stage in my human journey.
December 2, 2008
"The central [principle] is Jesus' statement "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it" (Matthew 16:25). The attitude and action of self-giving implied by that verse are not meant to be a one-time decision. They must be repeated over and over daily - through practice. If you take up this challenge - a dedication to dedicate to humble self-giving in the manner of Christ, the practice of God's presence, the aim to embrace God's hiddenness and to trust in Him openly (even through anxiety or depression), the purpose of inviting one ore more close friends into our lives - we believe you will notice dramatic changes in yourself."
November 11, 2013
I found the first part of this book interesting as the authors talked about virtue and happiness. They compared older views of happiness against newer ones to demonstrate how the views have changed in recent years. I was hoping for an in-depth look at the connection between virtue and happiness throughout the book. Instead, it was filled with practical advice for how to discipline our lives for happiness. The chapter which focused on disciplines was EXCELLENT in its treatment of why and how to learn a new discipline. But overall the book focused too much on the practical side of happiness rather than the philosophical side (which I thought Moreland would focus on).
December 2, 2023
Great book! Very practical and filled with awesome stories of God moving in personal lives. Does a good job of defining what happiness should be vs what happiness is often defined to be today. Talks through friendship, depression, the hiddenness of God, trusting God, and losing your life so you might find it. This book is all about “getting good at life” and gives many practical tools for accomplishing that through connecting with Jesus.
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May 1, 2012J. P. Moreland and Klaus Issler’s The Lost Virtue of Happiness is a rare book. It manages to be biblical, deep, understandable, engaging and practical all at the same time. As few books are, this one is worth contemplating, discussing and putting into practice. I highly recommend it for personal and group study.
October 16, 2007
I got so much out of this book I read it twice
November 18, 2010
A redirection of the concept of happiness and a helpful discussion of the spiritual disciplines. Explicitly evangelical Christian in nature.
December 28, 2014
It had some moments, but I was expecting a bit more.
February 11, 2009
This book is a good companion to Dennis Pager's "Happiness is a Serious Problem."
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews