Happiness matters

Do you ever wish you were happier? Do you ever wonder if you even known what true happiness is about?

I think mixed-up messages and confused conceptions about happiness are rampant in our society. And I think sending those messages is one of the cruelest ways our culture of consumption tricks us in this day and age. The culture says that happiness is all about maintaining a fairly high level of elation or euphoria, usually (of course) given to us by purchasing the right product, using the right substance, or engaging in the right activity. And you can bet that there is a company that will sell you whatever you need to get there.

Ellen T. Charry says it can be as varied as "a laundry detergent, a gourmet meal, an exotic vacation or a sexual triumph," in her recent article on the subject in The Christian Century (the article itself was not availble at the CC website at the time of this blog posting; I'll add a link to it when/if it becomes available online). But, Prof. Charry adds, this vision of happiness is at odds with the vision of happiness that is found in both the Western philosophical and Christian theological traditions.

From both Aristotle and the Old Testament, we can find a view of happiness that includes experiences of profound, sustained joy and well-being, but does not depend on transient experiences of physical or emothional 'highs.' As you move further into the Christian tradition, from the New Testament to Augustine to Thomas Aquinas, you see the devleopment of a theology of happiness that insists that true happiness is found in virtuous growth in Christlikeness, a process that involves committing oneself to choices that produce habits, which in turn shape character, which in turn define one's life. So while the Christian life may seem to involve difficult, painful sacrifice in the short term, such sacrificies are always put in the context of an ongoing growth in virtue. And a virtuous person, because she is closer to God, is ultimately a happy person.

Charry sums up her position well in her closing paragraph: "Contemporary culture offers us various versions of happiness. We are told that happiness is a feeling, or that happiness is a result of wealth or health, or that it can be attained by having the right product for the right moment or by perfecting one's circumstances so as to build a buffer against ill fortune. None of these visions is the Christian vision of happiness. Instead, happiness is a life nourished by the love and goodness of God that contributes to the flourishing of creation. Even in the face of evil, rejection and suffering, a person who has learned to love well will experience pleasure a nd satsfaction from being herself - a person built from the loving use of God-given creativity, power and goodness. When that goodness takes up residence in us we realize that we are the living image of God, and that makes us happy."

This is a very good article, and I don't do it justice in this blog post. I do wish Prof. Charry had spent a bit more time on the distinction between Aristotelian notions of happinenss and Christian (or really, Thomistic) notions of happiness. I suspect that eschatology may significantly alter how we understand the teleological thrust of happiness in Christian discipleship. But all in all, a very good essay. Check it out!