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Pure Pleasure: Why Do Christians Feel So Bad about Feeling Good?

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I'm more confused by this book than enlightened. Not that I disagree with the author's thesis; far from it, I think he's probably correct. But instead of making his point in the most concise, convincing manner, he writes like a hyperactive pulpit preacher who can't put the brakes on his tongue.

Gary Thomas believes we are made by God to enjoy the blessings of God's creation. Not that we should wallow in self-indulgence and be slaves to sensuality, but that laughter, good company, good food, marital sex, and other simple joys are God's gift. When well-meaning Christians think dour self-denial makes us holy, Thomas says, we squander the beauty of creation and bring displeasure to God.

My problem is that Thomas makes this point in a brief, persuasive, succinct way... then keeps talking. His argument loops back on itself time and again, long after most audiences already accept the validity of his point. He cites scripture, quotes other authors, regales us with family anecdotes, until I'm ready to shout that I believe him already, and he can get to the next point.

Then as he keeps making already made points, he undercuts himself. When he explains why it is godly to enjoy a cup of coffee or a good book, I'm sold. But then he talks about luxury cars, country clubs, Hawaiian vacations, and flying first class. Hey, I'm an English teacher from the provinces; these "holy pleasures" aren't available to me. Am I less loved by God, then? Oops, did I let class envy into the discussion?

You see my problem?

At other times, he undersells his point. Chapter 13 in particular, about finding holy pleasure in a world where disappointment is the rule rather than the exception, reads like the outline for something not yet completed. After gorging us with details and anecdotes, this part has almost none of the author in it, only quotes, citations, and aphorisms. Just when I need detail, Thomas yanks it away so fast that I get whiplash.

He also promises matter for the future that he could put in right here. A future book, he says, will be about the relationship between physical fitness and spiritual fitness. I'm sure that will be a great book, but since he dedicates pages and pages to his love of marathon running, why couldn't he put that in this volume? I could help him trim the book in front of him to make room for it.

And right at the end, we get a study guide for an accompanying set of online videos for group study. Wait, it says I have to purchase the videos separately. After plunking down fifteen bucks per book for the study, am I unfair to think maybe I should get the videos from YouTube?

I like Thomas' point, and I'm glad somebody has finally said that "I surrender all" doesn't mean we must punish ourselves for loving life. But this rambling book, in need of a judicious edit, is probably not the book to sell this thesis to a mass audience. I wait patiently for the book that will cash the checks Gary Thomas has written.

In our early marriage, my husband was in graduate school and I was soon a stay-at-home mother, and our financial situation required a lot of scrimping to avoid debt and goverment aid and still be able to give to God's work and save something. But, years later, when our financial situation was much different, I realized that I still had a mindset of scrimping and feeling guilty for anything I bought that I didn't absolutely need. And that in essence, I was not appreciating and was even feeling guilty in enjoying the blessings that God had given. Perhaps God would be better pleased if I would occasionally use some of that money to buy something that would bring pleasure to me and my family. That is the point of Gary Thomas' book Pure Pleasure.

While the world in general elevates pleasure above all else, in much of the Christian world, many things that bring pleasure (without some other obvious benefit) are regarded with suspicion. But, God created us to need relaxing and to enjoy pleasure, and He delights in giving good gifts to His children. And the Scriptures make it clear that that even includes "non-spiritual" things. The author provides a whole range of possibilities in which Christians might derive pleasure, and cautions against looking down upon the pleasures of another Christian as wasteful, while accepting our own. He gives the example of the couple that looked down upon him for his daily Starbucks habit while driving a car that easily cost $20,000 more a year than what he drove. Different does not mean wrong.

The author makes his case well, using plenty of Scripture, but he is also very careful to caution his readers not only against "pharisaic prohibitionism" but also "hedonistic license." He does caution against a life focused on one pleasure after another, neglecting responsibilities, etc. But, his ultimate point is that the things that give us pleasure and joy in this life (provided they are not forbidden by the Word of God) should be seen as gifts from God, causing us to have thankful hearts to worship and praise Him. Jesus Christ came to give us life, and life abundant; the life of a Christian should be one of joy. He also makes the point that by denying ourselves pleasure, we set ourselves up to be tempted by things which are sinful but would meet our longings for enjoyment.

The book is very readable. The book is rife with examples, personal and otherwise. The author makes his points very clear and supports them well. He has a way of taking a passage that I've read many times before and bringing out a point that I hadn't previously considered, but he doesn't have the tendency to stretch and read into the Scriptures like some authors I've read. Oh, and there are study questions at the end of each chapter if you like that sort of thing.

Having also read and appreciated the author's book Sacred Marriage, I will likely be checking out other books by this author. I would definitely recommend this book to any Christian, but especially those who struggle with guilt over enjoying themselves. However, due to some brief references to the sexual aspects of marriage, I wouldn't recommend this book for reading aloud in a mixed gender setting.

I've just spent a most delightful weekend finishing Gary Thomas' Pure Pleasure. This excellent book was not only enriching (convicting!) but I found my enthusiasm for Gary's insights growing page by page. As a therapist I am eager to recommend this well-balanced book to clients who suffer from rigid scrupulosity (guilt and fear for experiencing pleasure) and to those who suffer from the residue of unbridled pleasure. The chapter on family pleasure and "being a servant of other's joy" is worth the price of the book. Anti-pleasure ascetics will have a difficult time answering Gary's relentless, tightly reasoned, and winsome defense of pure pleasure which is anchored in both scripture and classic Christian spiritual writers. Highly recommended!

"I enjoy chocolate because God gave me taste buds, and any pleasure I derive from eating it is a pleasure designed and sustained by God. I can talk about enjoying running or eating chocolate as temptations toward idolatry, or I can talk about them as acts of worship..." ~ pg. 55

Before reading "Pure Pleasure" I had no idea there were so many things to feel guilty about. Sure, I've thought about various issues and also realized that God doesn't like it when we complain. In the Old Testament at least he gets angry each time the Israelites start complaining. So from my own reading it does seem he is happier when we are happy even though he does allow terrible things to happen on this earth.

One of the issues taken up in this book is the topic of paying $4 for a cup of coffee when people are starving, even in our own country. I personally only buy drinks at Starbucks once in a while but the author does so every day. He sees it in an interesting light. He provides himself moment of holy pleasure so that he doesn't get enticed by illicit pleasure.

Throughout the book Gary Thomas seeks to find a middle ground between hedonism and asceticism. He fights for the right to be positive and to feel pleasure in many forms. While he talks about each pleasure he is however quick to mention how each pleasure can turn sinful.

The only pleasure I think some Christians will have problems with is the pleasure of drinking alcoholic drinks. While Gary Thomas doesn't drink a lot himself he does find a glass of wine now and then to be an enjoyable way to celebrate an occasion. As always he does things in moderation. Personally I would rather drink Welch's grape juice because to me it is much more satisfying and reminds me of the grape juice we used to drink at communion when I was a child.

After reading this book I now see how allowing yourself certain pleasures can help you to attain a level of holiness you might not otherwise obtain. If you don't allow yourself holy pleasures you are much more likely to fall into temptation. Or at least that is the authors main view on the subject.

~The Rebecca Review

Wow, this message from a favorite author hit me right between the eyes in a good way. I am now pondering how my faith-life can express joy and healthy pleasure rather than be defined by restrictions and guilt. Isn't this the type of realtionship we want with our children? Well, this is the type of relationship with us that the author proposes is desired by God. This is a grace-oriented book that challenges many church attitudes of denial, repression, and living by rules. But, it does not encourage license and irresponsiblity. A very balanced teaching with many "Ah-ha moments.

The focus of Gary Thomas's book is on answering the question of the book's subtitle, Why do Christians feel so bad about feeling good?, and his answer seems to be that they don't know how to distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate pleasures from a biblical perspective and tend to feel guilty about pleasures that, from Thomas's understanding of scripture, are sinless and divinely approved. He is also concerned that "neglecting holy pleasure makes us vulnerable to illicit pleasure" (page 197) and defends the concept and experience of holy pleasure, using other adjectives such as good, true, pure, noble, healthy, lasting, etc. to express it. Many will accept his main point. Some, however, may have problems with a few of his personal applications. For example, in Chapter 11 (The Cost of Pleasure), he makes the valid point that "always assuming that 'cheaper is better' doesn't necessarily square with Scripture" (page 173) and uses it to justify occasional splurging on certain (including family) pleasures. He asks: "Remember the repentant prostitute who poured expensive perfume on Jesus, while a few disciples grumbled about the cost, muttering how the money could have helped the poor? Jesus rebuked the disciples, not the prostitute." The context clearly shows that Jesus was more concerned about the woman's salvation than her perfume (which she used to express her repentance), but Thomas uses the story to illustrate that we should "occasionally splurge for the sake of powerful and godly affection" (page 177). If nothing else, Thomas's scriptural references and applications will make one think, even if one may sometimes come to a different interpretation and application.

I recommend Thomas's book for stimulating conversation, even debate, on the topic of the legitimate place and role of pleasure in the Christian's life - and his "Discussion and Reflection" questions at the end of each chapter encourage the benefit of group discussion - but I also recommend comparing his book with others related to the topic. One book Thomas references numerous times is The Power of Pleasure (2007) by Douglas Weiss. He once references John Piper's book, Future Grace (1995), but surprisingly doesn't refer to Piper's influential book, Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist (1996 Edition), which some consider to be the definitive biblical exposition on the topics of pleasure and desire from a Christian perspective. Although I'm not a Calvinist like Piper, I recommend reading, even wrestling, with his well-organized text which addresses pleasure and desire in the contexts of the happiness of God, conversion, worship, love, scripture, prayer, money, marriage, missions, and suffering. Piper's tome provides a depth that is lacking in Thomas's text.

In addition to Piper's chapter on money, a good Christian book I recommend reading on the role of biblical finance and giving is E. Jay O-Keefe's Biblical Economics... Beginning at Square One (2006) which is sensitive to the contemporary debate over whether monetary tithing (not giving in general) is a divine mandate for Christians and provides solid biblical principles to use regardless of what side of the debate you're on. He's aware that Christians struggle with coveting and debt regardless of whether they tithe and need to come to terms with the fact that God owns 100% and expects us to give to others as He enables and leads us. Thomas touches on tithing, discussing on pages 80 - 81 "the tithe that is never taught" (in Deuteronomy 14:22, 25 - 26) and even suggests on page 176 that one may have to "skim off a tiny bit of your tithe" to afford a family getaway, although he qualifies it by stating "well, that's between you and God, but in some cases, he might well approve." His coverage of the topic is poor and he doesn't adequately address financial intelligence, inclusive of budgeting and debt management, as it relates to the topic of seeking divinely-approved pleasures.

For the philosophically inclined, if you can get access to a copy of the late Mortimer J. Adler's The Great Ideas: A Lexicon of Western Thought, read the chapters on Pleasure and Pain, Desire, Duty and then the chapter on Good and Evil. These will give you a taste of how such topics were debated throughout history, even by theologians. Good is usually defined as that which is desired for its own sake, but there are real and apparent goods, and when "good" is used as a qualifier, there is also that which is better and the best. Sometimes God wants us to sacrifice certain good things (legitimate pleasures) for what is better, and obeying the personal, dynamic leading of the Holy Spirit is essential to such decision-making. I wish Mr. Thomas gave more emphasis to this. The bottom line is that I recommend his book, but it is not the last word on the topic and one should read other books for a deeper grasp of the subject.

"We consider 'pleasure' a synonym for 'sin.' If it feels good, we think, it must be the devil's handmaiden." Christians can have the false dilemma of seeking pleasure OR doing what's right. Gary Thomas sets the record straight and carefully lays out the premise that seeking pleasure IS doing right.

Christians need to get their minds right and begin to believe that the community of God is a party.

Rather than living 'not to sin,' Christians need to begin living for pleasure. It doesn't even sound right to say such a thing does it?

Gary Thomas lays out the case for leaving off obsessing over our sin and beginning to delight in the pleasures that God has given us to enjoy. "Let us learn to fill our souls with beauty, art, noble achievement, fine meals, rich relationships, and soul-cleansing laughter. And... let us be wary of a faith that denies these blessings as 'worldly' and unfit, as though Satan rather than God designed them."

In this age of constantly seeking the pleasures of the world, it is easy to look at pleasure as worldly and evil and that the anecdote is a sober, dull life. Thomas thankfully reassures the serious Christian that God absolutely delights in our seeking pleasure and in fact God invented pleasure. Of course, seeking pleasure must begin with a heart filled by the Holy Spirit.

Thomas makes straight the path to pleasure and dares you to live with feasting and joy.

The one detraction is the somewhat pedantic writing which is probably a result of trying to make a concise message long enough to be a book.

Gary Thomas poses an interesting question right on the front cover of his new book "Pure Please:Why Do Christians Feel So Bad About Feeling Good?" What is it about angst and existential grief that drives most Christians to feel these are somehow God's plan for a "good" life? Have we been so programmed as to think we can only serve God with a sad expression? Some Christians feel that piety is the only acceptable mood for a good Christian. Thomas begs to differ.

Nowhere in the Gospels is it stated that servants must work under dour conditions. Thomas does a great job of reaffirming that knowing God is a joyful business. The very foundation for creation was a world where the creations could enjoy the handy work of the Creator. Religious figures have manipulated many people into believing that anything which brings joy must be inherently sinful. These non-prophets convince followers that happiness on this plane is at direct odds with God's plan for their lives. Taken to its logical extreme, many people practice the art of misery, turning over much of their money to the church, while leading quiet lives of desperation. They are confident a heavenly award awaits them, fulfillment in this life equals hedonistic pleasure. This is so sad, as nothing could be further from the truth.

There is a fine line; if pleasure is derived at the expense of another person's rights/dignity/feelings, then the line is crossed. However, pleasure, in its purest form, is the intended state. God created flowers, clouds, gentle breezes, all these things of simple beauty. He also chooses to bless us more than we deserve, yet there the blessings lie, waiting for us to gratefully receive them. Really, who are we to deny God's blessings?

Gary Thomas puts a very important question forward, ripe for our consideration.

Gary Thomas has once again written a book I could agree with wholeheartedly! I love his words "Our play makes a statement to the world: indeed, it is an act of witness" in opposition to those who say that reading the Bible, praying and praising God verbally and denial are the only ways of giving God glory. I will be recommending this book both for those bound up, and those who want to be freed to sense God's smile because they live and love as God intended but don't know exactly how. But I'll also recommend it to those who want to smile and know they're living as God's children because they've already learned the secret of pure pleasure!

If you feel guilty about enjoying the blessings God has given you, doing something nice for yourself, or taking a day off when there's so much need out there, then this is the book for you. But it's also for those who realize they're being tempted by pleasures that are condemned in the Bible. It shows how appropriate pleasure done in the God-ordained context will help prevent a Christian from being tempted by inappropriate behavior.

Chapter one gave the premise of the book. Chapters two through five explained exactly what he meant when he said Christians should enjoy themselves and why he thought God wanted us to enjoy life. Chapters six through fourteen dug deeper into how appropriate enjoyment of pleasure would play out in a Christian's life, and he included examples from his life.

The book was Bible-based, and he quoted Scripture to support his main points. I agreed with the points he made. However, especially in the first chapters, his tone came across as defensive--as if he assumed all of his readers would attack his premise and he wanted to reassure and calm them down before moving on. So some parts were repetitious, like he wanted to make really, really sure we didn't misunderstand what he was saying. I think I would have been more deeply engaged by chapters two through five if he'd presented his case more succinctly.

In any case, the rest of the book was excellent. The entire book was easy to understand and made good points. I'd recommend it to anyone who "feels bad about feeling good" or otherwise wonders if they really have a Biblical view of pleasure.


I received this review copy from the publisher.

Reviewed by Debbie from ChristFocus Book Club
(christfocusbookclub. blogspot. com)