Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist (Paperback)

~ (Author) "The reason this may sound strange is that we are more accustomed to think about our duty than God's design..." (more)
Key Phrases: frontier missions, wartime lifestyle, judicial sentiment, Christian Hedonism, Word of God, Christian Hedonist (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book profoundly influenced my life." -- Jerry Bridges --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Description

Scripture reveals that the great business of life is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever. In this paradigm-shattering classic, newly revised and expanded, John Piper reveals that the debate between duty and delight doesn't truly exist: Delight is our duty. Readers will embark on a dramatically different and joyful experience of their faith

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Product Details

• Paperback: 358 pages
• Publisher: Multnomah Books; Revised and Expanded edition (April 17, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590521196
• ISBN-13: 978-1590521199
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (121 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #4,062 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read one of the best books in Chrisitan thought today!, April 16, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist (Paperback)

John Piper's God-exalting book is one of the most stimulating and engaging books that I have ever read. The chief end of man, Piper writes, is to glorify God by enjoying him forever. He expands on this by repeatedly teaching us that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him. God gets the glory, we get the pleasure and happiness. In other words, God's desire to be glorified and my desire for lasting peace, happiness, joy, and satisfaction are not at odds with each other, but are one and the same goal. Reading this book will take you through a whirlwind tour of God-centered Christianity by a careful and very wise guide. Piper shows how a Christian Hedonist uses her money, loves his neighbor, worships his God, and seeks to have others join in worship by exalting God in missions and rejoicing in suffering. Using our sword (the Word) and empowered by prayer, we can be obedient in this battle. This book could reawaken countless numbers of Christians to exalt God for who he is, and is even recommended for the non-Christian who believes that this particular faith is a usual, boring one. It is no exagerration to state that this book will point one to the fountain of joy: God Himself. Therefore, I would recommend this to all who are Christian Hedonists and all who desire to become one!

85 of 100 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most life-changing book I have ever read, May 23, 2000

By	Brian G Hedges (South Bend, Indiana) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist (Paperback)

The Bible aside, this is the most life-changing book that I have ever read. If I could bump it up to six stars, instead of five, I would! John Piper has done the Christian community a great service by focusing a Biblical lense on the whole concept of Christian motivation. And what he so eloquently reveals is that the key to it all is delight - not duty - because delight IS our duty! The concepts of "Christian Hedonism" are hammered out with iron-clad logic and lyrical prose. Piper is both a poet and a scholar and both his clear thinking and his deep feeling about a God-centered God who delights to be the delight of His people come through. His chapter on The Happiness of God is worth its weight in gold. His reflections on conversion are very helpful in our day of easy-believism and seeker-oriented evangelism that produces decisions, but not conversions. The reflections on worship are absolutely paradigm-shifting, and the application chapters on Scripture, prayer, money, marriage, missions, and suffering all provide a biblical compass to give direction to the hungry-hearted disciple. After reading this book three times, I am still getting help from it, and I recommend it whole-heartedly to all who dare risk considering "the meditations of a Christian Hedonist!"

64 of 75 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In My Top 20 All Time Favorite Christian Works, February 5, 2002

By	T. B. Vick "Learn 2 Discern" (The Lone Star State) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist (Paperback)

Are you a Christian hedonist? Do you agree that God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in Him? Piper does. And in this text he describes why he thinks this should be the thought and belief of every believer.

This is one of the greatest Christian texts (apart from the Bible of course) to ever be written. In fact, the first line of the preface reads, "This is a serious book about being happy in God." Are you discontent in your life? Perhaps you are bogged down in what you think is your 'duty' to be obedient but you never seem to manage to perform that 'duty' well.

Piper declares that the only way an individual can gain a long term distaste for sin is to find total satisfaction in God. Feast on God is Piper's advise. Thus, in this text Piper takes his reader through the journey of the Christian hedonist. He describes what it means to be a Christian hedonist. But what is more, Piper details in one chapter after another, how one can find superior satisfaction in God via worship, love, Scripture, prayer, money (yes money), marriage, missions, and even suffering. Each section describes how the Christian can have a more fulfilled Christian life simply by focusing one's joy and adoration of the one true and living almighty God.

Piper, being not only a great preacher, also translates the Scripture for his reader (having a vast knowledge of the biblical languages). What is more, the book includes a nice epilogue detailing why Piper actually wrote the book, along with 4 additional appendices that describe God's role in history, the reliability of the Bible for everlasting joy, what it means to love your neighbor as yourself, and why all this is called Christian hedonism. This is a wonderful Christian work which should help to bring the reader to an understanding of the value, worth, and pleasure there is in glorifying God by enjoying Him forever. I agree with R.C. Sproul's assessment of this book (which is on the back cover), this text is a modern manual of true spirituality. I highly recommend it.