• Home
  • About This Blog
  • Contact Me
  • Subscribe
  • Comment Policy

Attempts at Honesty

Reflections on the interplay of the Bible and Culture

  • Westminster Shorter Catechism Series
  • Sermon on the Mount Series
Home Quotation Saint Augustine on Felicity

Saint Augustine on Felicity

Posted on May 15, 2013 Written by Mark McIntyre Leave a Comment


In The City of God, St. Augustine writes of the elevation of Felicity to the status of a goddess. On the value of felicity as something to be sought he writes:

Felicity, however, is certainly more valuable than a kingdom. For no one doubts that a man might easily be found who may fear to be made a king; but no one is found who is unwilling to be happy.

Later he writes:

But if Felicity is not a goddess, because as is true, it is a gift of God, that god must be sought who has power to give it, and that hurtful multitude of false gods must be abandoned which the vain multitude of foolish men follows after, making gods to itself of the gifts of God, and offending Himself whose gifts they are by the stubbornness of a proud will. For he cannot be free from infelicity who worships Felicity as a goddess, and forsakes God, the giver of felicity; just as he cannot be free from hunger who licks a painted loaf of bread, and does not buy it of the man who has a real one.

Saint Augustine on FelicityNow, in 21st Century America, we are unlikely to encounter anyone who is tempted to erect a statue to the goddess Felicity. Yet, we are in danger of worshipping felicity. Happiness seems to be the primary goal of many we interact with on a daily basis.

The church is not immune to this worship of happiness. The “name it, claim it” version of Christianity places happiness as the primary goal of the Christian life. In fact, in the extreme versions of this brand of the “word faith” movement, lack of happiness is understood to be a sin or a defect in belief and worship.

But, as Augustine points out, felicity is a gift to be enjoyed, but not a primary goal in life. We are to worship the giver of felicity, not the gift.


Filed Under: Quotation Tagged With: Augustine, false gods, Felicity, gift, goddess, happiness, happy

About Mark McIntyre

A follower of Jesus Christ who shares observations about how Scripture should impact the church and the world. Mark is the original author and editor of Attempts at Honesty.

Follow Attempts at Honesty

Honesty in your Inbox

Amazed

Why are you amazed?

I can read about miracles in the Bible and not be amazed. The flannel graph presentations of my youth have made the stories so familiar that too often I do not connect with how radical the events actually were. This healing should amaze me but its familiarity masks how marvelous it really is.

Du Jour

The danger of Method-Du-Jour thinking

Some church does something. It appears to be successful based on attendance numbers. Others then seek to find the method or program that was used to generate the good result. We shorten the sermon, use video feeds, turn up the music, redesign the décor, or hire consultants to try to produce similar results.

When art becomes idolatry

A visit to just about any of the churches in Rome will allow the visitor to see brilliant works of art. Much time and money has been invested in statuary, paintings, mosaics, and marble decor among other artistic delights. There are representations of Biblical scenes and people; there are also statues of former church leaders […]

Kicked out for our own good

Growing up, when I read in Genesis Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden, I always viewed this as a punitive action. I thought that our first parents were being punished for their sin. This morning, as I read this passage, I noticed that the goal in expelling them from the Garden was to […]

Blocks spelling the word Church

If you are discouraged about church . . .

If you are discouraged about church, it may be that your expectations are too high.

Church is not a gathering of the mature. Church is not a gathering of the wise. Church is not a gathering of the beautiful.

Church is a gathering of those who have been redeemed by Jesus Christ.

Post Series

  • Westminster Shorter Catechism Series
  • Sermon on the Mount Series
September 2023
SMTWTFS
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
« Jun    

Categories

Archives

Blogger Grid
Follow me on Blogarama

Copyright © 2023 · Focus Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in