Books › Desiring God
Desiring God
498 pages
A passionate theological manifesto that reframes religious duty as the relentless pursuit of ultimate joy.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like sitting under the teaching of a fiercely passionate mentor who is determined to shatter your preconceived notions of religious duty. The pace is steady and deliberate, demanding that you pause and wrestle with its central, paradigm-shifting thesis. It creates an atmosphere that is both intellectually rigorous and deeply, spiritually charged, wrapping the reader in a mood of reverent joy. The prose is homiletic, combining careful scriptural analysis with urgent, soaring rhetoric that aims straight for the heart. It is a deeply persuasive experience that moves the reader from a mindset of dry obedience to one of liberated delight. This is a must-read for believers hungry to reconcile deep theological study with an emotionally vibrant, joy-fueled faith.
- Mood
- spiritually charged
- intellectually stimulating
- joyful
- contemplative
- Tone
- earnest
- passionate
- persuasive
- urgent
- reverent
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- Christian hedonism · the pursuit of joy · duty versus delight · spiritual awakening · the glory of God
- The writing
- Homiletic and rigorous, blending careful biblical exegesis with fervent, emotionally resonant rhetoric.
- The arc
- Moves from a provocative dismantling of duty-bound religion to a liberating, joyful embrace of God as the ultimate treasure.
- Who it's for
- Christians seeking to bridge the gap between intellectual theology and vibrant, joyful spiritual experience.
Content notes
- theological discussions of sin and judgment
About the book
For 25 years, pastor John Piper has been provoking Christians with the simple but paradigm-shattering truth that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.
Satisfaction. Happiness. Joy. The pursuit of pleasure in God is not only permissible; it’s essential.
Building his message on hundreds of Scriptures, especially from the Psalms, the apostle Paul, and Jesus himself—and echoing the likes of Blaise Pascal, Jonathan Edwards, and C.S. Lewis—Piper beckons us to approach God with the hedonist’s abandon. Finally, we are freed to enjoy Jesus not only as our Lord and Savior, but also our all-surpassing, soul-satisfying Treasure.
As important today as ever, Desiring God may turn your Christian world upside down. And that will be a good thing, for the glory of God, and for your deepest joy.
First Edition 1986; Revised Edition 2011 Multnomah Books (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
Description from Open Library.
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