Desiring God: A Philosophical Delight

John Piper has a reputation of being a deep thinker when it comes to Scripture, and his book Desiring God:  Meditations of a Christian Hedonist is no exception.  The revised edition of his classic adds a study guide (with leadership notes) but takes away parts from the 2003 edition that I greatly enjoyed – namely the 3^rd appendix that is one of the best analyses of a holy God and evil in the world.  Even with these slight changes, the power of Desiring God cannot be understated.  

Piper’s preface lays the foundation upon which the rest of his hedonistic treatise is built – the essence of sin is that we trade our desire for God for anything else.  That idolatry is the root of all problems that exist and the solution is Christian hedonism which can be summarized this way:  “the chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever” (18).  If you truly desire God, then all other competitors will pale in comparison to the greatness and goodness of our Sovereign Lord.   Therein is the issue -- our view of God is too low!

Piper’s progression is a strictly logical arrangement that is predictable only in looking back through the book.  A new reader will wonder what marriage has to do with Christian hedonism; yet, that understanding becomes crystal clear after the book has been completed.  Piper begins his book with a personal journey in how he adopted the Christian hedonistic philosophy – largely through the works of Jonathan Edwards and C.S. Lewis.   

That practical experience serves as a natural springboard into the many aspects of Christian hedonism.  He goes on to describe the foundation, creation, labor, power, battle cry, and sacrifice of desiring God as our primary delight.  He covers so many different aspects that merely listing them would produce confusion.  Instead, the best way to understand those components is to get a copy of Piper’s book and spend time going through it slowly.  A reader needs to ponder the words on the page by studying the passages of Scripture cited throughout the text.  That deliberate meditation will soothe the soul.  After all, the psalmist tells us to “taste and see that the Lord is good!”

My favorite chapter, without a doubt, is his review of marriage.  I first got a copy of this book as a newly-wed person.  The idea of marriage was still fresh, but notice this statement:  “those of us who are married need to ponder…how mysterious and wonderful it is that God grants us in marriage the privilege to image forth stupendous diving realities infinitely bigger and greater than ourselves” (213).  Piper can turn a phrase and write a complex sentence, yet the intent behind both is revolutionary – marriage is not about me or we.  Marriage is about imitating the relationship that God created for Christ to have with His church.  If more marriages were viewed in that light, the divorce rate in our modern world would cease to exist. 

From my perspective, his detailed footnotes afford the reader an opportunity to go even deeper.  I have tremendous disdain for endnotes because I want to be able to see the additional comment or find the quote’s source immediately.  Many readers may view the footnotes as text that did not survive the editor’s cut; however, they further explain some of the deeper issues Piper is working to examine.  For instance, two-thirds of page 85 is covered by a single footnote where the author further defines the terms feeling, emotion, and affection.  Considering the influence Puritanical preacher Jonathan Edwards has had upon Piper, you will clearly see some of the Edwardian thoughts; however, the connection is always made back to the God of Scripture.

This book, in my opinion, is one of Piper’s strongest and I believe any Christian should add it to their library.  Will you agree with every aspect?  No, but it will cause you to stop and think about your current worldview.  If you want to desire God more, then get a copy of Desiring God.

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 25:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.