Piper, Hedonism
Lecture Listening Guides
by David Capes
Speaker: John Piper
Title: Was Jonathan Edwards a Christian Hedonist?
Date: November 11, 2017
- By revealing himself as YHWH (Lord), God gave himself a name with a meaning. What is the meaning?
- Piper says Ezekiel names the Lord 72 times for what reason?
- In what does Piper say there is no such thing as excess, nor virtue in temperance?
- What is a Christian Hedonist?
- What are the two arguments that are cited against Edward’s being a Christian Hedonist?
- How does Piper describe the kind of “self-love” that Edward’s approves?
- What does Piper say Edwards means by “disinterested love of God”?
- How does Edwards answer the objection that Christian Hedonism makes “me” central in salvation and the focus of the universe?
- According to Piper, the hypocrite reverses the right order of joy. Rather than first making much of God, what phrase does Piper put in the mouth of the hypocrite?
- How does Edwards answer the objection that the emphasis on Christian Hedonism softens our resistance to sin?
- Why isn’t the need for brokenhearted sorrow over sin undermined by the seeking of our own pleasure?
- How does elevating the pursuit of joy not overturn the teaching of Jesus about self-denial?
- How is it not misleading to say that the essence of being a Christian is joy, when the Bible teaches that it brings trouble, suffering, persecution, and death?
- Doesn’t the elevation of joy lead away from humility and brokenness, and toward triumphalism and excesses?
- Where is the cross of Christ, the blood of Jesus, justification by faith alone in Christian Hedonism?
- What does Piper say Christ died for as it relates to the goal of Christian Hedonism?
- What does the American church need to change to reach a skeptical world?
- Why does Piper say we must take time to linger over God’s word every day, prayerfully and meditatively?
- What advice does Piper give to someone who has no joy in Bible reading or prayer?
- How does Piper suggest we learn to experience joy in God?