Do Christian Hedonists call people to experience a level of joy now that will be available only in heaven? God’s glory and our joy are interlinked. C.S. Lewis saw it. But he also seemed to say that the penny wouldn’t drop on this connection for most Christians until the other side of eternity. In other words, most Christians will not clearly comprehend Christian Hedonism in this life, even though it’s true. So would C.S. Lewis say that our work at DG is premature? It’s a question from Daniel. “Dear Pastor John, thank you for your ministry. You’ve spoken in the past of the prosperity gospel as over-realized eschatology — promised physical blessings being part of our inheritance in Christ, but incorrectly assumed to be for today, not the future life. I’d like to raise the same objection about Christian Hedonism. “Is it not the case that just as the prosperity gospel is over-realized physical/materialistic eschatology, this attempt to find full satisfaction in God in this life also demonstrates over-realized emotional/psychological eschatology? “C.S. Lewis seems to make such a conclusion himself in his Reflections on the Psalms. In speaking of heaven he writes: ‘The Scottish catechism says that man’s chief end is “to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” But we shall then know [in heaven] that these are the same thing. Fully to enjoy is to glorify.’ So what would you say to the criticisms that Christian Hedonism reaches prematurely for an over-realized emotional or psychological eschatology not intended for our common life until eternity?” Episode 1217: https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/did-c-s-lewis-warn-against-christian-hedonism Related Resources: “When I Don’t Desire God: How to Fight for Joy” https://www.desiringgod.org/books/when-i-dont-desire-god “When the Darkness Does Not Life” https://www.desiringgod.org/books/when-the-darkness-will-not-lift ”What Is Christian Hedonism?“ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoKE0RtfNmE “Isn’t the Joy-Centered Life Just an Emotional Roller Coaster?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQp024xptKs “The Heart of Christian Hedonism — and the Bible and Creation and Everything” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdkOVDv0LL4 “How to Explain Christian Hedonism over Lunch” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs84bsdJe0o Find other recent and popular Ask Pastor John episodes, http://desiringgod.org/ask-pastor-john