Justification and Happiness. On the Discussion of an Old-New Topic in Contemporary Protestant Theology
Abstract
This article focuses on a topic that, after many centuries, is once again becoming a subject of interest in theology. The reason for the theological distrust of happiness was primarily the belief that salvation cannot be linked to a happy earthly life.
Related to this is the suspicion that behind the desire for happiness lies a sinful selfishness that promotes only its own benefit. The two authors discussed here - Jorg Lauster and Michael Roth - attempt to refute these objections and at the same time to build a theology of happiness on the basis of the Protestant principle of justification, understood as God's affirmation of the meaning and unconditional value of every human being.
Whereas Lauster sees happiness in the extraordinary, fleeting experience of meaningfulness, Roth recognizes happiness in the surrender of self to present reality. What is missing in both conceptions, however, is a deeper connection between justification and the issue of a flourishing earthly life.
It is therefore necessary to bring back into theological discussion the idea of human cooperation with God. While synergism between man and God is out of the question with regard to salvation, we cannot do without it with regard to the using and multiplication of the earthly fruits of that salvation.
God frees man to rediscover and develop all that he has endowed him with. Both aspects are embodied in the concept of blessing, which can be defined as God's enabling of the good life and favoring of human efforts to live such a life.