
A Theology of Happiness with Griffin Gooch
From Going Deeper by Justine Cheri Ordway
October 21, 2025 · 53 min · Season 3 · Episode 2
About this episode
Justine Cheri Ordway and Griffin Gooch discuss the complexities of happiness in culture and the church, exploring its theological implications.
In this episode, I’m joined by Griffin Gooch to talk about one of the most misunderstood topics in both culture and the church—happiness. Griffin is a theologian and writer who’s exploring what it really means to live a happy and holy life, and how our understanding of happiness has shifted throughout history. We dig into the Beatitudes as Jesus’s surprising pathway to joy, how pleasure, meaning, and growth each play a role in true happiness, and why pursuing happiness for its own sake often ...
People in this episode
Guest: Griffin Gooch
Topics covered
- happiness
- theology
- Beatitudes
- joy
- pleasure
- meaning
- growth
Keywords
- holy life
- misunderstood topics
- pursuing happiness
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: A Theology of Happiness, Beatitudes
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