Happiness by Randy Alcorn

by Randy Alcorn

Hardcover

Published January 1, 1876

About the author

Randy Alcorn is the founder of Eternal Perspective Ministries (EPM), a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching biblical truth and drawing attention to the needy and how to help them. EPM exists to meet the needs of the unreached, unfed, unborn, uneducated, unreconciled and unsupported people around the world.

"My ministry focus is communicating the strategic importance of using our earthly time, money, possessions and opportunities to invest in need-meeting ministries that count for eternity," Alcorn says. "I do that by trying to analyze, teach and apply the implications of Christian truth."

Before starting EPM in 1990, Alcorn co-pastored for thirteen years Good Shepherd Community Church outside Gresham, Oregon. He has ministered in many countries, including China, and is a popular teacher and conference speaker. Randy has taught on the part-time faculties of Western Seminary and Multnomah University, both in Portland, Oregon.

Randy is a best-selling author of 50 books including Heaven, The Treasure Principle and the 2002 Gold Medallion winner, Safely Home. He has written numerous articles for magazines such as Discipleship Journal, Moody, Leadership, New Man, and The Christian Reader. He produces the quarterly issues-oriented magazine Eternal Perspectives, and has been a guest on more than 650 radio and television programs including Focus on the Family, Family Life Today, The Bible Answer Man, Revive Our Hearts, Truths that Transform and Faith Under Fire.

Alcorn resides in Gresham, Oregon with his wife, Nanci. The Alcorns have two married daughters, Karina and Angela.

Randy and Nanci are the proud grandparents of five grandsons. Randy enjoys hanging out with his family, biking, tennis, research and reading.

Taken from the Eternal Perspective Ministries website, http://www.epm.org

Reviews

[Erin Herald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book. Wildly detailed so was easy to get bogged down with that. Had so skip around some, but it was a good reminder that pleasure and happiness are not sinful, as God created them, and that he himself is also happy

[James Kramer · Rating 4 out of 5]

In true Alcorn fashion- this is a well researched, thorough and biblically founded analysis on a commonly misunderstood topic in the church. It challenged many preconceived notions of happiness that I personally found enlightening and encouraging. It felt a little heady/theological at times, and I would've appreciated more practical application on how to cultivate biblical happiness. But that critique is minute, overall this was a great read

[Christopher Little · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the most influential book I read in 2025.
Alcorn describes confusion in the church today between peace and joy. Likely, when Christians in the US describe joy they are actually giving the definition of peace. This has directly impacted happiness and its place at the table, or lack there of, in the church. God desires us to be happy!
Alcorn also breaks down a contemporary fallacy of there being a biblical difference between joy and happiness. In the original Hebrew and Greek used in Scripture there is no difference between joy and happy. One is not more spiritual than the other, i.e “Happiness is fleeting and joy is something that I always have regardless of circumstances.” To have joy, as a part of the fruit of the Spirit, is to have happiness. Said reversely, to lack happiness is to lack joy.
Alcorn gives plenty of examples (perhaps too many??) both from Scripture and church history to show the credibility of the points he makes.
Highly recommend this book!

[Ayden Tilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a spectacular book. Randy Alcorn has a knack for saying absolutely everything that can be said on a topic. He scours all of Scripture and gives you every single verse (and its context) that pertains to the subject. He goes through topics such as is happiness bad, are happiness and joy different, how God commands us to be happy, how we as Christians should be the happiest people, how to be happy in Christ, etc. I do find that some of his books, since they are so all encompassing, can also be a little repetitive and unnecessarily long.

[Denise · Rating 1 out of 5]

Repetitive and long winded. His book, Heaven, was the same. Avoid all thick books by Randy Alcorn. Not enough take away for the time put into it.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This was an amazing read. A wonderful comprehensive study of Gods happiness and the implications that renders for our own happiness. We are called and commanded to be happy! Very encouraging!