The Beatitudes and Human Flourishing: Part 1, "Flourishing Are the..."

Last year, after 18 years serving as the Chair for the Department of Psychology here at ACU, I stepped away from that role to take up a new position. I currently serve as the Senior Fellow for the Saunders Center for Joy and Human Flourishing here at the university. You can check out our work here. 

At one of our fall "Things That Really Matter" lunches, where faculty and students gather to talk about--you guessed it--things that really matter, my colleague Cliff Barbarick gave a presentation over Jonathan Pennington's book The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing: A Theological Commentary. In this series I'd like to share Pennington's thoughts about how the Beatitudes relate to Jesus' vision of human flourishing. 

Critical to this endeavor is the translation of the Greek word makarios, traditionally translated as "blessed." As in: "Blessed are the meek..." A few translations dare "happy" as a translation. As in: "Happy are those who..."

If you've spent any time at all studying the Sermon on the Mount you've likely encountered the difficulties in translating makarios. While traditional, the translation of "blessed" is inadequate in many ways. Worse, as Pennington argues, "blessed" may even be misleading.

So, what does Pennington suggest for a translation of makarios? Pennington argues that the best word we have, though still limited in some ways, is "flourishing." In this series, I'll share Pennington's argument for this choice, but for today I'll simply share his translation of the Beatitudes:

Flourishing are the poor in spirit because the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

Flourishing are the mourners because they will be comforted.

Flourishing are the humble because they will inherit the earth.

Flourishing are the ones hungering and thirsting for righteousness because they will be satisfied.

Flourishing are the merciful because they will be given mercy.

Flourishing are the pure in heart because they will see God.

Flourishing are the peacemakers because they will be called children of God.

Flourishing are the ones persecuted on account of righteousness because the kingdom of heaven in theirs.

Flourishing are you whenever people revile and slander and speak all kinds of evil things against you on account of me.

Rejoice and be glad because your reward is great in heaven. In this same way people slandered the prophets who came before you.