Happy Lies: How a Movement You (Probably) Never Heard of Shaped Our Self-Obsessed World - A Review

Dougherty, Melissa. Happy Lies: How A Movement You (Probably) Never Heard of Shaped Our Self-Obsessed World. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Books, 2025.

Have you noticed some of the crazy things going on around us? Of course you have. How could you not? Our world, especially in the United States, is full of so much that our predecessors would have never imagined happening. Transgenderism, gay rights, abortion, and so many other ideas have gained mainstream acceptance. The question Christians often face is where all these things come from. We can point to sin and the devil in general, and should. We are told to keep careful watch of ourselves and the teaching. To test everything to see what is good and acceptable. But there is a point where simply saying that everything comes from sin is not so helpful. We need to be able to recognize with a bit more specificity where the ideas we are encountering come from if we are going to answer the questions they raise. This is especially true when the ideas we encounter use the same language we use.

One of the series I have recently enjoyed on YouTube has been Mark Ward's series on false friends in the King James Bible. The idea behind false friends, in the context of the KJV, is that they are words that we use all the time today but that had a different meaning when the translators chose them in 1611. They become problematic when we read the current meaning into the text, making it mean something other than what was originally intended. A similar thing is happening today with the ideologies around us. Words like Jesus, God, faith, and so on are used by people every day, but are so often separated from the biblical meaning of those words. So, how do we recognize when this is happening? What is the extent of the problem? Is it just an issue of language, or is there a deeper root of the problem? There is a deeper root, and Melissa Dougherty wants us to understand it.

Happy Lies

It is becoming rare for me to encounter something new these days. Because of my desire to know the truth and my love for reading, I have come into contact with a lot of strange ideas. So it was intriguing to pick up a book with a subtitle that claims to reveal a movement I had probably never heard of. But she was right. I had never heard of this movement. What movement you ask? It is the New Thought movement. Perhaps you also have never heard of this movement, though I would be willing to bet you have encountered many of its teachings. Like the subtitle states, it is a movement that has shaped the world we live in. We are forced to encounter its reality every day when we log on to social media. So why is it important for us to know about something like this? As the title of Doughtery's first chapter states, "What you don't know can hurt you." (p. 1)

What This Book Is Not

This book is not a theological treatise. It is a down-to-earth, at times quirky, book written by someone who has a sense of humor and a love for the Lord. At times, as I read through the book, I found myself wanting a deeper analysis of the different aspects of the movement she is addressing. However, I do not believe that that is Dougherty's intention. The book is written as a plea from someone who was in the shoes of the people she is writing about. Throughout the pages, you get a sense of the love that she has for the people she is talking about. She talks about the ministers and reverends that embrace New Thought and its various cousins (Prosperity Gospel, Word of Faith, Progressive Christianity, etc.), she calls them her friends. At no point does this come across as fake or forced. As I read through the book, I felt like I could hear the sadness and care that Doughtery has for these lost people. Something I think we all should have.

A Starting Point

One of the things that I particularly enjoyed about this book is Doughtery's candor. She is direct in calling out the problems with the movement and pointing the reader to additional resources that can help someone struggling with these beliefs. She reminds us that the people who are caught up in these lies are not our enemies, but the people we are called to love. I love this statement in the last chapter. She writes, "Watching people believe lies is frustrating. But keep in mind that people aren’t your enemy. Remember, the real battle is not with flesh and blood but with unseen forces (Eph. 6:12). This is a spiritual battle. You need spiritual armor. New Thought makes your enemy look like your best friend. The devil is full of dark schemes designed to look like false light. Be strong in the Lord and wear his armor to stand against the devil’s schemes (Eph. 6:10–13)." (p. 218). On the page before, she reminds us more broadly that, "We must pray for and reach those who are caught up in these teachings." "We must also proclaim the gospel to them." (p. 217) This is what I loved about this book. It comes from a place of genuinely wanting to see sinners come to repentance.

Some Final Thoughts

As I read through this book, I found that there was nothing new here. Doughtery does not address anything I have not encountered in my study. The tendencies of New Thought are present throughout church history and the various historical heresies of the church. The name was new, the labels were different, but that is about it. Honestly though, this book was not really written for someone like me. It is not the kind of book that I would typically pick up. It is not delving into profound theological treatises or expounding the mysteries of Christ. It is not without its issues. There are oversimplifications and generalizations throughout. There are places where causation and correlation can get a little mixed up. But I am glad I decided to pick it up. What I did find was a sister in Christ who deeply cares about people knowing the truth and how the ideas and falsehoods of New Thought have hurt people and continue to hurt people. On the book's final page, Doughtery writes, "The remedy is Jesus. He is the Truth. Truth can be uncomfortable. But it's good." We need this reminder. We need books that challenge us to speak up and proclaim the name of Christ to the world around us.

Soli Deo Gloria