Happy Lies

How a Movement You (Probably) Never Heard of Shaped Our Self-Obsessed World

De: Melissa Dougherty

Narrado por: Melissa Dougherty

Read by the author.

In this groundbreaking book, popular apologist Melissa Dougherty helps us understand how our society got to be so toxically subjective, why endless positivity is inherently destructive, and how we can live with faithful truth and genuine love in these self-obsessed times.

Melissa Dougherty skillfully diagnoses the issue and provides the cure: the authentic and life-giving truth of the Christian worldview. - Wesley Huff

Have you ever wondered how we ended up in a world where personal feelings could become the authority for reality? Or why so many of us are on a relentless pursuit for happiness yet somehow feel more exhausted and sadder than ever? You're not alone.

Melissa deftly traces the roots of today's social chaos back to a little-known (but very influential) 1800s philosophy known as New Thought. A former follower of its teachings, Melissa provides clarity and compassion mixed with a dash of loving snark as she exposes New Thought's deceptions and its many concerning tendrils within the church and our "self-help" culture.

You'll be shocked, grieved, and encouraged as you learn:

• How you can experience true freedom, hope, and peace instead of the world's counterfeits
• How an anti-God ideology so easily hijacked Christian-sounding ideas
• Why thinking positively is entirely different from the unbiblical and burdensome "positive thought" movement
• Why fake "authenticity" short-circuits real redemption
• How understanding the New Thought mindset can help us share our faith more effectively

Uncover a dangerous ideology that nearly everyone has met, yet few of us can name, in order to better understand our culture and joyfully live faithful to the gospel that is so much better than our world's Happy Lies.

A diagram can be found in the audiobook companion PDF download.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2025 Melissa Dougherty (P)2025 Zondervan

Excellent!

Very well researched and insightful. I expected to know quite a bit of the content already, but Melissa Dougherty really makes some connections I hadn't noticed and presents a lot of information that really helped me understand this topic better. Oh, and great narration!

So many Christians fall for these false teachings.

Learning how easy a follower of Christ can easily fall victim to the lies of new thought is so helpful coming from Melissa since she lived it and did come to true salvation. I have family that has fallen into this for various reasons. I now feel confident in how to reach them as the Holy Spirit leads.

All Too Familiar

I was raised in New Thought belief, although when I found the TRUTH of Jesus Christ I identified it as New Age. Thanks to Melissa I now have the history and better understanding of the New Thought belief I was once followed. Thank you Melissa for following God and bringing this truth to believers. I hope to take up the challenge you gave at the end of this book to help others see the happy lies of the deceiver.

A pervasive lie that needs to be exposed

Really appreciated this book. New Age and New Thought were interchangeable in my mind but nope this (New thought) is worse and sounds oh so Christian. Great book!

Wake up to the lies

Very good angles and perspectives on our current struggles as followers of Christ. The Bible has been broken up to fit the modern day when in reality we need to be broken for the same Lord that has always reigned in glory.

Truth

A needed breakdown on truth and the deception happening through the twisting of Scripture by the outlined movements in order to disguise lies as Biblical truth.

The most important read of our time

This is probably one of the most important reads of our time, Melissa uncovers how our culture has clung to a teaching that probably nobody know of called new thought. I was raised in Christian Sciece which is a form of new thought, the author does an amazing job at disentangling truth from lie and how we came to believe it. The lies are everywhere and have effected everyone, those following a religion and those not. Consider reading this book if you want to uncover how culture and religion is lying to you, identify the lies and how to apply truth in its place.

Thoughtful warning to the church!

The author takes her time explaining to detail what most in the church should research and expose. Many of this practices have made their way into our churchs, unchecked, under the blanked of innovation. Melissa goes deep to uncover the roots and hidden agendas of this deceitful movement. 100% recommend this book to ministry leaders and everyone alike.

A timely book

An eye opening look at a movement that is probably in your church right now. A must read for anyone who truly wants to follow the real Jesus.

Large Scope...Detailed Analysis

loved this book! Melissa does an amazing job tracking the origins and impact of New Thought ideologies on Christianity. She is gracious, yet firm in rooting out the wickedness of these ideas and presents her case in a thoughtful, yet accessible way.