I recently read the new book from Cornelius Plantinga titled Gratitude. Plantinga wrote one of my favorite books on sin almost 20 years ago now, so when the opportunity came to interview him on this latest book I jumped at the chance. You can check out the short interview below.
Tyler: Your definition of gratitude emphasizes being "indebted to the giver" much like someone may say they have a "debt of gratitude." Most people emphasize gratitude as a feeling but you seem to emphasize it as a response (we are indebted to someone). Why is the debt portion of gratitude necessary for understanding it well?
Cornelius Plantinga (CP): Gratitude is the glad sense of having been gifted with something by someone and therefore being indebted to the giver. The sense of being indebted comes from knowing that receiving a gift requires an appropriate response. 19th century Americans, upon receiving a gift, often said simply “much obliged” instead of “thank you.” They were reflecting their indebtedness to the giver.
The idea is that responding with thanks to a gift is right and proper and fitting. Upon receiving a gift, you have to close the loop—very often simply by thanking the giver. Bigger gifts require bigger responses. For example, Christians think that receiving God’s gift of salvation requires a lifetime of grateful obedience shown in good works.
Tyler: Do you think some people are naturally inclined toward gratitude? What are specific practices people can embrace to grow in gratitude?
CP: It may be that some people have a light trigger for gratitude by temperament. I’m not sure. But basically gratitude is taught and learned. Many folks also practice exercises that tend to strengthen and encourage gratitude such as journaling their thanks at the end of each day, testifying to others such as loved ones what they are grateful for, pretending they are grateful till they are, and praying for gratitude.
Tyler: I especially enjoyed your emphasis on finding gratitude amid grief. Too often we seem to see those as existing as opposites, never together. What are some ways people struggling with grief and loss can still pursue a posture of gratitude?
CP: Being grateful in tough times is a determined outlook on life that finds something in each situation to give thanks for. I may hate losing my loved one, and I may passionately grieve the loss, but I am grateful I had them in my life and I am choosing to let my gratitude gradually replace my grief.
Tyler: Much has been reported in recent years on the health and physiological benefits of being thankful, almost turning gratitude into a self-help hustle life hack. How do we keep from just using gratitude as a way of only bettering ourselves?
CP: Using gratitude as a self-help hustle is a mildly to moderately corrupt practice. I think Christians practice gratitude because it’s right. It’s proper. It’s fitting and appropriate. (That’s why the Bible commands it as our duty.) But it’s not wrong to notice that if I’m grateful I’ll sleep better.
Tyler: You spent months, likely even years, thinking about gratitude in working on this book. What difference did your focus on this subject make in your own life throughout the process of book writing?
CP: As I wrote I tried to practice what I preach and deliberately look for things to be grateful for. I believe it’s worked at least some of the time.
If you want to explore the subject of gratitude, I recommend you check out Cornelius Plantinga’s latest book.