Christian Perspective on Leisure Activities and Recreation
Christian perspectives on leisure and recreation are shaped by theological understandings of enjoyment, human purpose, and the proper use of God's creation. Early Christian thinkers, such as Augustine, distinguished between things to be "enjoyed" and things to be "used." For Augustine, true enjoyment is reserved for God alone, as God is the ultimate source of happiness and is loved for His own sake [2, 4, 6, 9]. All other things, including worldly pleasures and activities, are to be "used" as means to attain this ultimate enjoyment of God [4, 9]. This framework suggests that leisure activities, while not inherently bad, should ultimately direct one towards God rather than becoming ends in themselves.
Tertullian similarly emphasized that the greatest pleasures for a Christian are spiritual: peace with God, revelation of truth, confession of sins, and pardon [1]. He suggested that a "distaste of pleasure itself" and "contempt of all that the world can give" could be a source of true liberty and a pure conscience [1]. This patristic view often contrasted Christian joy with the perceived licentiousness of pagan society [8].
Later, Reformed theology, as articulated by John Calvin, affirmed the goodness of God's creation and the liberty Christians have in using it. Calvin argued that "ivory and gold, and riches, are the good creatures of God, permitted, nay destined, by divine providence for the use of man" [3]. He stated that it was not forbidden to laugh, be full, or enjoy music and drink [3]. This perspective emphasizes that God's gifts, including those that contribute to leisure and recreation, should be used "without any scruple of conscience, without any perturbation of mind, for the purpose for which he gave them" [5]. The goal is that souls "may both have peace with him, and recognize his liberality towards us" [5]. This understanding of Christian liberty means that while consciences are not bound by strict rules regarding such activities, their use should lead to edification [5].
The Scholastic tradition, exemplified by Thomas Aquinas, considered the merit of different forms of life, including the active and contemplative. While not directly addressing leisure, Aquinas's framework suggests that activities that pertain more directly to the love of God (contemplative life) are generally more meritorious than those focused on the love of neighbor or worldly engagement (active life) [7]. However, this does not negate the value of activities within the active life, but rather prioritizes the ultimate end of human existence.
Overall, Christian thought encourages a balanced approach to leisure, recognizing the goodness of creation while orienting all activities toward the ultimate enjoyment and glory of God [2, 5, 9].
Sources
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 3: Tertullian — CHAP. XXIX.: Even as things are, if your thought is to spend this period of existence in enjoyments, how are you so ungrateful as to reckon insufficient, as not thankfully to recognize the many and exquisite pleasures God has bestowed upon you? For what more delightful 91 than to have God the Father and our Lord at peace with us, than revelation of the truth than confession of our errors, than pardon of the innumerable sins of our past life? What greater pleasure than distaste of pleasure itself, contempt of all that the world can give, true liberty, a pure conscience, ”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP. 5.--THE TRINITY THE TRUE OBJECT OF: ENJOYMENT. 5. The true objects of enjoyment, then, are the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, who are at the same time the Trinity, one Being, supreme above all, and common to all who enjoy Him, if He is an object, and not rather the cause of all objects, or indeed even if He is the cause of all. For it is not easy to find a name that will suitably express so great excellence, unless it is better to speak in this way: The Trinity, one God, of whom are all things, through whom are all thing”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 74: who are full, who laugh now, who “lie upon beds of ivory and stretch themselves upon their couches;” “join house to house,” and “lay field to field;” “and the harp and the viol, the tablet and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts,” ( Amos 6:6 ; Isa. 5:8 , 10 ). Certainly ivory and gold, and riches, are the good creatures of God, permitted, nay destined, by divine providence for the use of man; nor was it ever forbidden to laugh, or to be full, or to add new to old and hereditary possessions, or to be delighted with music, or to drin”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP. 3.--SOME THINGS ARE FOR USE, SOME FOR: ENJOYMENT. 3. There are some things, then, which are to be enjoyed, others which are to be used, others still which enjoy and use. Those things which are objects of enjoyment make us happy. Those things which are objects of use assist, and (so to speak) support us in our efforts after happiness, so that we can attain the things that make us happy and rest in them. We ourselves, again, who enjoy and use these things, being placed among both kinds of objects, if we set ourselves to enjoy those”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 74: we see whither this liberty tends—viz. that we are to use the gifts of God without any scruple of conscience, without any perturbation of mind, for the purpose for which he gave them: in this way our souls may both have peace with him, and recognize his liberality towards us. For here are comprehended all ceremonies of free observance, so that while our consciences are not to be laid under the necessity of observing them, we are also to remember that, by the kindness of God, the use of them is made subservient to edification. 9. It”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP. 31.--GOD USES RATHER THAN ENJOYS US.: 34. And on this ground, when we say that we enjoy only that which we love for its own sake, and that nothing is a true object of enjoyment except that which makes us happy, and that all other things are for use, there seems still to be something that requires explanation. For God loves us, and Holy Scripture frequently sets before us the love He has towards us. In what way then does He love us? As objects of use or as objects of enjoyment? If He enjoys us, He must be in need of good from us, ”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Second Part of the Second Part (Secunda Secundae), Of the Active Life in Comparison With the Contemplative Life, Art. 2: Article: Whether the active life is of greater merit than the contemplative? I answer that, As stated above (FS, Question [114], Article [4]), the root of merit is charity; and, while, as stated above (Question [25], Article [1]), charity consists in the love of God and our neighbor, the love of God is by itself more meritorious than the love of our neighbor, as stated above (Question [27], Article [8]). Wherefore that which pertains more directly ”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP. 20.--OF THE KIND OF HAPPINESS AND LIFE TRULY DELIGHTED IN BY THOSE WHO INVEIGH AGAINST THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. (part 1): But the worshippers and admirers of these gods delight in imitating their scandalous iniquities, and are nowise concerned that the republic be less depraved and licentious. Only let it remain undefeated, they say, only let it flourish and abound in resources; let it be glorious by its victories, or still better, secure in peace; and what matters it to us? This is our concern, that every man be able to increase ”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP. 22.--GOD ALONE TO BE ENJOYED. (part 1): 20. Among all these things, then, those only are the true objects of enjoyment which we have spoken of as eternal and unchangeable. The rest are for use, that we may be able to arrive at the full enjoyment of the former. We, however, who enjoy and use other things are things ourselves. For a great thing truly is man, made after the image and similitude of God, not as respects the mortal body in which he is clothed, but as respects the rational soul by which he is exalted in honor above the ”