To grasp human flourishing and thriving, we must understand joy. However, no theoretical models explain the complexity of joy as a fruit of the Spirit, nor fully account for its impact on human life. We suggest that joy is best conceptualized as a virtue, a psychological habit, comprised of characteristic adaptations and given meaning by transcendent narrative identity. Thus joy involves knowing, feeling, and enacting what matters most. Developmental science and Christian theological approaches to teleology inform the ultimate ends to which joy is aimed. They suggest that telos, the purpose or goal of development, may be understood as a dynamic process that perpetuates human and social thriving and involves (1) the growing self, (2) mutually beneficial relationships, and (3) evolving moral guidelines that ensure an ongoing fit and flourishing of self and society. We synthesize developmental psychology, virtue science, and theology to propose a definition and framework for understanding the development of joy through thriving. In order to promote scholarship on joy and to elucidate its transformative nature, we discuss joy in light of discipleship, vocation, suffering, justice, and eschatology and identify issues for research.

中文翻译：

---

快乐是一种美德：快乐的手段和目的

要把握人的兴旺发达，就要懂得快乐。然而，没有理论模型将喜乐的复杂性解释为圣灵的果子，也没有充分说明喜乐对人类生活的影响。我们建议最好将快乐概念化为一种美德，一种心理习惯，由特征性的适应和超越的叙事身份赋予意义。因此，快乐包括了解、感受和执行最重要的事情。目的论的发展科学和基督教神学方法告知了喜乐的最终目的。他们认为 telos，即发展的目的或目标，可以被理解为一个动态的过程，它使人类和社会的繁荣永存，包括 (1) 不断成长的自我，(2) 互利关系，(3) 不断发展的道德准则，以确保自我和社会的持续适应和繁荣。我们综合了发展心理学、美德科学和神学，提出了一个定义和框架，用于理解通过繁荣发展的快乐。为了促进关于喜乐的学术研究并阐明其变革性，我们根据门徒训练、圣召、苦难、正义和末世论来讨论喜乐，并确定研究问题。