When Jennifer Greenberg escaped her abusive childhood home at the age of twenty-one, she found that few Christians knew how to encourage her. Platitudes such as, "God won't give you more than you can handle," "Forgive and forget," and "Have faith!" left her feeling misunderstood and alone. Would she ever be whole again? Could joy exist for someone so broken? By discarding false theology and toxic positivity, Greenberg discovered joy beyond anything she was taught in church: joy that's a gift from God. In Defiant Joy, Greenberg shares this groundbreaking hope as she explores why philosophies like the prosperity gospel and legalism fail us how Jesus in with us amid our sadness, disappointment, anger, and anxiety how God's joy far exceeds any emotion we can muster God doesn't want you to pretend you're okay. Discover the freedom of living beyond performance faith. Embrace a joy that shines in defiance of the darkness.