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The Heart of Anger: How the Bible Transforms Anger in Our Understanding and Experience
How should Christians understand anger, evaluate it, and respond for good?
Each person experiences anger--in their own hearts and in the words and actions of others. In this doctrinal, pastoral, and practical book, Christopher Ash and Steve Midgley explore the Bible's teaching about anger through biblical examples such as Moses, Saul, David, and the Ephesian church as well as present-day accounts. Though sometimes right and godly, anger is more often rooted in greed, lust, love of control, or pride. Only once the source of anger is recognized can the gospel of Jesus Christ--God's perfect wrath poured out on his Son for the sins of many--bring true freedom, transforming a heart of anger into a heart filled with the love of God.
Each person experiences anger--in their own hearts and in the words and actions of others. In this doctrinal, pastoral, and practical book, Christopher Ash and Steve Midgley explore the Bible's teaching about anger through biblical examples such as Moses, Saul, David, and the Ephesian church as well as present-day accounts. Though sometimes right and godly, anger is more often rooted in greed, lust, love of control, or pride. Only once the source of anger is recognized can the gospel of Jesus Christ--God's perfect wrath poured out on his Son for the sins of many--bring true freedom, transforming a heart of anger into a heart filled with the love of God.
224 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2021
73 people are currently reading
491 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Ash
54 books79 followersChristopher Ash works for the Proclamation Trust in London as director of the Cornhill Training Course. He is also writer in residence at Tyndale House in Cambridge, and is the author of several books, including Out of the Storm: Grappling with God in the Book of Job and Teaching Romans. He is married to Carolyn and they have three sons and one daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
September 14, 2025
Best Christian book I've read this year. I especially appreciated the way the authors interact with the Bible. Each Biblical citation is only a few sentences— what is this example and why does it matter to our study? What I’m trying to say is that this could have easily been a two-three times longer book, but the authors effectively keep it succinct.
February 17, 2021
At the root of anger is the desire of the heart. Anger management may ease some of the symptoms. But only Christ can give new desires in the heart, a new self. Only Christ can change what I value, and therefore what provokes me to anger.
Whether you are passive or aggressive, we all deal with anger. Anger shows itself when we lose control of our circumstances, people and how we thought of. I never thought of myself has of an angry person. Verbally or physically, however, how I internalize my day to day, there is anger. It just comes out differently. Self-righteousness is one that we are easily blinded by.
The text is foundational and I will stress not a self-help book but it is every bit of this is your illness and now here is your cure. The cure is not a step by step but a beep beep back up and lets get to the root of your anger and lets change it to something beautiful that is redeemed by Christ.
We live in a angry world right now and this text brings hope. I highly highly recommend.
A Special thank you to Crossway Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
Whether you are passive or aggressive, we all deal with anger. Anger shows itself when we lose control of our circumstances, people and how we thought of. I never thought of myself has of an angry person. Verbally or physically, however, how I internalize my day to day, there is anger. It just comes out differently. Self-righteousness is one that we are easily blinded by.
The text is foundational and I will stress not a self-help book but it is every bit of this is your illness and now here is your cure. The cure is not a step by step but a beep beep back up and lets get to the root of your anger and lets change it to something beautiful that is redeemed by Christ.
We live in a angry world right now and this text brings hope. I highly highly recommend.
A Special thank you to Crossway Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
July 4, 2025
I've read several books on anger. I've been through Ed Welch's A Small Book About a Big Problem, Louis Priolo's The Heart of Anger, Robert D. Jones' Uprooting Anger, and Paul Tripp's audio material for Good and Angry. This is the best one I've ever read.
God used this book to address specifically a constant, low-grade but growing anger that was leading to self-pity, snapping at my kids, and a tense, painful TMJ. In this book's first few chapters, I read an uncanny portrait of my own life, down to weird, specific details. The Holy Spirit was highlighting things for me. As with all books with which Christopher Ash is involved, it is richly scriptural, informed in every particular by not only specific anger passages but also the broad sweep of the biblical narrative. The book contextualizes anger, analyzes its common root (this was profound in the way they set it up), and gives wise, supernaturally hopeful but sagely practical counsel for the long "ground war, where territory is won slowly" (Rhys Bezzant, quoted p. 187 of this book) against anger in our lives. This has brought healing to my spiritual posture and even to my tense jaw--no joke.
God used this book to address specifically a constant, low-grade but growing anger that was leading to self-pity, snapping at my kids, and a tense, painful TMJ. In this book's first few chapters, I read an uncanny portrait of my own life, down to weird, specific details. The Holy Spirit was highlighting things for me. As with all books with which Christopher Ash is involved, it is richly scriptural, informed in every particular by not only specific anger passages but also the broad sweep of the biblical narrative. The book contextualizes anger, analyzes its common root (this was profound in the way they set it up), and gives wise, supernaturally hopeful but sagely practical counsel for the long "ground war, where territory is won slowly" (Rhys Bezzant, quoted p. 187 of this book) against anger in our lives. This has brought healing to my spiritual posture and even to my tense jaw--no joke.
March 13, 2025
The authors write very simply on both the theological and practical aspects of reckoning with anger, drawing heavily from biblical examples. I tend towards wordiness and 23 word sentences, so the economy of the writing style (which by no means cheapened what was being said) was helpful.
Reading this during a season where I’ve wrestled heavily with anger has been so helpful. This is an excellent exposition and exploration of anger from a biblical perspective that I think anyone would benefit from.
Reading this during a season where I’ve wrestled heavily with anger has been so helpful. This is an excellent exposition and exploration of anger from a biblical perspective that I think anyone would benefit from.
February 18, 2023
This book’s content got better as I read on, and does well to gently reveal blindspots and surface problems that anger may cause or was caused by.
Although a lot of the onus was placed on me to forage fruit from the content because of the book’s structure, reading this book was a helpful and humbling experience for me because the authors consistently return to the root issues of sin and self as well as the sustainable remedies of remembering God’s anger and grace.
Although a lot of the onus was placed on me to forage fruit from the content because of the book’s structure, reading this book was a helpful and humbling experience for me because the authors consistently return to the root issues of sin and self as well as the sustainable remedies of remembering God’s anger and grace.
July 11, 2024
Excellent.
June 19, 2022
A very thought provoking book. The writers skillfully make you examine your own heart in light of God's word.
March 31, 2025
A very helpful book with practical application for the believer. The authors take a biblical and straightforward look at the sin of anger and how it impacts everyone, not just the person struggling with it. The book requires a thorough heart examination, as well as saturation of prayer. It is beneficial on so many levels.
February 26, 2022
Loved the Biblical survey of God’s anger and human anger presented here. It brought out a lot of great insights that showed clear evidence of an in-depth study of scriptures.
I felt it leaned a bit theoretical, and lacked practical application to a certain degree, though not to the point of being a significant problem.
I felt it leaned a bit theoretical, and lacked practical application to a certain degree, though not to the point of being a significant problem.
January 17, 2025
This book has such a comprehensive view of anger from God's Word. Many insightful examples that point to the heart of anger and the call to respond in godliness. Convicting and yet very encouraging!
March 4, 2024
Fantástico libro. Mucho que trabajar y pensar en mi propia vida.
May 5, 2021
Christopher Ash and Steve Midgley’s new book, The Heart of Anger, addresses a pressing issue in our families and churches. Anger is one of those sins that comes all too easily for many of us. For the opportunity to think further about this vital issue in my own heart and for Christian ministry in general, I was pleased to receive a review copy of The Heart of Anger as part of the Crossway Blog Review Program. In the books four parts, Ash and Midgley offer much godly wisdom and confront the reader in a gentle yet firm manner.
Summary
After raising the importance of addressing anger in the introduction, describing it “a strange, powerful, confusing, multifaceted phenomenon,” the authors set out to bring the Bible to bear on this issue (12). In Part one, the authors present “Biblical Portraits” of anger. Chapters 1 and 2 consider the heart behind anger, both what goes on beneath our expressions of anger and what they perceive to the core behind the feeling of and acts of anger, desiring to be in the place of God. The following five chapters then look at the relationship between anger and various other things, its damage (Ch. 3), its related vices (power, self-righteousness, and pride, Chs. 4-6). Chapter 7 looks at the infectious nature of sin, how it is easily “caught” through cultural values, personal influence, and in corporate circumstances. They argue that one angry expression of our desire to be god is drawing others into “angry madness,” collaborating with others to justify our sin (Ch. 8). In Chapter 9, the final of Part 1, the authors argue “righteous anger” is our imitation of God’s indignation towards injustice and the devaluing of his glory. In their estimation, our anger is not often righteous. Part 2 then considers God’s own righteous anger displaying and describing it from Scripture. They rightly point to the need for “leaving room for an angry God,” entrusting “vengeance and perfect loving justice to him” (105). Part 2 is the strongest in the book.
Part 3 turns from describing anger as it is found in man and God to defusing it. These chapters contrast our anger with God’s in terms of knowledge (Ch. 16) and purpose (Ch. 17). We do not know everything when we get angry: we never have the whole picture and are liable to become angry in ignorance. It would be better to seek to understand rather than presuming upon what we think we know. Even when we feel our anger is most righteous, they argue that our purposes behind anger are often to usurp God’s control and frustration when these attempts are thwarted. Chapter 18 examines the various emotions that often provoke anger in use (fear, frustration, sadness, shame). In Part 4, Ash and Midgley contrast the distorted purposes and emotions behind anger with the desires, emotions, and circumstances that are found “in Christ,” in his church and renewing work. The book finishes with two appendices for diagnosing and working through our issues with anger.
Evaluation
The Heart of Anger says many good things well. The reader will benefit from many Biblical insights into the human heart and (if your anything like me) will be confronted by the many ways they fall short in this area. The book’s presentation could perhaps have been sharpened with longer chapters that present a specific dynamic of sin and its solution (merging part 1 and 4); as it stands, many of the chapters felt too short.
The topic of righteous anger perhaps deserves more attention; the authors write off Ephesians 4:26, “be angry and do not sin.” In both Hebrew (Ps 4:4) and Greek, this is an imperative verbal form. I do not think they are justified in glossing this as “an acknowledgment that we do get angry” (159). Rather, it commends—indeed, it commands—a certain form of anger, doing so with much warning against anger gone awry. I also question the value of approaches to sin that search for the root cause behind all “anger,” which, for Ash and Midgley, is the desire to be in the place of God. This is certainly one way of looking at anger in most, perhaps even every, sinful expression. However, it is not clear how much this analysis contributes. That is, by stripping away the uniqueness of sinful anger in search of underlying unity, the result may be too general to help in real-life situations of anger. It is true that when I am angry towards my daughter, there is an element that could be described as desiring control as God controls. But I am not convinced that this will always be the element that should be addressed directly. Perhaps reinforcing God’s command for gentleness (Eph 5) would be more appropriate than a big picture indictment of sin. As much as my anger is sin for presuming control as God has control, it is also sinful as a direct contradiction of God’s commands, betraying neglect for my responsibilities towards God and man. The authors do address anger from many angles and provide many examples of the problem and solutions, so this is not a crippling problem. Nevertheless, I do think it is a problem that reflects a general tendency among Reformed Christians to search for the “essence” of things, the unifying cause behind the diversity of experience.
Conclusion
The Heart of Anger provides many helpful portraits of the sinful human heart, along with useful Biblical correctives, but does not get to the “heart of anger,” as if to ascertain its essence. Read it for the former, not the latter.
Summary
After raising the importance of addressing anger in the introduction, describing it “a strange, powerful, confusing, multifaceted phenomenon,” the authors set out to bring the Bible to bear on this issue (12). In Part one, the authors present “Biblical Portraits” of anger. Chapters 1 and 2 consider the heart behind anger, both what goes on beneath our expressions of anger and what they perceive to the core behind the feeling of and acts of anger, desiring to be in the place of God. The following five chapters then look at the relationship between anger and various other things, its damage (Ch. 3), its related vices (power, self-righteousness, and pride, Chs. 4-6). Chapter 7 looks at the infectious nature of sin, how it is easily “caught” through cultural values, personal influence, and in corporate circumstances. They argue that one angry expression of our desire to be god is drawing others into “angry madness,” collaborating with others to justify our sin (Ch. 8). In Chapter 9, the final of Part 1, the authors argue “righteous anger” is our imitation of God’s indignation towards injustice and the devaluing of his glory. In their estimation, our anger is not often righteous. Part 2 then considers God’s own righteous anger displaying and describing it from Scripture. They rightly point to the need for “leaving room for an angry God,” entrusting “vengeance and perfect loving justice to him” (105). Part 2 is the strongest in the book.
Part 3 turns from describing anger as it is found in man and God to defusing it. These chapters contrast our anger with God’s in terms of knowledge (Ch. 16) and purpose (Ch. 17). We do not know everything when we get angry: we never have the whole picture and are liable to become angry in ignorance. It would be better to seek to understand rather than presuming upon what we think we know. Even when we feel our anger is most righteous, they argue that our purposes behind anger are often to usurp God’s control and frustration when these attempts are thwarted. Chapter 18 examines the various emotions that often provoke anger in use (fear, frustration, sadness, shame). In Part 4, Ash and Midgley contrast the distorted purposes and emotions behind anger with the desires, emotions, and circumstances that are found “in Christ,” in his church and renewing work. The book finishes with two appendices for diagnosing and working through our issues with anger.
Evaluation
The Heart of Anger says many good things well. The reader will benefit from many Biblical insights into the human heart and (if your anything like me) will be confronted by the many ways they fall short in this area. The book’s presentation could perhaps have been sharpened with longer chapters that present a specific dynamic of sin and its solution (merging part 1 and 4); as it stands, many of the chapters felt too short.
The topic of righteous anger perhaps deserves more attention; the authors write off Ephesians 4:26, “be angry and do not sin.” In both Hebrew (Ps 4:4) and Greek, this is an imperative verbal form. I do not think they are justified in glossing this as “an acknowledgment that we do get angry” (159). Rather, it commends—indeed, it commands—a certain form of anger, doing so with much warning against anger gone awry. I also question the value of approaches to sin that search for the root cause behind all “anger,” which, for Ash and Midgley, is the desire to be in the place of God. This is certainly one way of looking at anger in most, perhaps even every, sinful expression. However, it is not clear how much this analysis contributes. That is, by stripping away the uniqueness of sinful anger in search of underlying unity, the result may be too general to help in real-life situations of anger. It is true that when I am angry towards my daughter, there is an element that could be described as desiring control as God controls. But I am not convinced that this will always be the element that should be addressed directly. Perhaps reinforcing God’s command for gentleness (Eph 5) would be more appropriate than a big picture indictment of sin. As much as my anger is sin for presuming control as God has control, it is also sinful as a direct contradiction of God’s commands, betraying neglect for my responsibilities towards God and man. The authors do address anger from many angles and provide many examples of the problem and solutions, so this is not a crippling problem. Nevertheless, I do think it is a problem that reflects a general tendency among Reformed Christians to search for the “essence” of things, the unifying cause behind the diversity of experience.
Conclusion
The Heart of Anger provides many helpful portraits of the sinful human heart, along with useful Biblical correctives, but does not get to the “heart of anger,” as if to ascertain its essence. Read it for the former, not the latter.
December 5, 2025
My lil takeaways:
1. Our anger reveals the deeper desires and idols of our heart (pretty much most of it comes from loving the wrong things too much)
2. God's anger isn't like ours & praise for Christ absorbing God's r i g h t e o u s anger so we can be forgiven and restored.
3. Practically: we don't have to explode or stuff it down - pray our anger. Willpower isn't the true change, the Spirit will grow you in patience and gentleness and self control so yes and amen ✨
1. Our anger reveals the deeper desires and idols of our heart (pretty much most of it comes from loving the wrong things too much)
2. God's anger isn't like ours & praise for Christ absorbing God's r i g h t e o u s anger so we can be forgiven and restored.
3. Practically: we don't have to explode or stuff it down - pray our anger. Willpower isn't the true change, the Spirit will grow you in patience and gentleness and self control so yes and amen ✨
January 3, 2022
I needed this. I’ll be visiting this one every year for the foreseeable future. Behind “Rejoice and Tremble”, this was the second best book I read in 2021. I actually finished it last year. Everyone and anyone who struggles with the sin of anger should read this.
May 8, 2025
This book wastes no time in cutting to the heart of the matter.
What an incredible book! Almost every page is insightful and/or practical.
If you struggle with anger or know someone who does, this book would be an incredible resource to you.
What an incredible book! Almost every page is insightful and/or practical.
If you struggle with anger or know someone who does, this book would be an incredible resource to you.
June 13, 2022
Definitely some good points that made me think.
July 22, 2022
4.5 stars.
October 25, 2025
this book took me 5 billion years to read. it was SO good. I was convicted. I thought a lot about my life and things I want to change / do differently. I’m glad I read it :)
Read
June 23, 2023Really enjoyed the doctrinal aspects of righteous anger…how it’s a default for God, yet so muddied for humans.
December 16, 2021
Full of wise and fresh insights in here at what lies behind our anger. Helpful look at God’s righteous anger.
Of course it’s not always easy to see the depth of your sin laid bare but authors quickly remind us of Christ’s grace and mercy.
Of course it’s not always easy to see the depth of your sin laid bare but authors quickly remind us of Christ’s grace and mercy.
April 6, 2021
This book is insightful, clear, and well-organized, providing deep insight into human anger, God's righteous anger, and the ways that Christ can change our hearts. The authors provide case studies and examples of anger from the Bible and from modern life, and even though they acknowledge the deep power of anger, they show that it is possible for people to choose self-control, let go of prideful, demanding, self-righteous rage, and live at peace with others. They also address how we can navigate issues of righteous anger, so that we can feel godly rage at injustice and evil without acting out in sinful ways, or making our anger all about ourselves. This book is very practical and wise, and is the perfect example of how helpful biblical counseling can be, when it is based in a profound understanding of human nature and Christ's transforming power.
I have always struggled with anger, and it is difficult for me to find resources that make a difference in my life. Many repeat the same ideas that I already know and struggle to put into practice, but this book has such a holistic understanding of anger that I was able to find new insights, get a better perspective, and calm down about things I have been struggling with for months. This book was the perfect blend of biblical teaching, practical advice, and psychological insight, and the authors write with sensitivity to readers' emotional struggles and the reasons why dealing with anger is so hard.
Structure and Content
There are four main parts, and each one builds on the last. Christopher Ash and Steve Midgley explain the deeper motivations behind human anger, the holy and righteous anger of God, first steps in diffusing anger, and how Christ can change our hearts. At the beginning, they illustrate sinful anger by summarizing key Bible stories, showing how desires for control, possessions, sexual satisfaction, and reputation characteristically fuel anger. However, even though they focus on men's anger through portraits of powerful men in the Bible who had the social privilege to express their anger in major ways, the authors make it clear that anger is not a gendered issue, and speak to women as well.
The authors describe anger's harmful effects, the relationship between anger and power, the consequences of pride and self-righteousness, and the ways that others' affirmation can entrench us in our anger and create a mob mentality. On a related note, the authors contend that "righteous anger" is far rarer than we think, since when we convince ourselves that we are right, we remain blind to our sin, ignore alternate perspectives, and cannot reconcile with others. In the section about God's anger, the authors show what truly righteous anger looks like, and in the third part, they provide practical tips for diffusing our anger and understanding the deeper emotions behind it. The final section addresses how we can find peace through Christ as he transforms our selfish desires, gives us power, wisdom, and love to serve Him and others, and gives us a new humility.
Audience
The authors speak to both men and women throughout the book, and they are sensitive to people's different life situations. Instead of assuming that their readers are all married with kids, they write to people in a variety of life stages, drawing in examples and applications from work, rooming situations, and friendships. Also, at the beginning of the chapter about parenting, the authors acknowledge that even though some of their readers don't have kids, they chose as a clear case study that people can relate to from their upbringing or cultural observation, even if it isn't directly relevant to them. The chapter is incredibly insightful, emphasizing how often parental anger arises from fear and a desire for control, but I enjoyed it even more because of the authors' sensitivity and awareness to where different readers are coming from.
This book is also appropriate for teenagers, as long as they are mature and informed enough to deal with some of the sexual elements in this book. The authors connect the role of entitled anger to sexual assault and general abuse, and as long as a teenager can read at an adult level and handle these occasionally recurring themes, this book can be helpful and enlightening for them. I definitely would have benefited from this book in high school, and it is especially important now, since our society increasingly views anger as a valuable tool, not a personal problem to overcome. This book can help teens and adults counter narratives about anger being a good leadership skill, or a way to find justice, since the authors differentiate corrosive, prideful rage from truly righteous anger that elevates the good of others.
Conclusion
In this book, the authors focus on the deeper issues behind anger, instead of just recommending coping skills. They provide insight into human nature, God's holiness, and the life-transforming power of the gospel, and I found this book deeply helpful. As I read it, I could clearly see how often my anger flows from acting as if I am God, should be in control, know all of the relevant facts, and am in a position to judge. This book has helped me get perspective and diffuse anxious, angry thought spirals before they begin, and I would highly recommend it to any Christian who struggles with anger. I would also encourage pastors and counselors to read it for themselves and the people they minister to. This is a convicting, encouraging, and potentially life-changing resource, and I am so thankful that I got to read it.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I have always struggled with anger, and it is difficult for me to find resources that make a difference in my life. Many repeat the same ideas that I already know and struggle to put into practice, but this book has such a holistic understanding of anger that I was able to find new insights, get a better perspective, and calm down about things I have been struggling with for months. This book was the perfect blend of biblical teaching, practical advice, and psychological insight, and the authors write with sensitivity to readers' emotional struggles and the reasons why dealing with anger is so hard.
Structure and Content
There are four main parts, and each one builds on the last. Christopher Ash and Steve Midgley explain the deeper motivations behind human anger, the holy and righteous anger of God, first steps in diffusing anger, and how Christ can change our hearts. At the beginning, they illustrate sinful anger by summarizing key Bible stories, showing how desires for control, possessions, sexual satisfaction, and reputation characteristically fuel anger. However, even though they focus on men's anger through portraits of powerful men in the Bible who had the social privilege to express their anger in major ways, the authors make it clear that anger is not a gendered issue, and speak to women as well.
The authors describe anger's harmful effects, the relationship between anger and power, the consequences of pride and self-righteousness, and the ways that others' affirmation can entrench us in our anger and create a mob mentality. On a related note, the authors contend that "righteous anger" is far rarer than we think, since when we convince ourselves that we are right, we remain blind to our sin, ignore alternate perspectives, and cannot reconcile with others. In the section about God's anger, the authors show what truly righteous anger looks like, and in the third part, they provide practical tips for diffusing our anger and understanding the deeper emotions behind it. The final section addresses how we can find peace through Christ as he transforms our selfish desires, gives us power, wisdom, and love to serve Him and others, and gives us a new humility.
Audience
The authors speak to both men and women throughout the book, and they are sensitive to people's different life situations. Instead of assuming that their readers are all married with kids, they write to people in a variety of life stages, drawing in examples and applications from work, rooming situations, and friendships. Also, at the beginning of the chapter about parenting, the authors acknowledge that even though some of their readers don't have kids, they chose as a clear case study that people can relate to from their upbringing or cultural observation, even if it isn't directly relevant to them. The chapter is incredibly insightful, emphasizing how often parental anger arises from fear and a desire for control, but I enjoyed it even more because of the authors' sensitivity and awareness to where different readers are coming from.
This book is also appropriate for teenagers, as long as they are mature and informed enough to deal with some of the sexual elements in this book. The authors connect the role of entitled anger to sexual assault and general abuse, and as long as a teenager can read at an adult level and handle these occasionally recurring themes, this book can be helpful and enlightening for them. I definitely would have benefited from this book in high school, and it is especially important now, since our society increasingly views anger as a valuable tool, not a personal problem to overcome. This book can help teens and adults counter narratives about anger being a good leadership skill, or a way to find justice, since the authors differentiate corrosive, prideful rage from truly righteous anger that elevates the good of others.
Conclusion
In this book, the authors focus on the deeper issues behind anger, instead of just recommending coping skills. They provide insight into human nature, God's holiness, and the life-transforming power of the gospel, and I found this book deeply helpful. As I read it, I could clearly see how often my anger flows from acting as if I am God, should be in control, know all of the relevant facts, and am in a position to judge. This book has helped me get perspective and diffuse anxious, angry thought spirals before they begin, and I would highly recommend it to any Christian who struggles with anger. I would also encourage pastors and counselors to read it for themselves and the people they minister to. This is a convicting, encouraging, and potentially life-changing resource, and I am so thankful that I got to read it.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
June 2, 2021
I wanted to like this book but it was awful. If you have read one Christian counselling book you have read them all, as they always diagnose real issues is caricatured ways. Eat the meat and spit out the bones (and there are a lot of bones).
These sorts of books are gnostic in their approach. The secret to overcoming your sin is secret knowledge, if you only know the truth you will be set free, and the truth is…you think you are a god.
Whilst I totally get that each of us wants to be independent of God and go our own way, the answer is repentance from that choice, dependence upon God, and reconciliation in relationship. Only a madman actually thinks he is a god, in the words of C. S. Lewis “a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg”.
I never wake up and mistake my very fail, weak, contingent mode of existence to that of a gloriously transcendent God in whom I live, breathe and have my being. I know very well that I am not God and I am sure that is also the case for many readers of this book who know they need help and want help and are left only with the secret knowledge that they think too much of themselves.
Also what does this say about God? If our anger and desire for control represents us thinking we are god, then what does that say about the authors view of God? That he is angry and controlling? Is the will to dominate, manipulate and control others the defining attribute of God? I don’t think so. God is holy love, Christ is a bridegroom who lays down his life for his bride, hardy a controlling image? God gives each of us free will to reject him otherwise loving him would mean nothing.
To be honest, our problem is that we probably don't want to be like God enough! If Christ is the image of God, if self-sacrificial love for the sake of the other if what God is like, then our desire to be like God is actually far too weak than too strong and this book has it all mixed up! We are angry because we claim mine when we should say thine, because that is what God would do!
In the words of John Behr “Christ shows us what it is to be God in the way he dies as a human being.” Each of us are called to be conformed to that reality. To become like God, which is to die to ourselves.
I am left wondering if the authors actually know the God of the Bible? At one point the authors write “Death simply isn’t the way it was supposed to be” and whilst I understand what they are saying it reveals that they are ignorant of much Patristic theology, I think of Revelation 13:8, Ephesians 1:4-5 and Romans 5:14, the Risen Crucified One was always Plan A, to that end, death has always been Plan A. God always planned to make for himself sons and daughters through death and resurrection.
The authors at one point also stress “the religion of Cain is a system in which one earns his or her blessings”. I mean where does the text say that? That is just reading 16th Century Protestant theology right into the text! The authors probably call out others for eisegesis so they should at least name their own!
In all this was an awful book. There are some good bits but lots of bones.
These sorts of books are gnostic in their approach. The secret to overcoming your sin is secret knowledge, if you only know the truth you will be set free, and the truth is…you think you are a god.
Whilst I totally get that each of us wants to be independent of God and go our own way, the answer is repentance from that choice, dependence upon God, and reconciliation in relationship. Only a madman actually thinks he is a god, in the words of C. S. Lewis “a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg”.
I never wake up and mistake my very fail, weak, contingent mode of existence to that of a gloriously transcendent God in whom I live, breathe and have my being. I know very well that I am not God and I am sure that is also the case for many readers of this book who know they need help and want help and are left only with the secret knowledge that they think too much of themselves.
Also what does this say about God? If our anger and desire for control represents us thinking we are god, then what does that say about the authors view of God? That he is angry and controlling? Is the will to dominate, manipulate and control others the defining attribute of God? I don’t think so. God is holy love, Christ is a bridegroom who lays down his life for his bride, hardy a controlling image? God gives each of us free will to reject him otherwise loving him would mean nothing.
To be honest, our problem is that we probably don't want to be like God enough! If Christ is the image of God, if self-sacrificial love for the sake of the other if what God is like, then our desire to be like God is actually far too weak than too strong and this book has it all mixed up! We are angry because we claim mine when we should say thine, because that is what God would do!
In the words of John Behr “Christ shows us what it is to be God in the way he dies as a human being.” Each of us are called to be conformed to that reality. To become like God, which is to die to ourselves.
I am left wondering if the authors actually know the God of the Bible? At one point the authors write “Death simply isn’t the way it was supposed to be” and whilst I understand what they are saying it reveals that they are ignorant of much Patristic theology, I think of Revelation 13:8, Ephesians 1:4-5 and Romans 5:14, the Risen Crucified One was always Plan A, to that end, death has always been Plan A. God always planned to make for himself sons and daughters through death and resurrection.
The authors at one point also stress “the religion of Cain is a system in which one earns his or her blessings”. I mean where does the text say that? That is just reading 16th Century Protestant theology right into the text! The authors probably call out others for eisegesis so they should at least name their own!
In all this was an awful book. There are some good bits but lots of bones.
October 30, 2023
“It is an extraordinary truth, as Matthew Elliott points out, that Jesus shows no anger at the one who betrays him, expresses no fury at those who arrest him, gives vent to no rage at those who accuse him, exhibits no wrath at those who bear false witness against him, and shows no indignation at those who crucify him. He who was so angry at hard-heartedness, at insults to his Father, at sin and death, goes in silence to his death as a lamb to the slaughter, with no hint of anger… Jesus our sin-bearing Lamb submits in infinite love to the righteous anger of the triune God against sinners. He drinks the cup of God’s wrath for us. He, and he alone, can safely be entrusted to put into effect at the last judgment the wrath of God, which may now be called ‘the wrath of the Lamb.’ How terrible to face the wrath of the Lamb! How unutterably awful to experience the fury of the one who gave himself to save sinners!” (p. 101-102)
Not entirely uncharacteristically, it has taken me about 5 months to finish this book. Undoubtedly it is because of this “extraordinary gospel truth”.
Jesus both experienced and exhibits the wrath and anger of God.
Christ is the only man to ever wholly exhibit righteous anger on earth. He is the one who took on God’s righteous anger for us because of the insurmountable debt we owe. He is also the only one capable of enacting his righteous anger on sinful humanity through judgment. Any anger, and the way we act on it, is misplaced and unrighteous. Our anger stems from pride, selfishness, self-righteousness, and a threat to our comfort, authority, power, and control. This anger is sin and is exactly why we have an infinite debt that we could never repay. My anger is unjustifiable and harms not only the people around me but is a sin against my Creator. Yet in response to this anger, the sinless, anger-less Lamb approaches the cross with humility and takes on the wrath deserved for us.
This is Truth I’ve heard before and in many ways, but one that has humbled, convicted, and encouraged me afresh.
To cover up the weeds in my back yard is preferable. To mow them down is easy.
To pull them up by the roots is troublesome and painful….
But to dig them up is life-giving.
I wish I had done this sooner.
But praise God for books like this that encourage examination of the roots of anger and that bring hope and joy in the midst of sin.
I highly recommend this book.
Not entirely uncharacteristically, it has taken me about 5 months to finish this book. Undoubtedly it is because of this “extraordinary gospel truth”.
Jesus both experienced and exhibits the wrath and anger of God.
Christ is the only man to ever wholly exhibit righteous anger on earth. He is the one who took on God’s righteous anger for us because of the insurmountable debt we owe. He is also the only one capable of enacting his righteous anger on sinful humanity through judgment. Any anger, and the way we act on it, is misplaced and unrighteous. Our anger stems from pride, selfishness, self-righteousness, and a threat to our comfort, authority, power, and control. This anger is sin and is exactly why we have an infinite debt that we could never repay. My anger is unjustifiable and harms not only the people around me but is a sin against my Creator. Yet in response to this anger, the sinless, anger-less Lamb approaches the cross with humility and takes on the wrath deserved for us.
This is Truth I’ve heard before and in many ways, but one that has humbled, convicted, and encouraged me afresh.
To cover up the weeds in my back yard is preferable. To mow them down is easy.
To pull them up by the roots is troublesome and painful….
But to dig them up is life-giving.
I wish I had done this sooner.
But praise God for books like this that encourage examination of the roots of anger and that bring hope and joy in the midst of sin.
I highly recommend this book.
July 16, 2022
Humans are naturally prone to get angry; at injustice, at other peoples' behaviour, or if things just aren't going our way. This book sets out a structured approach, and first of all sets out the reasons why we get angry, and even Biblical portrayals of human anger, including those of the obvious "villains" like King Nebuchadnezzar, and also of prophets (for example, Jonah's response to God sparing the Ninevites, which surprised me a lot when I first read about it).
The second part deals with God's anger at humanity, as portrayed in the Bible, mainly giving Old Testament examples (surprisingly, Jesus sacking the temple in the Gospels isn't mentioned), and the authors do a good job of explaining why God gets angry, using the Bible's portrayal of him as a bridegroom, whose bride is being unfaithful. The book stresses that God is not "capricious", as Stephen Fry has claimed, while at the same time warning of the dangers of claiming that God is only a loving God, and not an angry God. God is a being who disciplines his creations like a loving father, as one of the New Testament books puts it.
The later chapters also give practical advice, along with some examples, of how to manage anger.
One of the main points this book makes is that a lot of the time we get angry because we have a desire to "be God ourselves", when we should leave all judgement to God.
This is another book that I read so that I can discuss later with friends, and I overall enjoyed it, although when the authors gave examples of how anger can manifest, and how it can be overcome, they gave examples from their own experience, and told of what the outcome was, rather than when they started giving hypothetical situations. It overall felt like a book about "What would Jesus do?", with the main point being that the only way we can stop being angry is to turn to God, keep praying through all our difficulties, and above all, show love to the other person who is making us angry.
The second part deals with God's anger at humanity, as portrayed in the Bible, mainly giving Old Testament examples (surprisingly, Jesus sacking the temple in the Gospels isn't mentioned), and the authors do a good job of explaining why God gets angry, using the Bible's portrayal of him as a bridegroom, whose bride is being unfaithful. The book stresses that God is not "capricious", as Stephen Fry has claimed, while at the same time warning of the dangers of claiming that God is only a loving God, and not an angry God. God is a being who disciplines his creations like a loving father, as one of the New Testament books puts it.
The later chapters also give practical advice, along with some examples, of how to manage anger.
One of the main points this book makes is that a lot of the time we get angry because we have a desire to "be God ourselves", when we should leave all judgement to God.
This is another book that I read so that I can discuss later with friends, and I overall enjoyed it, although when the authors gave examples of how anger can manifest, and how it can be overcome, they gave examples from their own experience, and told of what the outcome was, rather than when they started giving hypothetical situations. It overall felt like a book about "What would Jesus do?", with the main point being that the only way we can stop being angry is to turn to God, keep praying through all our difficulties, and above all, show love to the other person who is making us angry.
May 1, 2024
anger - christopher ash
anger rises in my heart when something i love is either threatened or taken away from me.
flee from the wrath to come by taking refuge in the lamb.
* never avenge yourselves but leave it to the wrath of God.
* there is only one whom vengeance can be entrusted.
how our anger differs to God’s
* our anger is based on incomplete knowledge.
humility -> anger out of us thinking we’re God (we know best) not phil 2, Jesus emptying himself not considering equality with God a thing to be grasped
seeing GOD’s character -> anger sometimes focus is on other person and they eclipse God.
* orient desires away from creation and toward God.
anger is infectious
what it means to be slow to speak!!!
* gospel matter - “slow to speak to God!” (aka, prioritise listening to God rather than being consumed with your own thoughts and telling God what to do, not being self-centred - praying for wisdom and God’s Word to be revealed.)
* EAGER listening to the Word of truth -> only that can change the heart so we aren’t quick to speak words of anger.
identify type of anger
what is at threat at the root of your anger, what lies beneath it?
* control
* material
* sex
* reputation
* crowd of people that trigger u
what way is ur anger a desire to be God?
* want to be humble instead of be God (Phil 2)
Ask God to help you grow in godliness
* give thanks for God’s righteous anger and steadfast love and for revealing Your heart.
* repent - seriousness of sin, ugliness of our heart is more concerned with our glory than His. pray to be more concerned with His glory.
* believe - give thanks for Christ and He has born the punishment of our anger and selfishness. thank Him for new life! ask that the new prospect of the life to come will drive you to put away anger in this life.
February 2, 2023
Jan 20, 2023 review:
I appreciated the plethora of Biblical quotes and references in this book! You could tell everything was researched well from the Bible itself and I appreciated that. I was a bit disappointed that I didn’t personally find myself struck with any particular profound new thought on the topic, or coming away with solid practical strategies for uprooting anger in my life. But much of it was a good reminder for those who grew up with a Biblical worldview, to not become self righteous and let the anger and sin creep in when we’re not looking. I tend to have a short temper, and it’s something I’m trying to overcome, so the list of common roots of anger gave me some food for thought. All in all, I really appreciated the overall message of this book, and maybe a reread at some point will strike me a bit differently and help me with more of the practical steps in overcoming anger.
Update after reading the book a second time:
In rereading this, I’m struck (heheh) by the description of Moses striking the rock. I’ve often heard the explanation that he lost his temper and didn’t obey God’s instructions, but that feels like such a surface level take on it (not that it’s untrue, but I just feel like I hadn’t felt the full seriousness of that since it’s often explained in a “well, he just slipped up for a second” kind of way). However, this book has a thought that takes it to a deeper level (or at least brings up a point I hadn’t thought of before) - that God had intended that providing water from the rock would be a gift of grace & compassion to the Israelites, but Moses’ actions turned it instead into “something angry and begrudging.”
“Grace is replaced by fury, and the Lord is replaced by Moses.”
Not only did Moses taint the perfect gift of God with his anger & disobedience, but in doing so he took the focus away from God and onto himself. That helped me see better how serious of a failing that was, and why Moses wouldn’t be allowed into the Promised Land over it, due to his angry disobedience being a way of him putting himself in the place of God (unconsciously, no doubt, but still, that’s what anger brings out in us all).
All that to say, I appreciated that take on things, and it brought up some good food for thought in my own words and actions. It was a good warning for me about the everyday interactions and moments that God intends for good (both for myself and those around me), to not allow my anger to cloud and taint something that would otherwise be a positive moment. I can think of many applications for this if I can just keep it in mind when it counts.
I appreciated the plethora of Biblical quotes and references in this book! You could tell everything was researched well from the Bible itself and I appreciated that. I was a bit disappointed that I didn’t personally find myself struck with any particular profound new thought on the topic, or coming away with solid practical strategies for uprooting anger in my life. But much of it was a good reminder for those who grew up with a Biblical worldview, to not become self righteous and let the anger and sin creep in when we’re not looking. I tend to have a short temper, and it’s something I’m trying to overcome, so the list of common roots of anger gave me some food for thought. All in all, I really appreciated the overall message of this book, and maybe a reread at some point will strike me a bit differently and help me with more of the practical steps in overcoming anger.
Update after reading the book a second time:
In rereading this, I’m struck (heheh) by the description of Moses striking the rock. I’ve often heard the explanation that he lost his temper and didn’t obey God’s instructions, but that feels like such a surface level take on it (not that it’s untrue, but I just feel like I hadn’t felt the full seriousness of that since it’s often explained in a “well, he just slipped up for a second” kind of way). However, this book has a thought that takes it to a deeper level (or at least brings up a point I hadn’t thought of before) - that God had intended that providing water from the rock would be a gift of grace & compassion to the Israelites, but Moses’ actions turned it instead into “something angry and begrudging.”
“Grace is replaced by fury, and the Lord is replaced by Moses.”
Not only did Moses taint the perfect gift of God with his anger & disobedience, but in doing so he took the focus away from God and onto himself. That helped me see better how serious of a failing that was, and why Moses wouldn’t be allowed into the Promised Land over it, due to his angry disobedience being a way of him putting himself in the place of God (unconsciously, no doubt, but still, that’s what anger brings out in us all).
All that to say, I appreciated that take on things, and it brought up some good food for thought in my own words and actions. It was a good warning for me about the everyday interactions and moments that God intends for good (both for myself and those around me), to not allow my anger to cloud and taint something that would otherwise be a positive moment. I can think of many applications for this if I can just keep it in mind when it counts.
August 6, 2024
A helpful and practical book. "Anger is about our desires (what we want) and therefore about our fears (what we dread)." Since anger makes me feel powerful--and fear makes me feel vulnerable--I often give vent to my fears (about losing control, about not being as significant as I want, about not being King) via anger.
This also includes challenging pastoral advice. When someone vents to us--how often do we affirm their right to be angry rather than challenge them to, as Jesus did, "endure sorrows while suffering unjustly" (1 Peter 2.18-21). Part of putting on Christ is trusting in the vindication of God or, as Paul puts it, leaving room for God's wrath (Rom. 12.19). For, unlike ours, God's anger is perfect in knowledge, perfect in aim (i.e. aimed only at evil/injustice), perfectly fair, and never without warning (i.e. God is slow to anger and is always clear with his people through the law and the prophets that without repentance consequences will come). Compared to my anger, which is imperfect in knowledge (usually to work myself up into more of a rage I have to assign motives to the person I am angry at), imperfect in aim (usually I am more mad that I was wronged than the fact that a wrong happened...I am more angry when I get cut off in traffic than when I witness someone else being cut off in traffic), and quick to be ignited, it is easy to understand why human anger "does not produce the righteousness God desires" (James 1.19-21).
This also includes challenging pastoral advice. When someone vents to us--how often do we affirm their right to be angry rather than challenge them to, as Jesus did, "endure sorrows while suffering unjustly" (1 Peter 2.18-21). Part of putting on Christ is trusting in the vindication of God or, as Paul puts it, leaving room for God's wrath (Rom. 12.19). For, unlike ours, God's anger is perfect in knowledge, perfect in aim (i.e. aimed only at evil/injustice), perfectly fair, and never without warning (i.e. God is slow to anger and is always clear with his people through the law and the prophets that without repentance consequences will come). Compared to my anger, which is imperfect in knowledge (usually to work myself up into more of a rage I have to assign motives to the person I am angry at), imperfect in aim (usually I am more mad that I was wronged than the fact that a wrong happened...I am more angry when I get cut off in traffic than when I witness someone else being cut off in traffic), and quick to be ignited, it is easy to understand why human anger "does not produce the righteousness God desires" (James 1.19-21).
February 26, 2021
A well-written description of anger and its impact on the human condition. After reading this 200+ page book I don’t know whether to classify it as a theology of anger, a counseling textbook (an ancillary text), or a self-help book - and in fact it is all three. As a theology text, the book explores how anger is defined and expressed by both God and man. As a counseling textbook it will prepare the helping professional to address the causes and repercussions of unaddressed anger. As a self-help book, the book allows the reader to address their own concerns and to move forward in their life.
The book also includes a number of helpful appendices:
1. A Checklist for Our Anger - to help evaluate where and how we need help to understand the reader’s personal struggle with anger.
2. A Devotional Response to Our Anger - guiding the believer in his response before God as they address anger in their lives.
3. General Index
4. Scripture Index
These last two were not available for review in the Advanced Reader’s Copy I received.
The book is not difficult reading and is rooted in scripture. It has a place on both the pastor’s shelf and in the church library’s. I give the book 5-stars.
______________
This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions are mine alone.
The book also includes a number of helpful appendices:
1. A Checklist for Our Anger - to help evaluate where and how we need help to understand the reader’s personal struggle with anger.
2. A Devotional Response to Our Anger - guiding the believer in his response before God as they address anger in their lives.
3. General Index
4. Scripture Index
These last two were not available for review in the Advanced Reader’s Copy I received.
The book is not difficult reading and is rooted in scripture. It has a place on both the pastor’s shelf and in the church library’s. I give the book 5-stars.
______________
This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions are mine alone.
February 19, 2021
Based on who wrote this book I assumed it would be an excellent book. The book did not disappoint.
"Anger is one of those experiences that begins with a feeling and ends with an action; the same anger inhabits the angry feeling and then the angry deed."
This book has 4 parts.
Part 1 Biblical Portraits of human Anger
Part 2 Leave Room for an Angry God
Part 3 First Steps in Defusing human Anger
Part 4 Find Joy in the Peace of Christ
In Part 1 the authors look at numerous examples of anger in the Bible. "The triggers that set of anger vary. But the rage that is triggered always reveals in some way what the angry person truly values and treasures."
1. Control
2. Possessions
3. Sexual Intimacy and Delight
4. Reputation
Part 2 looks at God's anger which is so different from man's. God is perfect and his anger is perfect.
Part 3 deals with topics such as the agenda behind our anger. Again touching on what we value and treasure.
Part 4 gives practical ways to change. We need to replace anger with something else in our lives.
Overall this is an excellent book. It gives insights into God's word and practical help.
Thanks to netgalley and Crossway for a copy of this book to review. The review and opinion is all my own.
"Anger is one of those experiences that begins with a feeling and ends with an action; the same anger inhabits the angry feeling and then the angry deed."
This book has 4 parts.
Part 1 Biblical Portraits of human Anger
Part 2 Leave Room for an Angry God
Part 3 First Steps in Defusing human Anger
Part 4 Find Joy in the Peace of Christ
In Part 1 the authors look at numerous examples of anger in the Bible. "The triggers that set of anger vary. But the rage that is triggered always reveals in some way what the angry person truly values and treasures."
1. Control
2. Possessions
3. Sexual Intimacy and Delight
4. Reputation
Part 2 looks at God's anger which is so different from man's. God is perfect and his anger is perfect.
Part 3 deals with topics such as the agenda behind our anger. Again touching on what we value and treasure.
Part 4 gives practical ways to change. We need to replace anger with something else in our lives.
Overall this is an excellent book. It gives insights into God's word and practical help.
Thanks to netgalley and Crossway for a copy of this book to review. The review and opinion is all my own.
January 19, 2023
In Strong Heart, Sharp Minds, the authors explain how anger is a contributing harmful factor for a strong heart and sharp mind. What we think and how we behave affects our physical and cognitive health. That got me to thinking about another book that was on my "to be read" pile titled, The Heart of Anger. In the book there is a look at the "cognitive dimension" to anger. "It is true that we do perceive, evaluate, and then feel anger in response to our perception and evaluation. We may do all that in a split second. But anger is typically hot." Emotions, is mentioned as one of the reasons for anger. How one feels or perceives what is going on around them. When one begins to feel angry, their "heart beats faster; my blood pressure rises; I flush, I get hot under the collar; I tremble with rage." Right there, is the connection between the heart health and brain health. This book is revealing, instructive, and restorative. It looks at the problem of anger but also provides a solution to that problem. This is a needed book for our times.
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