The Heart of Anger

How should Christians understand anger, evaluate it, and respond for good?

We all struggle with anger at times: Our plans suddenly fall through, we lose a prized possession, or our reputation is called into question. More often than not, when anger knocks at the doors of our hearts, we easily allow it to take over. But what if getting to the heart of our anger also reveals the way to transform it?

Christopher Ash and Steve Midgley address this question by bringing to bear what the whole Bible has to say about sinful anger — revealing that anger is the sinful response when something we value more than God is taken away or threatened. They reflect on biblical portraits of human anger, God’s righteous anger, and how only the gospel of Jesus Christ brings true freedom — transforming a heart of anger into a heart filled with the love of God.

1. Opening Credits
2. Introduction: Anger and Why It Matters
3. Part 1: Biblical Portraits of Human Anger
4. Chapter 1: Anger and the Human Heart
5. Chapter 2: Getting to the Heart of Anger
6. Chapter 3: Anger and Harm
7. Chapter 4: Anger and Power
8. Chapter 5: Anger and Self-Righteousnes
9. Chapter 6: Anger and Pride
10. Chapter 7: Anger and the Crowd
11. Chapter 8: Using Others to Serve Our Angry Madness
12. Chapter 9: Righteous Anger?
13. Part 2: Leave Room for an Angry God
14. Chapter 10: The Anger of God is Good
15. Chapter 11: The Anger of God Is Evident
16. Chapter 12: The Anger of God Is a Jealous Love
17. Chapter 13: The Anger of God Is Slow but Sure
18. Chapter 14: The Anger of God Is Revealed in Jesus
19. Chapter 15: Leave Room for an Angry God
20. Part 3: First Steps in Defusing Human Anger
21. Chapter 16: Contrast Our Own Anger with His in the Matter of Knowledge
22. Chapter 17: Expose the Agenda behind Our Anger | An Example from Parenting
23. Chapter 18: Feeling Mad | Uncovering the Emotions Hiding Beneath
24. Part 4: Find Joy in the Peace of Christ
25. Chapter 19: New Desires in Christ
26. Chapter 20: A New Crowd in Christ
27. Chapter 21: A New Peace in Christ
28. Chapter 22: A New Power in Christ
29. Chapter 23: A New Humbling from Christ
30. Chapter 24: A New Love from Christ
31. Chapter 25: Learn Wisdom in Christ
32. Appendix 1: A Checklist for Our Anger
33. Appendix 2: A Devotional Response to Our Anger
34. Closing Credits