Luther on anger
Dr. Martin Luther, Of Justification, § 319:
I never work better than when I am inspired by anger; for when I am angry, I can write, pray, and preach well, for then my whole temperament is quickened, my understanding sharpened, and all mundane vexations and temptations depart.
3 Responses to “Luther on anger”
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Denise Says:
May 19th, 2005 at 17:45:31Anger, the great motivator?!? MLK said all mundane vexations depart. When angry, I usually cull them up, blow them out of proportion, & use them as food for the flame. They are tasted, chewed, swished around, & as the anger abates & they become tasteless, they are spit out and abandoned.
Curiosity and an overwhelming need to do something worthwhile with my life provides better motivation. I find anger to be a hindrance rather than a help. -
Michael Says:
May 21st, 2005 at 21:25:23A good word, Denise, and I think you and Luther may be talking about different kinds of anger. Just as the Greeks had multiple words for love, so did they for anger: from the kind that simmers, cold, burning you slowly from the inside [grudge] to the kind that blows up and makes you want to chew up not only ideas but people, and spit them out.
Here’s how I think of his kind of anger, which I think is a more righteously indignant sort. When someone commits a serious error in Biblical interpretation (to the detriment of the gospel core, not some side-issue), I get very angry, and it helps me confront the error with more speed and alertness than I would otherwise have.
For instance: one of my longest, (IMHO best) posts on any Biblical theme was this one on Biblical encouragement. I wrote it in one sitting because I felt I had something very important to say. Usually, “mundane vexations” like my desire for coffee or to get a glass of water or to just get up and move around, keep me doing just that, and I can’t sit and post for very long without exercising something other than my noodle. Not the case when I’m angry.
But I understand—when I’m angry at a person or at a cause that affects me, I can get extremely vindictive in a negative light. Your thoughts?
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Denise Says:
May 23rd, 2005 at 18:23:39Michael - Good point regarding the different types of anger. Pretty sure I’ve chewed up and spit out my fair share of people. Your piece on Biblical encouragement was well-written and timely. Rough weekend. I joined - so I’ll jot some more thoughts in the Lounge, if that’s okay.
May 19th, 2005 at 17:45:31
Anger, the great motivator?!? MLK said all mundane vexations depart. When angry, I usually cull them up, blow them out of proportion, & use them as food for the flame. They are tasted, chewed, swished around, & as the anger abates & they become tasteless, they are spit out and abandoned.
Curiosity and an overwhelming need to do something worthwhile with my life provides better motivation. I find anger to be a hindrance rather than a help.
May 21st, 2005 at 21:25:23
A good word, Denise, and I think you and Luther may be talking about different kinds of anger. Just as the Greeks had multiple words for love, so did they for anger: from the kind that simmers, cold, burning you slowly from the inside [grudge] to the kind that blows up and makes you want to chew up not only ideas but people, and spit them out.
Here’s how I think of his kind of anger, which I think is a more righteously indignant sort. When someone commits a serious error in Biblical interpretation (to the detriment of the gospel core, not some side-issue), I get very angry, and it helps me confront the error with more speed and alertness than I would otherwise have.
For instance: one of my longest, (IMHO best) posts on any Biblical theme was this one on Biblical encouragement. I wrote it in one sitting because I felt I had something very important to say. Usually, “mundane vexations” like my desire for coffee or to get a glass of water or to just get up and move around, keep me doing just that, and I can’t sit and post for very long without exercising something other than my noodle. Not the case when I’m angry.
But I understand—when I’m angry at a person or at a cause that affects me, I can get extremely vindictive in a negative light. Your thoughts?
May 23rd, 2005 at 18:23:39
Michael - Good point regarding the different types of anger. Pretty sure I’ve chewed up and spit out my fair share of people. Your piece on Biblical encouragement was well-written and timely. Rough weekend. I joined - so I’ll jot some more thoughts in the Lounge, if that’s okay.