Christian Character Formation in a Culture of Anger

What role should anger play in a virtuous life? If anger’s rightful target is injustice, and if the world is marked by persistent injustice, is it virtuous to be habitually angry? Or, on the contrary, if Christlike character is marked by gentleness, should a virtuous person have little to no anger? Join us for this evening lecture in which Dr. Rebecca Konyndyk DeYoung will address this puzzle by incorporating insights from two strands in Christian thought—one drawing on counsel from the Desert Fathers and Mothers explaining why our anger is destructive, and the other from Aquinas, who argues that some anger can be virtuous if it has the right object and mode of expression. Using the lens of formation to reconcile the two strands, DeYoung will explore some contextual and developmental implications and suggest some specific spiritual exercises that will help us with good formation.

This lecture is free and open to the public and will be live streamed but not recorded due to contractual/copyright limitations.