Good and Angry: Redeeming Anger, Irritation, Complaining, and Bitterness (David Powlison)

Good and Angry: Redeeming Anger, Irritation, Complaining, and Bitterness

Good and Angry, a groundbreaking book from David Powlison, shows readers how anger is more than a problem to solve. Anger is our complex human response to what we perceive as wrong in a complex world, thus we must learn how to fruitfully and honestly deal with it.

Powlison undertakes an in-depth exploration of the roots of anger, moral judgment, and righteous response by looking in a surprising place: God’s own anger.

Good and Angry examines God’s desire for justice and his anger, which doesn’t devolve into manipulation. Rather, God’s anger is good and redemptive, and it causes him to step into our world to make wrongs right, sending his own Son to die so we can be reconciled.

In this book full of practical and biblical help, Powlison sets readers on a path toward a faithful and fruitful expression of anger, in which we return good for evil and redeem wrongs. Powlison investigates how God is our model for change and our power for change.

Good and Angry helps people who struggle with irritation, complaining, or bitterness explore how to respond constructively when life goes wrong. You, your family, and your friends will all be glad that you read this book.

About the Authors: 

David Powlison, MDiv, PhD, (1949–2019) was a teacher, counselor, and the executive director of the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF). He wrote many books and minibooks, including Speaking Truth in Love; Seeing with New Eyes; Power Encounters: Reclaiming Spiritual Warfare; The Biblical Counseling Movement: History and Context; Good and Angry: Redeeming Anger, Irritation, Complaining, and Bitterness; Making All Things New: Restoring Joy to the Sexually Broken; and God’s Grace in Your Suffering. David was also the editor of The Journal of Biblical Counseling. 

Endorsements: 

“Anger can teach us something good not only about ourselves, but about God—and my friend David Powlison shows us how. I highly recommend Good and Angry, especially for Christian leaders, counselors, parents, and young people!”
Joni Eareckson Tada, Joni and Friends International Disability Center

“This is the best book on anger there is, except for Scripture itself. Powlison explores anger with wonderful depth and precise nuance. The book is a great systematic theology, for it explores all the relevance of creation, providence, and saving grace.”
John Frame, Professor of Systematic Theology and Philosophy, Reformed Theological Seminary

“Good and Angry is a remarkably penetrating treatment of a vital but neglected subject. Powlison’s insights are profound, not only on anger, but patience, forgiveness, mercy, and grace. I personally benefited from this excellent book. I highly recommend it.”
Randy Alcorn, Author of If God Is Good, Heaven, and Happiness

“Reading this book is like a conversation with a friend, rather than a lecture from a know-it-all. It is, above all, helpful and biblical. It is the best book I know of on this difficult topic.”
Ray Ortlund, Pastor, Immanuel Church, Nashville, TN

“It is rather rare to have a twenty-year history behind a commendation of a new book, but Good and Angry by Powlison now takes its rightful place as my number one recommendation on anger—not to mention it now stands as the fullest and wisest Christian response to the sub-theme of self-hatred and self-anger I have ever read.”
Tony Reinke, Desiring God; host of the Ask Pastor John podcast; author of Newton on the Christian Life: To Live Is Christ 

“If there is any counselor on the planet who is qualified to come alongside you and point you to the truth about yourself and the Lord who loves you, it is David Powlison. For decades now he’s been the primary voice of grace-saturated counsel and he speaks from a position of deep wisdom and careful exegesis. If you or someone you know has a problem with anger, this book is for you. In other words, everyone should buy it.”
Elyse Fitzpatrick, Author of Counsel from the Cross