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"I am unable to commit to any messiah who doesn't knock over tables," writes Keizer, a self-confessed angry man of faith. But if, as this Episcopal priest asserts, more of us need to be angry, then he believes "we shall require a more careful application of anger and a finer discernment of when anger applies." Keizer explores anger in its many settings, including the church, literature, history, and the contemporary world. His personal anecdotes are brutally honest and become the axis upon which the book revolves. Uncommonly witty metaphors are paired with gritty language and earthy sexuality to make his prose uniquely his own. Many evangelical readers will not share Keizer's views on matters such as homosexuality, but most will identify with his desire to respond to difficult situations with compassion rather than rage. In his chapter "Words," Keizer shares his "speech code," 16 mandates for himself that any reader who has ever struggled with anger will immediately want to photocopy and put on the refrigerator. "Anger can be redeemed," he writes compellingly, and at the end of the book, readers will be persuaded to believe it. This is a beautifully crafted treatise guaranteed to stir up emotion, promote discussion, and provoke change.

Cindy Crosby is a frequent contributor to Publishers Weekly.

Copyright © 2002 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

The Enigma of Anger is available at Christianbook.com.

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November 18 2002, Vol. 46, No. 12