Comments on: Anger http://www.lookingforfaith.org/blog/2007/anger Religion and spirituality from a Unitarian Universalist perspective Wed, 08 Oct 2008 04:18:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Shelby http://www.lookingforfaith.org/blog/2007/anger#comment-1700 Shelby Wed, 20 Jun 2007 03:07:37 +0000 http://www.lookingforfaith.org/blog/2007/anger#comment-1700 Yes, exactly! Cold anger is very much what I had in mind. I first came across the term in Mary Beth Roger's book titled <i> Cold Anger: A Story of Faith and Power Politics </i>, which is about the Industrial Areas Foundation. Yes, exactly! Cold anger is very much what I had in mind. I first came across the term in Mary Beth Roger’s book titled Cold Anger: A Story of Faith and Power Politics , which is about the Industrial Areas Foundation.

]]> By: Shai http://www.lookingforfaith.org/blog/2007/anger#comment-1594 Shai Fri, 15 Jun 2007 16:02:14 +0000 http://www.lookingforfaith.org/blog/2007/anger#comment-1594 Somewhere in my reading on community organizing (probably Rules for Radicals), I remember reading about the concept of "cold anger". As opposed to hot anger, which is a sort of flash-in-the-pan surge of rage, cold anger is a simmering, low-level, long-held notion that something is not right. It's a very similar concept to "Wow, that's not right!" that you describe above. Saul Alinsky (or whoever introduced me to that term) wrote that cold anger should be nurtured, guided, and encouraged. I think social justice-oriented congregations should take this advice: cold anger is a good thing, and it can motivate us to seek change. It is right to encourage congregants to identify and manage their anger, especially anger at injustice. Somewhere in my reading on community organizing (probably Rules for Radicals), I remember reading about the concept of “cold anger”. As opposed to hot anger, which is a sort of flash-in-the-pan surge of rage, cold anger is a simmering, low-level, long-held notion that something is not right. It’s a very similar concept to “Wow, that’s not right!” that you describe above.

Saul Alinsky (or whoever introduced me to that term) wrote that cold anger should be nurtured, guided, and encouraged. I think social justice-oriented congregations should take this advice: cold anger is a good thing, and it can motivate us to seek change. It is right to encourage congregants to identify and manage their anger, especially anger at injustice.

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