Four Faces of Anger: Seneca, Evagrius Ponticus, Cassian, and Augustine

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Four Faces of Anger brings to the modern age wisdom on the topic of anger by four ancient authors. These authors are broadly representative of the classic views on anger in the tradition: Seneca, the first century A.D. stoic philosopher whose moral teaching won the admiration of pagans and Christians alike, even that of the irascible Jerome; Evagrius, who represents the monastic anchoretic tradition of the desert and its emphasis on the spiritual growth of the individual; Cassian, who trained in the same desert — shaped this tradition to speak to cenobites in the West. Our last author, Augustine, treats of the subject both as monastic legislator for his monks and as bishop for his lay congregation. His Rule for monks has one whole chapter devoted to the topic of how to deal with anger in a community setting. Although his initial ideas, expressed in abstractions and ideals, are important foundations for communal living, Augustine goes on to teach that the genuine work of building a loving and unified community is realized in the concrete struggles of human nature striving to overcome the tendencies of individualism and egoism. Anger, a force that often breaks down and prevents the growth of community, must eventually be squarely faced and, according to all of the monastic authors discussed in this book, the sooner the better. This chapter also includes several instances in Augustine's own life when he had to deal with anger in himself, in his congregation, or in the wider world that often solicited his help. The reader will soon realize that the Christian authors are not much interested in what anger is from a psychological perspective — though their treatment of anger is not entirely devoid of this element — but their focus is rather on how the vice of anger inhibits the spiritual growth of the soul and its relationship with God. Everyone, whether monastic or not, will glean from these pages the essential elements of detecting, eliminating, and controlling the negative side of this emotion so that he or she will advance on the spiritual journey unshackled by this all-too-pervasive human passion. Abbreviations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vlll Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. ix Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . XVII Acknowledgments ......... . XIX Chapter 1: Seneca: A Stoic Approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Philosophical Background . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 I. WHAT IS ANGER? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2. Is ANGER NATURAL OR USEFUl'? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 3.H ow DOES ANGER BEHAVE:? . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . . . . . . . .. . . ... .7 I. The Causes or Stimuli of Anger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 i). External Stimuli . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 ii) Internal Stimuli . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 2. Characteristics of Anger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 4. How IS ANGER CURED? . . . . . . ...... . ........ . . .. ...... .... .. . . . . . 9 The General Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 a) For children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 b) For adults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . 9 i) Reform of the Mind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 10 ii) Behavioral Skills . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Precautionary steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Immediate remedies . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Conclusion: the Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Chaper 2: Evagrius Ponticus: The Desert Approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Life . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Evagrius' Teaching on the Evil Thoughts . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .... 22 I. ANG ER: WHAT IT IS ... . . ......... . . . . . . . ...... . . . ..... . ... . ..... 24 II. CAUSES: WHY DOES A MONK BECOME ANGRYi .. ......... ..... .... . . 26 III. ANGER: WHAT IT DOES . . . . . . . . .. . .... . .. . .. . ... .... ... .. ... . . . 27 What Anger does to Prayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 29 The Good of Restraint .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 IV. REMEDIES FOR THE CURE OF ANGER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 A. Discernment of Thoughts . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. 32 B. Reconciliation . . ....... . . . . . . . . . . .. ... . . . . .. . . . . . . .. . . ... 3 3 C. Virtue . . . . . .. . . . . .. .. . .. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . 34 D. Prayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 E. Asceticism . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . 36 F. Gentleness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Chaper 3: Cassian: Anger & Friendship . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 49 Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Introduction to Anger: the Eight Deadly Sins/Vices . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 1. ANGER: THE 4 Cli DEADLY SIN . .. .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 II. ANGER AND FRIENDSHIP: CONFERENCE 16 . . . . . . . . . ........ . . .. . . . .. 57 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 1. True Friendship . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .. . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 A. lB. 2. Conflict within Friendship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 62 A. Wrong ways to react . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . 63 B. Right ways for friends to respond . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Conclusioll . . . .. . .. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Chapter 4: Augustine: Anger in Community .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . 73 1.A N OVERVIEW OF AUGUSTINE'S JOURNEY . . . . .. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 3 Signposts along the way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 7 3 1 . non i n contentione e t aemlilatione . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . 75 2. Episcopal altercations ..................................... 78 a. Megalius: A lesson in forgiveness ......................... 78 b. Fussala: Antony and his victims: compounded rage . . . . . . . .. . . 80 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 II: ANGER IN THE CONTEXT OF THE RULE .... ..... . . ...... ..... . . ..... 81 General Introduction: Augustine's Model of Monasticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 1 Garden Monastery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 1 Clerical monastery . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Introduction to the Rule and Anger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 3 1. What "makes" Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 84 I. Love and Harmony . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 a) Honor God Mutually in Each Other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 86 b) Harmony of Voice and Heart . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . 86 c) Service to the Community .............................. 87 d) Role of Superiors . . ... . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 2. Everything ill common . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .... . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Manual Labor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 91 II. What Breaks Down Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 The Fearsome Foursome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 1. Seeking Affection/Love outside the Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 2. Murmuring . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 3. Anger . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 4. Contumacy ... . . .. . . . . . . . . . ... .. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . .. 102 III. Repairing the Damage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 103 1. Forgiveness . . ... . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . 103 2. Patient Endurance . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . ... .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 3. Correction . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . 106 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Postscript . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 III: THE SERMONS . . ..... . . .. . . . ................. ..... . .... .... . I. Lenten Exhortations 2. Responses to Anger ....................................... . A. Negative reactions ..................................... . a) denial ........................................... . b) nurturing resentment ............................... . c) seeking revenge ................................... . B. Positive responses ...................................... . a) turning anger on itself .............................. . b) taking personal responsibility by admission ............. . c) asking for forgiveness ............................... . d)forgiving ......................................... . e) refrainingfrom being party to others' enmities ........... . Conclusion ............................................... . 109 109 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 11 111 1 13 1 13 1 13 1 14 1 14 115 115 116 Concluding Remarks . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 Appendices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .................................. 153 About the Author . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158