Resentment and Christian Love

Gregory L. Bock explores anger, unforgiveness, and love from philosophical and Christian theological perspectives.This book juxtaposes religious and philosophical stances on the role of "unforgiveness" in our everyday lives. Within the context of this study, Bock defines "unforgiveness" as a state of resentment in which an individual interprets a perceived threat as intentional and unjustified and, as a result, chooses to hold this threat against the perceived wrongdoer for an extended period of time. Bock begins by tracing the origins of anger, forgiveness, and love within the philosophical foundations of Western thought beginning with Aristotle and Seneca. Bock then turns to more contemporary scholars, including Joseph Butler, Jennifer Mei Sze Ang, and William Lane Craig, and discusses their perspectives within this classical framework. Across eight chapters, this book reveals the tension between philosophical and Christian theological frameworks of unforgiveness and, pivotally, their implications for Christian conceptions of God and divine forgiveness.