Jay Sklar on "Beyond Outrage"

 

Recently, Jay Sklar, Old Testament prof. at Covenant Theological Seminary, read and reviewed "Beyond Outrage". Here's what he wrote:

"I remember once saying to a physical therapist, “I’ve been trying this new exercise. It requires me to lie on my back and raise my leg in an awkward way. The problem is that every time I do it, I feel tis funny pain in my back. What should I do to avoid the pain?” The physical therapist looked at me and said, “Stop doing the exercise.”

I share tis story to illustrate that simple common sense can help us avoid much pain and aggravation. Michael Philliber's book, Beyond Outrage, is full of such advice.

Philliber’s target is the outrage that so often plays out in our lives in response to media, whether social or more traditional forms. While noting that certain things should lead to outrage, he also shows how much of the outrage today we experience is unnecessary and could be avoided if we remember a few simple principles. These include: “accusation does not mean guilt,” “don’t ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence,” and several more.

The book is well-researched but short, reads easily, and is full of helpful stories, examples, and illustrations. This would be a great book for a book club or church education class to go through, and of course for anyone who finds that media often leads them to a place of anger. Philliber gives the reader the necessary tools, not simply to get beyond outrage, but to avoid it in the first place."