Nature vs. Nurture

When it comes to explaining anger, biblical Christians don't case their vote with either "nature" or "nurture," or even with "nature and nurture." The divide between good and evil runs through everything, so we discern four factors. In sizing up the effects of "nature," you can't understand people without noting both creation-nature [our nature as the result of being created in God's image] and sin-nature [our nature as a result of our fall into sin]. . . . Similarly, in sizing up the effects of "nurture," we must pay attention both to sin-nurture and grace-nurture. Patterns of both sin and wisdom may be nurtured (Proverbs 13:20). Neither nature nor nurture are neutral.David Powlison, "

Anger Part 1: Understanding Anger," The Journal of Biblical Counseling 14/1 (Fall 1995): 47 n. 23. Bold indicates my emphasis.