Geoffrey W. Sutton PhD, Psychology and Culture

REFLECTIONS ON FORGIVENESS Forgiveness repairs our internal damage and frees us to live in the present with hope for the future. Forgiveness provides the groundwork for reconciliation but it cannot change the offender. I am teaching about forgiveness in the next few weeks. In the process of preparation, I am looking for ways to explore the meaning of forgiveness in ordinary language rather than the often obtuse definitions found in psychology journals. Forgiveness defined Forgiveness is an action performed by a victim to no longer demand that the offender pay for the harm that was done. The victim takes control of the situation by assessing the damage and taking care of any repairs whether they be to oneself or one’s possessions. We can forgive people for harmful acts that cost us real money such as damage to our home or auto. Other damages are difficulty to assess. Some harm our reputations. Others wound not only bodies but plant horrific images and condemning messages ...

Psychology of Forgiveness and  Christian Spirituality Forgiveness has become faddish in recent years as numerous mental health clinicians became aware of the benefits of forgiveness to mental and general health. Books and seminars promise pathways to help people forgive and reap the benefits in better health. Adding to the interest is the fit of forgiveness with Christian teaching—still the dominant faith in the US where much of the forgiveness research has been conducted. The research findings are indeed encouraging but an eagerness to apply a new discovery can often lead to misapplications and exaggerated expectations. Forgiveness is not a panacea. I recently (September, 2014) summarized research on the psychology of forgiveness and Christian spirituality for the journal, Encounter . In this post I will summarize some key points. Here’s the link to a copy of the complete article, Psychology of Forgiveness , where you will find more details and complete references. ...