The Limits of Forgiveness

Download or read book The Limits of Forgiveness written by Maria Mayo and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2021-05-06 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Demystifying an unrealistic ideal Maria Mayo questions the contemporary idealization of unconditional forgiveness in three areas of contemporary life: so-called Victim-Offender Mediation involving cases of criminal injury, the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in post-apartheid South Africa, and the pastoral care of victims of domestic violence. She shows that an emphasis on unilateral and unconditional forgiveness puts disproportionate pressure on the victims of injustice or violence and misconstrues the very biblical passages—especially in Jesus’ teaching and actions—on which advocates of unconditional forgiveness rely.