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Institute for Faith and Learning
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      • Acedia
      • Advent Ethics
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Baylor BU Institute for Faith and Learning Media and Resources The Christian Reflection Project Forgiveness
  • Faith Animating Online Education
  • Institute for Faith and Learning Video Archive
  • Baylor Symposium on Faith and Culture Video Archive
  • Bill and Roberta Bailey Family Lecture in Christian Ethics
  • Recommended Reading
  • External Resources
  • The Christian Reflection Project
    • Acedia
    • Advent Ethics
    • Aging
    • Anger
    • Apocalyptic Vision
    • Attentive Patience
    • The Book of Acts
    • Caring for Creation
    • Catechism
    • Chastity
    • Children
    • Christianity and Islam
    • Christmas and Epiphany
    • Cities and Towns
    • Cloning
    • Consumerism
    • Death
    • Disability
    • Easter
    • Food and Hunger
    • Forgiveness
    • Freedom
    • Friendship
    • Gambling Culture
    • Generosity
    • Global Wealth
    • Health
    • Heaven and Hell
    • Hospitality
    • Immigration
    • Inklings of Glory
    • Lent
    • The Letter of James
    • Marriage
    • Membership
    • Monasticism Old and New
    • Moral Landscape of Creation
    • Mysticism
    • Parables
    • Patterns of Violence
    • Peace and War
    • Pentecost
    • Pornographic Culture
    • Prayer
    • Prison
    • Prophetic Ethics
    • Racism
    • Sabbath
    • Schools in a Pluralist Culture
    • Scripture
    • Sermon on the Mount
    • Singing Our Lives
    • Sports
    • Suffering
    • Traveling Well
    • Virtual Lives
    • Vocation
    • Where Wisdom Is Found
    • Women and the Church
    • Women in the Bible
    • Work

Forgiveness

The Triune God loves us, offers us forgiveness, and seeks our reconciliation. This is the bedrock truth, despite our betrayals, rejections, manipulations, and abusiveness directed toward people, the creation, and God. This gracious and good news, if we embrace it, shapes us into Christian communities of forgiveness, which train and support us to offer human forgiveness and to receive it.

Forgiveness is the heart of Christian ethics; accordingly it is a most suitable theme for this inaugural issue of Christian Reflection. Our contributors offer thoughtful reflection to enrich our understanding, and guidance to stir our practice of embodying God's forgiveness, through articles, inspirational pieces, book reviews, an interview, Christian art, a hymn, and worship aids.

The study guides and lesson plans integrate Bible study, prayer, and worship to enrich our understanding of God's forgiveness and of God's call to congregations to become forgiving communities. The guides can be used in a series or individually. You may download and reproduce them for personal or group use.

Download the entire Forgiveness issue and the set of six Study Guides. Or, download individual pieces by clicking the titles below.

Articles

  • "See How They Love One Another," by Dorothy C. Bass and Frederick A. Niedner, Jr.
  • "The Purpose of God and the Politics of Salvation," by Dorothy Jean Weaver
  • "Forgiveness: Taking the Word to Heart," by J. Randall O'Brien
  • "Forgiveness as a Character Trait," by Robert C. Roberts
  • "God's Repentance-Enabling Forgiveness," by Ralph C. Wood
  • "Failing Leaders," by Robert B. Kruschwitz

Art

  • "A Startling Mystery," by Heidi J. Hornik, on Montauti, The Return of the Prodigal Son
  • "Our 'Dangerous Innocence,'" by Heidi J. Hornik, on Cole, Expulsion from the Garden of Eden
  • "Cherishing God's Forgiveness," by Heidi J. Hornik, on Poussin, Sacrament of Penance

Hymn and Worship Service

  • "Heaviness of Heart and Conscience," by Terry W. York and C. David Bolin
  • Worship Service by David G. Miller

Inspirational Pieces

  • "To Err is Human; To Forgive...?," by Thomas G. Long
  • "The Forgetfulness of God," by Brian L. Harbour
  • Other Voices, Quotations on Forgiveness

Book Reviews

  • "Which Way to Forgiveness?," by Caroline J. Simon
    • Johann Christoph Arnold, Why Forgive?
    • L. Gregory Jones, Embodying Forgiveness: A Theological Analysis
    • Patrick J. Brennan, The Way of Forgiveness: How to Heal Life's Hurts and Restore Broken Relationships
  • "The Science of Forgiveness," by Katheryn Rhoads Meek
    • Everett Worthington, Dimensions of Forgiveness: Psychological Research and Theological Perspectives
    • Michael E. McCullough, et al (eds.), Forgiveness: Theory, Research, and Practice

Interview

  • "The Heart of Reconciliation: A Conversation with John Paul Lederach," by Robert B. Kruschwitz

Study Guides and Lesson Plans (Download the set of six Study Guides)

  • "Forgiveness is God's Purpose"
  • "Why Should We Forgive?"
  • "The Politics of Salvation"
  • "Becoming Forgiving People"
  • "See How They Love One Another"
  • "Failing Leaders"

Further reading

  • "Frodo's Forgiveness," by Ralph C. Wood (Inklings of Glory)
Baylor BU Institute for Faith and Learning Media and Resources The Christian Reflection Project Forgiveness
  • About
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      • 2022 Art Seeking Understanding
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      • 2021 Living Accountably
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      • 2019 The Character of the University
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        • Plenary and Featured Speakers
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      • 2018 Stewardship of Creation
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        • Video Archive
      • 2017 The Bible and the Reformation
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      • 2016 Higher Learning
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        • Featured Speakers and Panels
        • Video Archive
      • 2015 The Spirit of Sports
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        • Featured Speakers
        • Video Archive
      • 2014 Faith and Film
        Back
        • Video Archive
      • 2013 Kierkegaard: A Christian Thinker for Our Time?
        Back
        • Featured Speakers
        • Video Archive
      • 2012 Technology and Human Flourishing
        Back
        • Featured Speakers
        • Video Archive
      • 2011 Educating for Wisdom in the 21st Century University
        Back
        • Featured Speakers
        • Video Archive
      • 2010 Human Dignity and the Future of Health Care
        Back
        • Featured Speakers
        • Video Archive
      • 2009 Secularization and Revival
        Back
        • Video Archive
      • 2008 Bottom-Up Approaches to Global Poverty
      • 2007 Friendship
    • Bill and Roberta Bailey Family Lecture in Christian Ethics
      Back
      • Bailey Lecture Video Archive
    • Other Conferences and Events
      Back
      • IFL@25
        Back
        • Select Pictures from IFL@25
      • 2019 LFP National Conference
        Back
        • Presenters
      • Art & Soul
      • Pruit Memorial Symposium
        Back
        • 2001 Celebrating Augustine's Confessions
        • 2002 Christianity and Economics
        • 2003 The Schooled Heart
        • 2004 Slavery, Oppression, and Prejudice
        • 2005 Global Christianity
      • Baylor University Medical Ethics Seminar
        Back
        • 2016 Medical Ethics Seminar
        • 2017 Medical Ethics Seminar
        • 2018 Medical Ethics Seminar
      • One-Time Conferences
  • Programs
    Back
    • Communio: A Retreat for Baylor Educators
    • William Carey Crane Scholars Program
      Back
      • Additional Information
    • Missio
    • Forming Character in the Classroom
      Back
      • About the Program: Called to Character
      • Past Workshops
    • Reading Groups and Guest Speakers
    • Soundings Project
  • Media and Resources
    Back
    • Faith Animating Online Education
      Back
      • Starting Points
      • A Christian Imagination about Online Education?
      • Cultivating Character and Online Learning
      • Additional Resources
    • Institute for Faith and Learning Video Archive
    • Baylor Symposium on Faith and Culture Video Archive
    • Bill and Roberta Bailey Family Lecture in Christian Ethics
    • Recommended Reading
    • External Resources
    • The Christian Reflection Project
      Back
      • Acedia
      • Advent Ethics
      • Aging
      • Anger
      • Apocalyptic Vision
      • Attentive Patience
      • The Book of Acts
      • Caring for Creation
      • Catechism
      • Chastity
      • Children
      • Christianity and Islam
      • Christmas and Epiphany
      • Cities and Towns
      • Cloning
      • Consumerism
      • Death
      • Disability
      • Easter
      • Food and Hunger
      • Forgiveness
      • Freedom
      • Friendship
      • Gambling Culture
      • Generosity
      • Global Wealth
      • Health
      • Heaven and Hell
      • Hospitality
      • Immigration
      • Inklings of Glory
      • Lent
      • The Letter of James
      • Marriage
      • Membership
      • Monasticism Old and New
      • Moral Landscape of Creation
      • Mysticism
      • Parables
      • Patterns of Violence
      • Peace and War
      • Pentecost
      • Pornographic Culture
      • Prayer
      • Prison
      • Prophetic Ethics
      • Racism
      • Sabbath
      • Schools in a Pluralist Culture
      • Scripture
      • Sermon on the Mount
      • Singing Our Lives
      • Sports
      • Suffering
      • Traveling Well
      • Virtual Lives
      • Vocation
      • Where Wisdom Is Found
      • Women and the Church
      • Women in the Bible
      • Work
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