Restorative Justice and the Theological Dynamic of Forgiveness

Fiddes, Paul S.

doi:10.1093/ojlr/rwv037

Cited by 10 publications

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“…Such an awareness of equalness in God gives rise to a kind of “moral imagination” (Lederach 2005) that helps conflicting parties recognize each other as equally present for God's salvation and treat harm as worth forgiving. The “faith” side of this ethic, however, must be accompanied by “works.” As Paul Fiddes points out, there is a tendency in the history of Christian doctrine to view divine forgiveness as “a legal pardon, or a ‘remission’ of sin” closely aligned with the Latin model of atonement (2016, 58). Bonhoeffer, as suggested earlier, finds this view of forgiveness deeply flawed, based on cheap grace.…”

Section: The Political Vs the Theologicalmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Christian forgiveness's messianic and eschatological elements make it especially problematic. Several scholars criticize ideas and practices guided by an alarming aspect of Christian forgiveness that fosters an ahistorical ideal of restoring harmony and enforcing some form of comprehensive social consensus (Griswold 2007; Konstan 2010; see also Fiddes 2016; and Giannini 2017). By contrast, Arendtian forgiveness attends to the agonistic moments of politics that resist institutional closure and thereby shifts forgiving's focus from restoring wrongdoers to a moral community to disclosing the commonness of a world composed of diverse perspectives (Grey 2019, 48–50; Janover 2005, 231–33; and Schaap 2006, 626–29).…”

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confidence: 99%

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The Politicalvs. the Theological: The Scope of Secularity in Arendtian Forgiveness

Lee¹

2022

Journal of Religious Ethics

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The conventional interpretation of Hannah Arendt's accounts of forgiveness considers them secularistic. The secular features of her thinking that resist grounding the act of forgiving in divine criteria offer a good corrective to religious forgiveness that fosters depoliticization. Arendt's vision of free politics, however, calls for much more nuance and complexity regarding the secular and the religious in realizing forgiveness for transitional politics than the secularist rendition of her thinking allows. After identifying an area of ambiguity in Arendt's thoughts that invites further investigation of religious forgiveness, this study seeks to relieve her misgivings about religion's role in politics by engaging with Dietrich Bonhoeffer's theology, which emphasizes worldliness and altruism in religious faith. Through constructive engagements with both thinkers, the article presents a balanced Arendtian position that is neither solely secularist nor complacent about religion in politics.

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Section: The Political Vs the Theologicalmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Politicalvs. the Theological: The Scope of Secularity in Arendtian Forgiveness

Lee¹

2022

Journal of Religious Ethics

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“…According to Braithwaite (2002: 571), forgiveness should be considered an emergent value of RJ because it can be meaningful only when it is derived from ‘a genuine desire in the person who forgives’. Forgiveness in RJ should thus be considered a ‘gift’ because forcing or pressuring victims to forgive offenders is morally wrong (Fiddes, 2016). Whether to forgive offenders or not must entirely be up to victims in RJ (Armour and Umbreit, 2006; Zehr, 2002).…”

Section: Forgiveness As a ‘Gift’ In Restorative Justicementioning

confidence: 99%

The role of (self-)forgiveness in restorative justice: Linking restorative justice to desistance

Suzuki

Jenkins

2020

European Journal of Criminology

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The role of forgiveness in restorative justice (RJ) remains peripheral because interpersonal forgiveness has been considered a ‘gift’ that should not be forced on victims in RJ. In this article, we aim to advance the role of forgiveness in RJ. However, we do not focus on interpersonal forgiveness. We instead focus on another dimension of forgiveness: self-forgiveness for offenders. Because self-forgiveness is linked with both RJ and desistance, self-forgiveness has the potential to function as a catalyst to connect RJ with desistance. Drawing on their relationship, we offer a process-based model of how offenders may or may not desist through RJ. We conclude by offering implications for research on RJ.

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“…If justice is a deontic (or moral) construct (Beugré, ), how are definitions of RJ connected with moral codes that govern our beliefs about what is “right” or “fair” regarding process, treatment, outcomes, and information? How do these differences intersect with discussions about the role or appropriateness of other related moral practices, such as forgiveness, revenge, and reconciliation (Bar‐Tal, ; Braithwaite, ; Chapman & Chapman, ; Fiddes, )? For example, whereas some may argue that forgiveness is an integral part of RJ, others may argue that forgiveness should be a separate consideration from RJ.…”

Section: Defining Restorative Justicementioning

confidence: 99%

Toward a Communication Perspective of Restorative Justice: Implications for Research, Facilitation, and Assessment

Paul

Borton

2017

Negotiation Conflict Man Res

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As the research and practice of restorative justice has grown, conversations have been ongoing about how to define and evaluate such practices. In this conceptual review, we argue for the utility and importance of adopting a communication perspective (Pearce, 1989, Communication and the human condition. Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale, IL.) for defining, evaluating, and practicing restorative justice. We begin by describing a communication perspective before reviewing scholarly literature regarding defining and evaluating restorative justice. We also illustrate how a communication perspective can prompt useful questions about defining, evaluating, facilitating, and administering restorative justice. We conclude with a discussion of implications for research, facilitation, and organizational administration.

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Restorative Justice and the Theological Dynamic of Forgiveness

Cited by 10 publications

References 0 publications

The Politicalvs. the Theological: The Scope of Secularity in Arendtian Forgiveness

The Politicalvs. the Theological: The Scope of Secularity in Arendtian Forgiveness

The role of (self-)forgiveness in restorative justice: Linking restorative justice to desistance

Toward a Communication Perspective of Restorative Justice: Implications for Research, Facilitation, and Assessment

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