The atoning work of Christ is at the center of Christian thought, yet many followers of Christ often struggle with offering or receiving forgiveness. Distinguishing between shame and guilt, Philip Jamieson reveals weaknesses in traditional Western atonement models and offers several strategies to help Christians understand the fullness of God's forgiving work.
Photographer Steven Katz, raised an orthodox Jew, began photographing Christian revivals around his hometown of Sacramento, Florida. He was then invited to The Brownsville Assembly of God where he found a pious community where God's presence is constantly witnessed in the immeasurable force of the congregation's expressions of religious ecstasy. With sumptuous black and white photographs Katzman takes us inside the revival meetings and bears witness to the driving emotional faith of Christian revival, where emotion pours out freely.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize winner, Chair of The Elders, and Chair of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, along with his daughter, the Reverend Mpho Tutu, offer a manual on the art of forgiveness—helping us to realize that we are all capable of healing and transformation. Tutu's role as the Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission taught him much about forgiveness. If you asked anyone what they thought was going to happen to South Africa after apartheid, almost universally it was predicted that the country would be devastated by a comprehensive bloodbath. Yet, instead of revenge and retribution, this new nation chose to tread the difficult path of confession, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Each of us has a deep need to forgive and to be forgiven. After much reflection on the process of forgiveness, Tutu has seen that there are four important steps to healing: Admitting the wrong and acknowledging the harm; Telling one's story and witnessing the anguish; Asking for forgiveness and granting forgiveness; and renewing or releasing the relationship. Forgiveness is hard work. Sometimes it even feels like an impossible task. But it is only through walking this fourfold path that Tutu says we can free ourselves of the endless and unyielding cycle of pain and retribution. The Book of Forgiving is both a touchstone and a tool, offering Tutu's wise advice and showing the way to experience forgiveness. Ultimately, forgiving is the only means we have to heal ourselves and our aching world.
Christian faith calls for forgiveness and mercy. But how can Christians forgive without excusing wrongdoing? Psychologist and leading forgiveness researcher Everett Worthington gives Christian foundations for understanding just forgiveness and dealing with wrongdoers in this comprehensive guide which offers practical resources for both individuals and communities.
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! “[The Gift of Forgiveness] will spark conversations across families, across friendships, at workplaces, everywhere.” –Maria Shriver A fresh, inspiring book on learning how to forgive, with firsthand stories from those who have learned to let go of resentment and find peace. "When we learn to embrace forgiveness, it opens us up to healing, hope, and a new world of possibility." --Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt Written with grace and understanding and based on more than twenty in-depth interviews and stories as well as personal reflections from Schwarzenegger Pratt herself, The Gift of Forgiveness is about one of the most difficult challenges in life--learning to forgive. Here, Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt shows us what we can learn from those who have struggled with forgiveness, some still struggling, and others who have been able to forgive what might seem truly unforgivable. The book features experiences from those well-known and unknown, including Elizabeth Smart, who learned to forgive her captors; Sue Klebold, whose son, Dylan, was one of the Columbine shooters, learning empathy and how to forgive herself; Chris Williams, who forgave the drunken teenager who killed his wife and child; and of course Schwarzenegger Pratt's own challenges and path to forgiveness in her own life. All provide different journeys to forgiveness and the process--sometimes slow and thorny, sometimes almost instantaneous--by which they learned to forgive and let go. The Gift of Forgiveness is a perfect blend of personal insights, powerful quotations, and hard-won wisdom for those seeking a way to live with greater acceptance, grace, and peace. A PAMELA DORMAN BOOKS/VIKING LIFE TITLE
Backstabbers. Slanderers. Unfaithful Spouses. Thieves. Molesters. Terrorists.How do some people manage to truly forgive their arrogant and remorseless offenders? Are we to sit by while our loved ones suffer and expect the violator to go unpunished? Do we struggle to forgive-or vow to bring the offender to justice? Do we see life as unfair and wonder, "Where is God in all of this?" When wronged the saints in Bible days poured out their hearts to God, pleading to Him for retribution and vindication. But how can we pray in the same way, and still forgive as Christ taught? Theologian and author Doug Schmidt brings you into the vortex of this astounding paradox. Be prepared to learn the life-changing keys to forgiving the unrepentant through a new-found confidence in God's willingness to accomplish justice on your behalf. Find out how forgiveness and justice can abide as one in this gripping book!
Helps readers move beyond the wounds and baggage of bitterness, disagreements, and broken relationships. "True or false: most Christian pastors and counselors agree on what forgiveness is and how it should take place." This question is part of Chris Brauns's Forgiveness Quiz that draws readers into his book and gets them thinking about the subject of forgiveness. The truth is, pastors and counselors disagree profoundly on this subject. Unpacking Forgiveness combines sound theological thinking and honesty about the complicated questions many face to provide readers with a solid understanding of biblical forgiveness. Only God's Word can unpack forgiveness. The wounds are too deep for us to find healing on our own, and the questions are too complex to be unraveled by anything but the wisdom of God. This book goes beyond a feel-good doctrine of automatic forgiveness, balancing the beauty of God's grace and the necessity of forgiveness with the teaching that forgiveness must take place in a way that is consistent with justice.
Whether giving or receiving, forgiveness is the key toward true healing and blessing. God says there are no limits to forgiveness toward others or ourselves. And when Matthew West set out on a journey asking people to share their true life stories, Renée shared about how she chose to forgive the drunk driver who hit and killed her daughter. This remarkable story and others like it bring peace and healing to the one needing and the ones giving forgiveness. Fifty powerful stories share forgiveness through divorce, betrayal, addiction, abandonment, death, and more. Each story ties into the promises of God’s faithfulness and healing, and ends with the story of God’s ultimate forgiveness through the message of salvation.
Devastated by the loss, Sheryl Maloy struggled to put her life back together. At the heart of her healing process lay an incredible step. Compelled by her Christian faith, Maloy visited Kishline in prison, not to angrily confront the woman who had killed her child and ex-husband, but to hold her in her arms and say, "I forgive you." Face to Face is the emotional and inspiring story of Kishline's battle with alcohol, the accident, and the years that followed, as Kishline and Maloy struggled together to adjust to their new lives, changed forever by a single night. Remarkably, they now plan to travel together to tell their story and speak about Kishline's battle with alcohol, injuries, and prison, and about Maloy's journey to rebuild her life in the years that followed the tragedy.
