Book Review: Dimensions of Forgiveness: Psychological Research and Theological Perspectives
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Book Review
This book contains the proceedings of a conference to explore the scientific study of forgiveness. The conference took place at Hope College and was conducted by the John Templeton Foundation.
Reviewed by Gregory Strong.
In October 1997 the John Templeton Foundation conducted a conference at Hope College (Holland, Michigan) to explore the scientific study of forgiveness, with more than forty scholars participating. The chapters in this book grew out of presentations made at that conference.
The chapters are organized into five broad categories:
Part I – Forgiveness in Religion
Part II – Forgiveness in Basic Social Processes
Part III – Forgiveness in Interventions
Part IV – Forgiveness in Published Research
Part V – Forgiveness in Future Research.
Contributors include professors in theology, philosophy, and the liberal arts, as well as psychologists and other healthcare professionals. Of particular value for further study beyond this book is the chapter which is an annotated bibliography of research on forgiveness and related concepts.
Chapter Summaries
The Ethos of Christian Forgiveness
The Elements of Forgiveness: A Jewish Perspective
Forgiveness as a Method of Religious Coping.
The Victim Role, Grudge Theory, and Two Dimensions of Forgiveness.
The Pyramid Model of Forgiveness: Some Interdisciplinary Speculations About Unforgiveness and the Promotion of Forgiveness.
Researching the Process Model of Forgiveness Within Psychological Interventions.
Science and Forgiveness Interventions: Reflections and Recommendations.
An Annotated Bibliography of Research on Forgiveness and Related Concepts.
Empirical Research in Forgiveness: Looking Backward, Looking Forward.
Stations on the Journey From Forgiveness to Hope.
November 2001
