Embodying Forgiveness by L Gregory Jones
A topic unjustly neglected in contemporary theology, forgiveness is often taken to be either too easy or too difficult. On the one hand is the conception of forgiveness that views it mainly as a move made for the well-being of the forgiver. On the other hand, forgiveness is sometimes made too difficult by suggestions that violence is the only effective force for responding to injustice. In this exciting and innovative book, L. Gregory Jones argues that neither of these extreme views is appropriate and shows how practices of Christian forgiveness are richer and more comprehensive than often thought. Forgiveness, says Jones, is a way of life that carries with it distinctive concepts of love, community, confession, power, repentance, justice, punishment, remembrance, and forgetfulness. In Part 1 of Embodying Forgiveness Jones first recounts Dietrich Bonhoeffer's own struggle against the temptation to make forgiveness either too easy or too difficult in his thought and, even more, in his life and death at the hands of the Nazis. Jones then considers each of these temptations, focusing on the problem of therapeutic forgiveness and then forgiveness's eclipse by violence. Part 2 shows why a trinitarian identification of God is crucial for an adequate account of forgiveness. In Part 3 Jones describes forgiveness as a craft and analyzes the difficulty of loving enemies. He deals particularly with problems of disparities in power, impenitent offenders, and the relations between forgiveness, accountability, and punishment. The book concludes with a discussion of the possibility of certain unforgiveable situations. Developing a strong theological perspective on forgiveness throughout, Jones draws on films and a wide variety of literature as well as on Scripture and theological texts. In so doing, he develops a rich and comprehensive exploration of what it truly means to embody Christian forgiveness.
Jones, L. Gregory: - The Reverend Dr. L. Gregory Jones is the Ruth W. and A. Morris Williams Jr. Professor of Theology and Christian Ministry and Dean at Duke Divinity School in Durham, NC. He previously served as Executive Vice President and Provost at Baylor University. Prior to that he was senior strategist for leadership education at Duke Divinity School where he served as senior strategist for the Fuqua-Coach K Center on Leadership and Ethics at Duke's Fuqua School of Business. A noted scholar, teacher, and church leader, he is the author or editor of more than a dozen books, including the acclaimed Embodying Forgiveness.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780802808615 |
| ISBN 10 | 0802808611 |
| Title | Embodying Forgiveness |
| Author | L Gregory Jones |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | William B Eerdmans Publishing Co |
| Year published | 1995-08-01 |
| Number of pages | 332 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |