The Utility of Forgiveness
Donald Shriver, Jr. Saturday, 1 September 2007
Since its release in 2004 the book Forgiveness in International Politics: An Alternative Road to Peace, by William Bole, Drew Christiansen, and Robert T. Hennemeyer, has sparked lively discussion and provoked important questions. Two of those questions were brought into sharp relief in the astute review by Kathleen Fairchild in the Spring 2007 issue of this journal. First, is it justifiable to articulate theological reasons for forgiveness in public, political terms? (Fairchild argued that forgiveness without explicit theology is problematic.) And second, are utilitarian justifications adequate for recommending forgiveness as a way to move from human conflict to reconciliation? (Fairchild argued that too often they are not adequate.)
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