The Lived Experience of Forgiveness

This book brings together phenomenological studies of the experience of forgiveness. The contributors, from psychological, philosophical, and theological backgrounds, set aside theoretical presuppositions, approach this topic with fresh eyes, and address problematic aspects of the existing literature. The Lived Experience of Forgiveness: Phenomenological and Psychological Perspectives remedies the absence of systematic research on the experience of forgiveness by bringing together the work of five psychologists, one philosopher, and one theologian. The contributors have researched various aspects of forgiveness through interviews and field work, allowing for a clarification of this topic and providing a basis for evaluating the often-contradictory assertions of the existing literature. Edited by Steen Halling, this volume demonstrates the value of careful study of human experience by examining forgiveness in its various manifestations within a phenomenological framework that strives to set aside and question presuppositions—whether they be religious, philosophical, or psychological—and look at phenomena with fresh eyes. This approach enables a more creative and productive dialogue among the disciplines of psychology, theology, and philosophy, with experience as a common reference point, and thereby leads to a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of forgiveness.