Forgiveness and Christian ethics / Anthony Bash.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bash, Anthony.

Series:

New studies in Christian ethics ; 29.

New studies in Christian ethics ; 29

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Forgiveness--Religious aspects--Christianity.

Forgiveness.

Christian ethics.

Physical Description:

xi, 208 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2007.

Summary:

Christian ethics has increasingly assumed a central place within academic theology. At the same time the growing power and ambiguity of modern science and the rising dissatisfaction within the social sciences about claims of value-neutrality have prompted renewed interest in ethics within the secular academic world. There is, therefore, a need for studies in Christian ethics which, as well as being concerned with the relevance of Christian ethics to the present-day secular debate, are well informed about parallel discussions in recent philosophy, science or social science. New Studies in Christian Ethics aims to provide books that do this at the highest intellectual level and demonstrate that Christian ethics can make a distinctive contribution to this debate-either in moral substance or in terms of underlying moral justifications.

What does it mean to forgive? The answer is widely assumed to be self-evident but critical analysis quickly reveals the complexities of the subject. Forgiveness has traditionally been the preserve of Christian theology, though in the last half-century - and at an accelerating pace - psychologists, lawyers, politicians and moral philosophers have all been making an important contribution to questions about and our understanding of the subject. Anthony Bash offers a vigorous restatement of the Christian view of forgiveness in critical dialogue with those both within and without the Christian tradition. Forgiveness is a much more complicated subject than many theologians recognize. Bash explores the relevance of the theoretical discussion of the topic to recent events such as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa, post-Holocaust trials, the aftermath of 9/11 and 7 July, and various high-profile criminal cases.

Contents:

1 Forgiveness and wrongdoing 1

2 Forgiveness then and now 23

3 Forgiveness and psychological therapy 36

4 Justice and forgiveness 57

5 Forgiveness and the New Testament 79

6 The ideal of forgiveness 101

7 Forgiveness and structural wrongdoing 111

8 Forgiveness, punishment and justice 141

9 Varieties of forgiveness 159.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN:

9780521878807

0521878802

OCLC:

137221656