Religion and Forgiveness of Others

Abstract

Forgiveness is a positive psychology construct that relates to a variety of beneficial health outcomes. Because major world religions encourage forgiveness and many individuals draw upon their faith when forgiving (Rye et al., 2000), a comprehensive understanding of forgiveness can only be obtained by taking into account religious perspectives. However, basic and applied researchers often ignore religious dimensions of forgiveness (McCullough & Worthington, 1999; Worthington et al., 2007). The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of research about the role of religion in forgiveness. Although religion is relevant to many types of forgiveness (e.g., forgiving oneself, seeking forgiveness from others), this chapter will focus on forgiving others. We will begin by discussing how religiosity and religious affiliation impact the conceptualization and practice of forgiveness. Particular attention will be paid to religious rationales for forgiveness, prayer and meditation, sanctification, and congregational support. We will also describe religiously based forgiveness interventions. Finally, we will discuss implications of research findings for clinicians and researchers working with religious individuals who want to forgive. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)