Women S Reflections On The Complexities Of Forgiveness

This book by women represents a diversity of opinions about every aspect of forgiveness, embodying a tolerance for differing perspectives. The contributors are researchers and therapists who have dedicated themselves to grappling with the controversies and conundrums associated with forgiveness. On the basis of their clinical and empirical work in the field, the authors have questioned established definitions, opposed emerging “truisms” within the field, and used research methods that run counter to traditional practices. The result is a compelling collection of research and clinical wisdom that pushes us to consider new perspectives on the mysterious process of forgiveness.

Is there such a thing as “Christian Forgiveness”? Christians speak as though there is. But what would it be? How would it differ from forgiveness as a basic human enactment? And if there is a distinctive Christian forgiveness, what might it have to say to our world today? To answer these questions, the present work traverses three distinctive intellectual landscapes—continental philosophy, Anglo-American moral philosophy, and psychology—to establish a phenomenology of forgiving before turning to contemporary Christian literature. The multilayered dialogue that ensues challenges the assumptions of contemporary approaches—secular and Christian—and invites the reader to rethink the meaning of Christian forgiveness.

Is forgiveness possible? How does one truly forgive? This topic is explored in-depth by scholars presenting various world-views on the subject of forgiveness.

This philosophical monograph on forgiveness is the first of its kind to be written from a feminist perspective. Kathryn J. Norlock urges scholars to attend to gender when analyzing and recommending forgiveness in practice. She demonstrates that while many academics find the concept of forgiveness both complex and fascinating, they seldom pay attention to the fact that issue of forgiveness intersect with those of gender in many crucial ways. By redefining forgiveness and what constitutes as an act of forgiveness, Norlock encourages readers to consider new questions about the advisability of trying to have a single, universal set of conditions for forgiveness because of the multidimensional nature of its practice and application.

This volume collects the state-of-the-art research on forgiveness and mental and physical health and well-being. It focuses specifically on connections between forgiveness and its health and well-being benefits. Forgiveness has been examined from a variety of perspectives, including the moral, ethical and philosophical. Ways in which to become more forgiving and evolutionary theories of revenge and forgiveness have also been investigated and proposed. However, little attention has been paid to the benefits of forgiveness. This volume offers an examination of the theory, methods and research utilized in understanding these connections. It considers trait and state forgiveness, emotional and decisional forgiveness, and interventions to promote forgiveness, all with an eye toward the positive effects of forgiveness for a victim’s health and well-being. Finally, this volume considers key moderators such as gender, race, and age, as well as, explanatory mechanisms that might mediate links between forgiveness and key outcomes.

Why ought we concern ourselves with understanding a concept of evil? It is an elusive and politically charged concept which critics argue has no explanatory power and is a relic of a superstitious and primitive religious past. Yet its widespread use persists today: we find it invoked by politicians, judges, journalists, and many others to express the view that certain actions, persons, institutions, or ideologies are not just morally problematic but require a special signifier to mark them out from the ordinary and commonplace. Therefore, the question of what a concept of evil could mean and how it fits into our moral vocabulary remains an important and pressing concern. The Routledge Handbook of the Philosophy of Evil provides an outstanding overview and exploration of these issues and more, bringing together an international team of scholars working on the concept of evil. Its 27 chapters cover the crucial discussions and arguments, both historical and contemporary, that are needed to properly understand the historical development and complexity of the concept of evil. The Handbook is divided into three parts: Historical explorations of evil Recent secular explorations of evil Evil and other issues. The Routledge Handbook of the Philosophy of Evil is essential reading for students and researchers in the fields of ethics and philosophy of psychology. It also provides important insights and background for anyone exploring the concept of evil in related subjects such as literature, politics, and religion.

Women with serious mental illness (SMI) include those with schizophrenia, severe depression, bipolar disorder, and/or complex posttraumatic stress disorder whose illnesses significantly impair daily functioning. While these women commonly present in psychotherapy and research samples, their needs are rarely addressed in academic literature and mental health training programs. Women with Serious Mental Illness focuses on these women's experiences, including the history of mistreatment, marginalization, and oppression they have encountered within their everyday lives and within the mental health system. With decades of combined clinical experience, Drs. Lauren Mizock and Erika Carr offer evidence-based strategies for mental health professionals working with this overlooked population. Built on a framework of feminist theory, concepts on the intersectionality of oppression, and a more holistic view of recovery, the book examines the impact of racism, sexual objectification, trauma, relationships, work, and class on the development and presentation of symptoms of mental illness in these women. These discussions are then synthesized into an effective treatment intervention, Gender-Sensitive and Recovery-Oriented Care (G-ROC), which values an equal therapeutic relationship and validates the client as an expert on their own mental health. Chapters include worksheets, discussion questions, and case narratives for easy practical application in research or training programs. Women with Serious Mental Illness underscores the need for improved care for women, men, and gender nonbinary people with serious mental illness. Using these tools, clients can begin the process of seeking hope, empowerment, and self-determination beyond the effects of mental illness.

The present volume is a ground-breaking and agenda-setting investigation of the psychology of self-forgiveness. It brings together the work of expert clinicians and researchers working within the field, to address questions such as: Why is self-forgiveness so difficult? What contexts and psychological experiences give rise to the need for self-forgiveness? What approaches can therapists use to help people process difficult experiences that elicit guilt, shame and self-condemnation? How can people work through their own failures and transgressions? Assembling current theories and findings, this unique resource reviews and advances our understanding of self-forgiveness, and its potentially critical function in interpersonal relationships and individual emotional and physical health. The editors begin by exploring the nature of self-forgiveness. They consider its processes, causes, and effects, how it may be measured, and its potential benefits to theory and psychotherapy. Expert clinicians and researchers then examine self-forgiveness in its many facets; as a response to guilt and shame, a step toward processing transgressions, a means of reducing anxiety, and an essential component of, or, under some circumstances a barrier to, psychotherapeutic intervention. Contributors also address self-forgiveness as applied to diverse psychosocial contexts such as addiction and recovery, couples and families, healthy aging, the workplace, and the military. Among the topics in the Handbook: An evolutionary approach to shame-based self-criticism, self-forgiveness and compassion. Working through psychological needs following transgressions to arrive at self-forgiveness. Self-forgiveness and health: a stress-and-coping model. Self-forgiveness and personal and relational well-being. Self-directed intervention to promote self-forgiveness. Understanding the role of forgiving the self in the act of hurting oneself. The Handbook of the Psychology of Self-Forgiveness serves many healing professionals. It covers a wide range of problems for which individuals often seek help from counselors, clergy, social workers, psychologists and physicians. Research psychologists, philosophers, and sociologists studying self-forgiveness will also find it an essential handbook that draws together the advances made over the past several decades, and identifies important directions for the road ahead.