Forgiving is a way of healing : theological approximations

Abstract

By interpreting a contemporary forgiveness story this article seeks to provide a fresh understanding of the classical penitential theology in "non-religious" terms (D Bonhoeffer). The "exegesis" of the story shows that forgiveness is a process of truthful encounter with the burdens of the past and of mutual liberation both for the perpetrator and for the victim in as much as it enables both sides to move beyond the bondage of past guilt and traumatization. Restitution and compensation are seen as an indispensable element in such a process, with the emphasis being not so much on "repairing" the past than on "preparing" a more just and harmonious way forward.