Forgiveness has often viewed as a religious obligation but is increasingly being advocated as a means of healing, release and promoting wellbeing. Forgiveness is variously viewed as a duty, virtue or cure, but when it comes to practising forgiveness in real life we find it is always caught up in the complexity of the situation. This book shines a light on how we tend to think about forgiveness in practice, including examples from social work, family therapy, chaplaincy and criminal justice.

The book contains many different perspectives on how we think about forgiveness, including overviews of four major religions and reflections from those working in the healing professions. Without advocating a particular approach this book raises important questions around self-forgiveness and forgiving institutions and encourages the reader to think again about forgiveness and how it impacts, challenges and transforms relationships.