The Forgiving Life
A Pathway to Overcoming Resentment and Creating a Legacy of Love
Published on 15. January 2012
Book
Hardback
371 pages
978-1-4338-1091-6 (ISBN)
Description
Winner of the American Psychological Foundation Gold Medal for Impact in Psychology
The Forgiving Life offers scientifically supported guidance to help people forgive those in their lives who have acted unfairly and have inflicted emotional hurt.
It does not minimize the devastation of that hurt. It does not require reconciliation with the one who inflicted the hurt. Rather, it describes a process, followed with success by people around the world, to confront the pain, rise above it to forgive, and in so doing, to loosen the grip of depression, anger, and resentment that has soured life.
In this book, noted forgiveness expert Robert D. Enright invites readers to learn the benefits of forgiveness and to embark on a path of forgiveness, leaving behind a legacy of love. Guided by thought-provoking questions, journaling exercises, and Enright's kind encouragement, readers can chart their own journey through a new life of forgiveness.
The Forgiving Life offers scientifically supported guidance to help people forgive those in their lives who have acted unfairly and have inflicted emotional hurt.
It does not minimize the devastation of that hurt. It does not require reconciliation with the one who inflicted the hurt. Rather, it describes a process, followed with success by people around the world, to confront the pain, rise above it to forgive, and in so doing, to loosen the grip of depression, anger, and resentment that has soured life.
In this book, noted forgiveness expert Robert D. Enright invites readers to learn the benefits of forgiveness and to embark on a path of forgiveness, leaving behind a legacy of love. Guided by thought-provoking questions, journaling exercises, and Enright's kind encouragement, readers can chart their own journey through a new life of forgiveness.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Washington
United States
Publishing group
American Psychological Association
Product notice
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Paper over boards
With dust jacket
Dimensions
Height: 223 mm
Width: 147 mm
Thickness: 35 mm
Weight
572 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4338-1091-6 (9781433810916)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Robert D. Enright, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and a professor of educational psychology at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. He has been a leader in the scientific study of forgiveness and its effects since 1985. Time magazine referred to him as "the forgiveness trailblazer". He is the author of more than 100 publications, including five books. In 2022, he received the American Psychological Foundation Gold Medal Award for Impact in Psychology for his innovative work in forgiveness.
He and his colleagues have developed and tested a pathway to forgiveness that has helped incest survivors, and people in drug rehabilitation, in hospice, in shelters for abused women, and in cardiac units of hospitals, among others. His recent work has been in schools within conflict regions, such as Belfast, Northern Ireland, assisting teachers to deliver forgiveness programs to students.
He and his colleagues have developed and tested a pathway to forgiveness that has helped incest survivors, and people in drug rehabilitation, in hospice, in shelters for abused women, and in cardiac units of hospitals, among others. His recent work has been in schools within conflict regions, such as Belfast, Northern Ireland, assisting teachers to deliver forgiveness programs to students.
Content
Preface
Acknowledgments
I. The Basics
A Theory of Forgiveness in Brief
If You Are Traumatized
II. Overview of the Forgiveness Process
How Telling and Listening to Stories Can Help
Forgiveness Is a Process
The Work Phase of Forgiveness
The Discovery Phase of Forgiveness
What Does It Mean to Forgive?
III. Getting Organized
The Forgiveness Plan
Measuring Your Forgiveness
IV. Forgiving Those Who Have Hurt You
Your Forgiveness Pathway
How Did You Do in Forgiving?
Forgiving Your Parents
Forgiveness Between Partners and Within Your Current Family
Completing the Triangle of Forgiveness
School Days, Work Days, and Other Days
Surveying the Landscape From the Mountain Peak
V. Giving the Gift of Forgiveness to Others
Questions as You Give Forgiveness to Others
Giving Forgiveness Away to Our Children and in Our Communities
Your Forgiveness Legacy
Appendix A: Process of How People Forgive Someone Who Was Unjust
Appendix B: Forgiveness Landscape Rating Scale
Appendix C: Personal Forgiveness Scale
Appendix D: The Forgiveness Guidepost Form
Notes
Index
About the Author
Acknowledgments
I. The Basics
A Theory of Forgiveness in Brief
If You Are Traumatized
II. Overview of the Forgiveness Process
How Telling and Listening to Stories Can Help
Forgiveness Is a Process
The Work Phase of Forgiveness
The Discovery Phase of Forgiveness
What Does It Mean to Forgive?
III. Getting Organized
The Forgiveness Plan
Measuring Your Forgiveness
IV. Forgiving Those Who Have Hurt You
Your Forgiveness Pathway
How Did You Do in Forgiving?
Forgiving Your Parents
Forgiveness Between Partners and Within Your Current Family
Completing the Triangle of Forgiveness
School Days, Work Days, and Other Days
Surveying the Landscape From the Mountain Peak
V. Giving the Gift of Forgiveness to Others
Questions as You Give Forgiveness to Others
Giving Forgiveness Away to Our Children and in Our Communities
Your Forgiveness Legacy
Appendix A: Process of How People Forgive Someone Who Was Unjust
Appendix B: Forgiveness Landscape Rating Scale
Appendix C: Personal Forgiveness Scale
Appendix D: The Forgiveness Guidepost Form
Notes
Index
About the Author