Skip to main content

The Art of Forgiving - A Book Review

 The Art of Forgiving

When You Need To Forgive       

And Don’t Know How

By

Lewis B. Smedes

Reviewed by

Geoffrey W. Sutton

 



The Art of Forgiving is a modern classic work on forgiveness by Lewis B. Smedes, who has been cited by scientists like Robert Enright and Ev Worthington.

Smedes reminds us that we are forgiving people for what they have done and not for who they are. He also opines that forgiving someone does not include reunion or restoration. He locates forgiveness within one person, the forgiver. He’s using the word reunion like contemporary writers use the term, reconciliation.

           Forgiving has no strings attached.

           Reunion has several strings attached.

I appreciate his comments on restoration, which is a subject my colleagues and I have studied (e.g., Sutton & Thomas, 2005; Thomas et al., 2008). Smedes wisely advises us to avoid the confusion of forgiving with restoration. That is, we may deal with our own hurt and let that pain go but restoration of a person to their former place in society or work is a different consideration requiring “prudence and justice.”

Although the book is old compared to the cornucopia of forgiveness books, I still find Smedes work speaks to current trends because he applies the forgiveness process to forgiving oneself. In addition, he does not shy away from the spiritual challenge religious people experience when they feel God has treated them unjustly. That is, Smedes has a chapter on forgiving God. He takes a humbles stance here to help people deal with that troubling feeling.

Toward the end, Smedes offers practical wisdom on interacting with those who have offended us. He advises caution and his suggestions reflect caution so that relationships are not worsened.

Overall, I think Smedes classic work should be read by those writing about forgiveness from a Christian perspective even when relying on the popular forgiveness programs.

Smedes book is available from:  AMAZON       GOOGLE Books

 

Cite this Post

Sutton, G. W. (2020, November 5). The Art of Forgiving- A review. Sutton Reviews. 

 Find more books on Forgiveness and Reconciliation - CLICK HERE

References

Smedes, L.B. (1996). The art of forgiving: When you need to forgive and don’t know how. New York: Ballantine Books.

Sutton, G.W., & Thomas, E. K. (2005). Can derailed pastors be restored? Effects of offense and age on restoration. Pastoral Psychology, 53, 583-599.

            Academia Link    Research Gate Link

Thomas, E. K., & Sutton, G.W. (2008). Religious leadership failure: Forgiveness, apology, and restitution. Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health, 10, 308-327. Academia Link    Research Gate Link

 About the Author

Lewis B. Smedes is former professor of theology and ethics at Fuller Theological Seminary. 

    (Fuller Archive)


Links to Connections

Checkout My Page    www.suttong.com

  

My Books  AMAZON          and             GOOGLE STORE

 

FOLLOW me on   FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton   TWITTER  @Geoff.W.Sutton

 

PINTEREST  www.pinterest.com/GeoffWSutton

 

Articles: Academia   Geoff W Sutton   ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Great Sex Rescue – Challenging Harmful Evangelical Messages

  The Great Sex Rescue – Challenging Harmful Evangelical Messages   By Sheila Wray Gregoire, Rebecca Gregoire Lindenbach, & Joanna Sawatsky   Reviewed by   Geoffrey W. Sutton Review Summary The Great Sex Rescue is an evangelical Christian approach that challenges messages in several other Christian sex books, which do not focus on the sexual pleasure of women. In addition, the three writers challenge messages that emphasize dutiful wives meeting their husband’s sex needs regardless of how she feels or what aspects of a sexual experience would bring her more wholistic pleasure. T he authors offer a more woman-friendly interpretation of  biblical texts that have been interpreted in unfriendly ways. More troubling are Christian sexual activity messages that may encourage men to simply use their wives for their pleasure or even abuse them. After explaining their concerns, the authors offer suggestions for better sex including addressing medical p...
Post a Comment
Read more

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Christian Clients with Depression Book Review

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy   for Christian Clients   with Depression: A Practical, Tool-Based Primer By Michelle Pearce, Ph.D. Reviewed By    Geoffrey W. Sutton I received Pearce’s book from the Templeton Press for the purposes of review. I submitted the review manuscript in 2016 to the Journal of Psychology and Theology , which was then reviewed and subsequently accepted for publication, March 1, 2017. I will provide links to the academic review below. Michelle Pearce, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist and assistant professor at the University of Maryland. Her book provides a useful summary of cognitive-behavioral therapy and shows how it may be adapted to help Christian clients draw upon Bible practices and teachings to cope with depression. I graduated from a school (University of Missouri-Columbia) where cognitive behavioral psychotherapy was the mainstay of treatment. But, like others from my era, we found ou...
Post a Comment
Read more

Rape as Power: Revisiting Susan Brownmiller’s Against Our Will in Historical and Cultural Context

    Against Our Will: Men, Women, and Rape       by Susan Brownmiller   Reviewed by   Geoffrey W. Sutton Abstract  Susan Brownmiller’s Against Our Will: Men, Women, and Rape (2013), originally published in 1975, reframed rape as a political act of power and control rather than an isolated crime of passion. Drawing on history, law, warfare, slavery, racial politics, prisons, and cultural and victim narratives, Brownmiller argued that rape functions as a conscious tool of domination. This review summarizes her central arguments, highlights the book’s historical and cultural significance, and provides a historical framework against which we can measure progress or the lack thereof (Sutton, 2025, October 1). Keywords: rape, feminism, sexual violence, power, gender, survivor advocacy   CITE THIS REVIEW Sutton, G. W. (2025, October 1). Rape as Power: Revisiting Susan Brownmiller’s Against Our Will in Historical and Cultural Context....
Post a Comment
Read more