Interdisciplinary Book and Film Reviews

  Forgiving and Reconciling Bridges to Wholeness and Hope      By Ev Worthington Reviewed by    Geoffrey W. Sutton   Forgiveness and reconciliation were often topics in counseling sessions dating back to 1975. And the topics resonate because they are part of my personal life. In addition, I have studied forgiveness for nearly 20 years. All this said to provide context for my recommendation for this classic text by psychologist Dr. Ev Worthington who is now Commonwealth Professor Emeritus. The book is divided into three parts. First, Worthington explains forgiveness, the importance of forgiveness, and the Christian foundation for forgiveness. In part two, we learn about Worthington’s REACH model. The letters in REACH represent chapter titles and the steps that can help people “reach” forgiveness: R = Recall the hurt, E = Empathize (with the offender), A = (offer an )Altruistic Gift of Forgiveness, C = Commit publicly to forgive, and H = Hold on to forgiveness. Part thr

  FORGIVENESS & RECONCILIATION:   BOOK REVIEWS In the course of conducting research on forgiveness and reconciliation, I have read a number of books. Some I have reviewed are included in this list with links to the reviews. READ FREE :   Some books are on KINDLE UNLIMITED and can be read at no additional charge. Amish Grace : How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy   by Kraybill, Nolt, and Weaver-Zercher   Read Review BUY on AMAZON BUY on GOOGLE The Art of Forgiving  by Lewis Smedes         Read  Review BUY on AMAZON BUY on GOOGLE   Forgive for good : A proven prescription for health and happiness by Fred Luskin   Read Review BUY on AMAZON BUY on GOOGLE   Forgiveness is a Choice:    A step-by-step process for resolving anger and restoring hope   by Robert D. Enright. Read   Review BUY on AMAZON BUY on GOOGLE F orgiveness: Psychological Theory, Research, and Practice  by Ev Worthin

AMISH GRACE:            HOW FORGIVENESS TRANSCENDED TRAGEDY By    Donald Kraybill, Steven M. Nolt,     & David L. Weaver-Zercher Reviewed by    Geoffrey W. Sutton The horrific slaughter of Amish children attending school in the Old Order Amish community of Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, garnered international attention in October, 2006. When the Amish responded with forgiveness and reconciliation, people were doubly shocked. Christian teaching and psychological research on forgiveness can appear as sterile narratives until tragedies upend everyday life. The authors of  Amish Grace offer informed readers the kind of details and analyses that allow Christian clinicians and researchers to consider how Christian virtues and psychological research on forgiveness and reconciliation may be integrated. The authors explore the virtues of grace, forgiveness, and reconciliation as they review the Amish response to the tragic school shooting of October 2, 2006 in Nickel Mines, Pennsy

Evidence-Based Practices  for Christian Counseling  and Psychotherapy Edited by      Everett L. Worthington Jr.,          Eric L. Johnson,       Joshua N. Hook &      Jamie D. Aten Reviewed by       Geoffrey W. Sutton The editors are Christians with a strong research record. They have assembled a collection of chapters by clinicians and psychological scientists to offer a state of the practice review of the scientific evidence for Christian counseling or psychotherapy. This book will be useful in Christian counseling programs and will help referral sources understand important differences among the various services available. The two-fold goal aims to inform clinicians about Christian practice and the nature of the supporting evidence. After establishing the notion of what constitutes scientific evidence in the Introduction (Chapter 1), the editors present 13 chapters focused on interventions, which are organized into three parts. The fourth part offers t