The Face of Forgiveness

Jesus tells Peter to forgive 'not seven times, but seventy-seven times' (Matt 18:22), and the atoning work of Christ is at the center of Christian thought. Yet many followers of Christ often struggle with offering or receiving forgiveness.The Face of Forgiveness seeks to address this dilemma and present a way forward. Utilizing contemporary distinctions between shame and guilt, Philip Jamieson shows how traditional Western atonement models have frequently failed to deal adequately with the full extent of Christ's victory. Jesus Christ has answered the problem of both human guilt and shame. It is only in facing Christ that we find our sins forgiven and receive a new identity. The author concludes by offering several strategies to aid Christians in understanding and appropriating the fullness of God's loving and forgiving work.

Philip D. Jamieson (PhD, Boston College) is president of the United Methodist Foundation for the Memphis and Tennessee Annual Conferences. He is coauthor of Ministry and Money with Janet Jamieson. He is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church and formerly taught pastoral theology at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary.