Book Of Forgiving - Softcover

TUTU, DESMOND M.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0007572603 ISBN 13: 9780007572601

Publisher: Harper Collins Paperbacks, 1800

Synopsis

The Book of Forgiving, written together by the Nobel Peace Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and his daughter Revd Mpho Tutu, offers a deeply personal testament and guide to the process of forgiveness.All of us have at times needed both to forgive and be forgiven – whether small, everyday harms or real traumas. But the path to forgiveness is not easy, and the process unclear. How do we let go of resentment when we have been harmed, at times irreparably? How do we forgive and still pursue justice? How do we heal our hearts, and move on? How do we forgive ourselves for the harm we have caused others?Drawing on his memories of reconciliation in post-apartheid South Africa, Archbishop Desmond Tutu has identified four concrete steps to forgiveness through which we must all pass if we are to reach our destination:1) Admitting the wrong and acknowledging the harm2) Telling one’s story and witnessing the anguish3) Asking for forgiveness and granting forgiveness4) Renewing or releasing the relationshipEach chapter contains reflections and personal stories, as well as exercises for practising each step of the path. The Book of Forgiving is a touchstone and tool for anyone seeking the freedom of forgiveness: an inspiring guide to healing ourselves and creating a more united world.

About this title

From the Back Cover

How do I forgive?

Nobel laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu has witnessed some of the worst crimes people can inflict on others. So wherever he goes, he inevitably gets asked this question. This book is his answer. Writing with his daughter, Mpho, an Anglican priest, they lay out the simple but profound truths about the significance of forgiveness, how it works, why everyone needs to know how to grant it and receive it, and why granting forgiveness is the greatest gift we can give to ourselves when we have been wronged.

They explain the four-step process of forgiveness—Telling the Story, Naming the Hurt, Granting Forgiveness, and Renewing or Releasing the Relationship—as well as offer meditations, exercises, and prayers to guide the reader along the way.

"With each act of forgiveness, whether small or great, we move toward wholeness," they write. "Forgiveness is how we bring peace to ourselves and our world."

About the Author

Desmond Mpilo Tutu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984. In 1986 he was elected archbishop of Cape Town, the highest position in the Anglican Church in South Africa. In 1994, after the end of apartheid and the election of Nelson Mandela, Tutu was appointed as chair of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate apartheid-era crimes. His policy of forgiveness and reconciliation has become an international example of conflict resolution and a trusted method of postconflict reconstruction. He is currently the chair of the Elders, where he gives vocal defense of human rights and campaigns for the oppressed.

Edition details

• Publisher: Harper Collins Paperbacks
• Publication date: 1800
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0007572603
• ISBN 13: 9780007572601
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 240