"What Is Forgiveness?" with Matthew Potts

Show Notes:

This episode comes out on Maundy Thursday, the day when Jesus celebrated his last Passover meal with his disciples and washed their feet in an act of humble service. Tomorrow is Good Friday, where Christians around the world relive Jesus’ crucifixion and death and wait for the Good News of Easter Sunday--the day of resurrection and the restoration of hope.

Why does this matter? Because in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are not only forgiven, but we are given a new way into offering forgiveness to those who have harmed us. Forgiveness is a complex process, often involving grief and mourning, and should not mean we forget or erase past harms. Today’s guest gives us thoughtful insight into how we experience forgiveness--how we offer it to others and ask for it for ourselves. 

Dr. Matthew Ichihashi Potts is the Plummer Professor of Christian Morals at Harvard Divinity School as well as the Pusey Minister of Harvard Memorial Church. He earned his BA from the University of Notre Dame, and both his MDiv and PhD degrees from Harvard. He is the author of Cormac McCarthy and the Signs of Sacrament: Literature, Theology, and the Moral of Stories and Forgiveness: An Alternative Account.

Resources:

Buy Forgiveness: An Alternative Account