Thordis Elva on sexual assault and the power of forgiveness

*EPISODE DISCLAIMER* This episode was recorded before brand allegations emerged. It feels very timely but also potentially a difficult time for us to be releasing it. In the end, we wanted to leave as is because Thordis and her story is about more than sexual violence, and because the topic of sexual violence itself is about more than one person and their story. But we're also very aware there are a lot of complex and conflicting thoughts following the allegations emerging. So as ever please do get in touch and let us know your thoughts. Thordis Elva is a writer and speaker best known for her powerful story of forgiving and reconciling with her rapist, Tom. Her Ted Talk, given alongside Tom, has been viewed over six million times. Thordis spoke about her story of sexual assault and journey to forgiveness, the challenge of recognising the human nature of those who hurt you, and the uniting force that is hope. Watch Thordis' Ted talk here: https://www.ted.com/talks/thordis_elva_and_tom_stranger_our_story_of_rape_and_reconciliation Buy a copy of Thordis' book, South of Forgiveness, here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/south-of-forgiveness/thordis-elva/tom-stranger/9781911344056 ***** The Sacred is a podcast produced by the think tank Theos. Be sure to connect with us below to stay up-to-date with all our content, research and events. CONNECT WITH THE SACRED Twitter: https://twitter.com/sacred_podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sacred_podcast/ CONNECT WITH ELIZABETH OLDFIELD Twitter: https://twitter.com/ESOldfield Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabethsaraholdfield/ Substack: https://morefullyalive.substack.com/ CONNECT WITH THEOS Theos monthly newsletter: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/E9E17CAB71AC7464 Twitter: https://twitter.com/Theosthinktank Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theosthinktank LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theos---the-think-tank/ Website: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/ CHECK OUT OUR PODCASTS The Sacred: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-sacred/id1326888108 Reading Our Times: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reading-our-times/id1530952185