Description
"I didn't choose to forgive. It wasn't that I tried and tried to forgive. There was a moment when I thought, what on earth does this word 'forgiveness' even mean?"
Julie Nicholson's daughter, Jenny, was killed in the 7/7 London Bombings. Julie has not forgiven Jenny's killer which has led to conflict with what was expected of her in her role as a parish priest. She tells Aleem Maqbool about the difficulties in reconciling her faith's teachings on forgiveness with her Christian ministry and the response she received after being dubbed "the vicar who couldn't forgive".
Julie's story sparks a discussion on the place of forgiveness from different religious perspectives. Aleem is joined by New Testament scholar, Professor Anthony Bash, who has written extensively on the theology of forgiveness, Rabbi Elchonon Feldman, Senior Rabbi at Bushey United Synagogue and author Marian Partington.
They discuss what is meant by forgiveness in different religious contexts. Whether it is essential to forgive others for the hurt they have caused us or is there a limit. Can we forgive the unforgiveable?
Producer: Katharine Longworth with Vishva Semani
Assistant Producer: Josie Le Vay
Editor: Tim Pemberton
In her poem 'God's Garden', Dorothy Frances Gurney writes:
'One is nearer God’s heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.’
Join Giles Fraser and a panel of green-fingered guests as they gather together at the Aga Khan Centre in Kings Cross to reflect on the theological significance of...
Published 08/20/24
Giles Fraser explores the parallels and overlaps between spirituality/religion and psychotherapy.
Professor Josh Cohen is a psychotherapist, who believes that God can be a problematic figure in the therapy room.
Joining the discussion with Giles is Dr Jeremy Holmes, British Psychiatrist and...
Published 08/13/24