This volume collects state-of-the-art research on forgiveness and mental and physical health and well-being. It focuses specifically on connections between forgiveness and its health and well-being benefits. Forgiveness has been examined from a variety of perspectives, including the moral, ethical and philosophical. Ways in which to become more forgiving and evolutionary theories of revenge and forgiveness have also been investigated and proposed. However, little attention has been paid to the benefits of forgiveness.
This volume offers an examination of the theory, methods and research utilized in understanding these connections. It considers trait and state forgiveness, emotional and decisional forgiveness, and interventions to promote forgiveness, all with an eye toward the positive effects of forgiveness for a victim’s health and well-being. Finally, this volume considers key moderators such as gender, race, and age, as well as, explanatory mechanisms that might mediate links between forgiveness and key outcomes.
About the Authors
Loren Toussaint, Ph.D., is a professor in the department of psychology at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. He is a former visiting scientist at Mayo Clinic, the associate director of the Sierra Leone Forgiveness Project, and a consultant in the Department of Pastoral Care at Cancer Treatment Centers of America. Dr. Toussaint’s research examines religious and spiritual factors, especially forgiveness, and how they are related to health and well-being. He directs the Laboratory for the Investigation of Mind, Body, and Spirit, and has mentored over 75 students studying in this laboratory (see: https://www.luther.edu/touslo01/).
Everett Worthington, Ph.D., is Commonwealth Professor of Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University. He is also a licensed Clinical Psychologist in Virginia. He has published over 35 books and about 400 articles and scholarly chapters, mostly on forgiveness, marriage and family, and religion and spirituality. Many of those study the overlap of the topic with physical and mental health (see www.EvWorthington-forgiveness.com).
David R. Williams is the Florence and Laura Norman Professor of Public Health, African and African American Studies and Sociology at Harvard University. His prior academic appointments were at Yale University and the University of Michigan. The author of over 350 scientific papers on social influences on health, he directed a national study of forgiveness and health and has studied the association between religious involvement and health. He is a member of the Institute of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and was ranked as one of the World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds in 2014.
Reviews:
Forgiveness and Health is the definitive volume on the role of forgiveness in human health. Scholarly, creative, and user-friendly, the chapters in this book are likely to steer the field for many years to come. – Dr. Michael McCullough, Professor-Department of Psychology, University of Miami
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This book is a comprehensive and carefully crafted resource for researchers, teachers, students, and anyone looking to better understand the science of how forgiveness can improve one’s health. Leading contributors offer deep insight and useful recommendations about forgiveness and well being. This book is the best answer to date of the important question, “how and why is forgiveness good for you?” Dr. Frederic Luskin, Director of the Stanford Forgiveness Projects
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Research on forgiveness has seen an explosion of interest and activity over the past several years. In Forgiveness and Health, Toussaint, Worthington and Williams have done the burgeoning field an important service by bringing together top scholars in the field to assess the current state of theory, measurement and findings on the topic. As important, their volume provides crucial insights for helping to guide future research efforts on forgiveness and its consequences. There is little doubt that Forgiveness and Health will be an essential resource for scholars in the field for years to come. Dr. Marc Musick, Professor, Department of Sociology, Senior Associate Dean, College of Liberal Arts
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This volume signals a coming-of-age of forgiveness theory, research, and practice. Written by leaders in the field, the chapters in Forgiveness and Health report on the latest advances in the definition, theory, and measurement of forgiveness. In rich detail , they describe how forgiveness is fully interwoven into physical health, mental health, culture, and context. The volume cements the vital role of forgiveness in efforts to understand and enhance health and well-being. Highly recommended for researchers and practitioners alike. Dr. Kenneth I. Pargament, Ph. D., Professor, Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University