Why Forgive? (Rev Expanded) [Hardcover]

Johann Christoph Arnold (Author), Steve Chalke (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2000

Having seen anger, resentment, and despair destroy far too many lives, the writer of this extraordinary book on forgiving dispenses with glib pronouncements and lets the often untidy experiences of ordinary people speak for themselves. In Why Forgive? the reader will meet men and women who have earned the right to talk about the importance of overcoming hurt - and about the peace of mind they have found in doing so. 'Hurt' is an understatement, actually, for many of these stories deal with the harrowing effects of violent crime, betrayal, abuse, bigotry, and war. But Why Forgive? examines life's more mundane battle scars as well: the persistent hobgoblins of backbiting, gossip, and strained family ties, marriages gone cold and tensions in the workplace.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Little more than a series of anecdotes, this quick read might not be noteworthy were it not for its profound and always timely subject matter. Arnold, a pastor and author whose admirers range from the evangelical Right to the secular Left, tells story after story of people who have forgiven despite unfathomable personal tragedy and a vengeful cultural climate. Readers may recognize many of these tales from Oprah, Guideposts and other purveyors of inspiration, but they are no less remarkable the second or even third time around. Despite the fact that he weaves so little analysis in between these anecdotes, Arnold manages to drive home several points that unequivocally answer his titular question, the most powerful of which is that no one, whether victim or perpetrator, can heal until forgiveness is granted. Not one to engage in long theological explorations, Arnold instead allows many of his subjects to speak for themselves in extended quotations, allowing insight into their desperate, brokenhearted rage. Some of these subjects, such as Mumia Abu-Jamal, ultimately choose not to forgive, while others describe a force beyond their conscious control that makes forgiveness inevitable. Arnold also writes about everyday forgiveness in marriage, families, communities and the workplace. In all cases, he reminds us that to forgive is neither to excuse nor to anesthetize ourselves from the pain that attends life and love, but rather to enter again into life's fray. (Mar.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

A most impressive book...so powerful that tears often impede reading. (ALA Booklist) Thought-provoking and soul-challenging...Arnold writes with an eye-opening simplicity that zings the heart.( Houston Chronicle) Beautiful...this is a book the whole world needs. -- Madeleine L'Engle, author, A Wrinkle in Time

Arnold ventures beyond biblical cliches to delve into the hearts and minds of victims of unforgivable acts. Readers ache with pain, seethe with rage, and yearn for retribution only to watch in stunned disbelief as victims extend the hand of forgiveness to the enemy. As poignant and unique as each story is, their common bond is the revelation that the only way to move beyond the pain is to let go of the anger. -- Independent Publisher, Linda J. Thorlakson

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 161 pages
• Publisher: Plough Publishing House (March 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0874869927
• ISBN-13: 978-0874869927
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #761,937 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A moving book, April 15, 2001

By 

Chloe Bramley (alexandria, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Why Forgive? (Paperback)

Why Forgive? Hard as it may be this book shows in a simple and powerful way that the only way to true freedom is through forgiveness. While bitterness seems the roads to take and hatred towards those who have hurts us the excepted emotion, Arnold dares to tells us the true stories of people who choose the road less travel and in the end found the freedom to let go and change their world by forgiving. He also gives us a look into the lives of those who choose to be angry, only to destroy themselves. This book is moving and powerful, it is a striking lesson of something most people and talkshows refuse to speak about. I only pray that people out their struggling with bitterness and revenge read this book and know there is another way.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sr Ann Laforest, Carmelite nun, letter to the author, February 19, 2000

By 

Sister Ann Laforest (Garrison, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Why Forgive? (Rev Expanded) (Hardcover)

The beauty of the book mesmerized me instantly, and I could not put it down. Your message seems very focused on today's milieu. Not everyone can understand forgiveness. You have taken people where they are. You say between the lines that you respect them where they are. You show them where the light at the end of the tunnel can be found, but you do not blind anyone with the light. You allowed them to take whatever time they may need to let their eyes get "light-adapted." You show them how the next step may be taken when they are ready, and that it will lead them toward the light. This is quite remarkable pastorally. The stories are marvelous. John Plummer's tearful embrace of Kim is indelibly etched in my memory. The story of Mottlingen has ever fascinated me. I pray this book will be a source for changing many hearts...

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a totally uplifting book., February 12, 2000

By 

Thomas Martin (Koblenz, Germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Why Forgive? (Rev Expanded) (Hardcover)

I've already read the book through twice. The first time in one sitting. I ordered another copy for a friend, but I'm keeping mine to read again. This is a totally uplifting book. Definitely a five-star!

"Why Forgive?" brings a simple, but powerful message. Every time we experience something painful, it opens the door to choose either bitterness or compassion. If we choose bitterness and hatred, we give other people the power to ruin our lives. If we choose compassion and forgiveness, we find an inner peace that no one can take away from us. Arnold brings many stories to support this simple point. Some are tragic stories far outside the normal experience of most people. Some are almost mundane stories from the everyday lives of ordinary people. The combination illustrates how forgiveness is just as important in small grudges as in the dramatic life stories of faraway people. I'm totally inspired.

Thomas Martin Koblenz, Germany