Forgiveness: Theory, Research, and Practice [Paperback]

Michael E. McCullough (Editor), Kenneth I. Pargament (Editor), Carl E. Thoresen (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2001 | ISBN-10: 1572307110 | ISBN-13: 978-1572307117 | Edition: 1

Bringing together a distinguished array of researchers and scholars, this volume reviews the breadth of current knowledge on the psychology of forgiveness. In addition to presenting cutting-edge theory and research, the book outlines crucial issues that must be addressed to advance the state of the science in years to come. The first section provides a historical and conceptual overview, examining definitional problems and giving special attention to religious and cultural influences on how forgiveness is understood and experienced. The biological, developmental, social, and personality foundations of forgiveness are then explored. The final section covers applications in clinical research and practice, including guidelines for studying and applying forgiveness-based strategies in psychotherapy, counseling, and interventions to promote health.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"After decades of neglect, forgiveness has emerged as a 'hot topic' in psychology, with exciting new developments on many fronts. Forgiveness: Theory, Research, and Practice provides a state-of-the-art compendium of what we know about forgiveness as we enter the new millennium. Scholarly and eminently readable, this book should be of broad interest to theologians and anyone else concerned with the painful consequences of non-forgiveness--estrangement, divorce, racial conflict, and international war, to name just a few." --June Tangney, PhD, George Mason University

"This is a volume of impressive scope and scholarship. The chapters are clear and authoritative, and together they adopt a range of perspectives--historical, religious, interpersonal, spiritual, cultural, and clinical, to name but a few--that provide readers with a glimpse of how complex and fascinating the topic of forgiveness can be. McCullough, Pargament, and Thoresen have produced an immensely satisfying book that lays the foundation for a new interdisciplinary field of inquiry. Consequently, this book is an ideal point of departure for anyone seeking an introduction to contemporary research and thinking on forgiveness, and an ideal reference for those seeking a comprehensive analysis of this domain." --Thomas Bradbury, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles

"Forgiveness has the potential for being one of the key issues of the 21st century. If you want the most up-to-date, thorough, and scholarly treatment of this important topic, then this volume is for you. A multifaceted gem, the book sends beams of insight in every direction. Readers across a range of psychological disciplines not only will gain an understanding of forgiveness, they will also find a wealth of ideas to stimulate their own thinking and research." --C. R. Snyder, PhD, Professor and Director, Clinical Psychology Program, University of Kansas

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Michael E. McCullough, PhD, is Director of Research at the National Institute for Healthcare Research in Rockville, Maryland. The author or coauthor of two previous books, Dr. McCullough investigates forgiveness, the association of religion and spirituality with physical and mental health, and the influence of religion and spirituality on counseling, psychotherapy, and care at the end of life.

Kenneth I. Pargament, PhD, is Professor of Psychology at Bowling Green State University, where he is also Director of Clinical Training of the clinical psychology PhD program. He has published extensively in the psychology of religion, stress, and coping, and is the author of The Psychology of Religion and Coping.

Carl E. Thoresen, PhD, is Professor of Education, Psychology, and Psychiatry/Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. His research interests involve assessment and management of the Type A behavior pattern, greater methodological diversity in behavioral health/medicine research, and the role of spiritual and religious factors in health, broadly defined. He is the author of 7 books and over 150 articles and book chapters.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 334 pages
• Publisher: Guilford Press; 1 edition (October 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572307110
• ISBN-13: 978-1572307117
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #578,424 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellently edited volume on a timely topic, July 8, 2000

By 

Ta-Wei Wang (Taiwan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Forgiveness: Theory, Research, and Practice (Hardcover)

This is the first book to systematically and scientifically explore the topic of Forgiveness. The book is divided into three parts: I. Conceptual and measurement issues, II. Basic psychological research, and III. Applications in counseling, psychotherapy and health. Chapter 1 by Mucullough, Pargament, & Thoresen provides a historical context of how the scientific inquiry of forgiveness evolved. Chapter 2 by Rye et al. is very interesting, because several authors from different religious backgrounds dicuss how each religion defines forgiveness. Chapter 4 is devoted to the issues of assessment of forgiveness, its thorough review calls for caution in using various fogiveness scales in reasearch. Part II examines fogiveness from four very different perspectives: Newberg et al. disuss the nueropsychological correlates of forgiveness; Mullet & Girard review and critic the cognitive developmental approach on forgiveness; Exline & Baumeister link forgiveness and repentance together from a social psychological point of view; and Emmons explores the personality dimensions of forgiving others. Th 3rd part provides a very useful account on how to apply fogiveness concept in four special clinical settings: individual counseling, marital therapy, group interventions, and health promotion. In the final, the editors summrize the latest research trends and offer seven directions for the psychological study and practice of forgiveness in the future. Overall, I found this book very informative and it provides a solid base for further research on forgiveness. It also inspires me to start to think of applying forgiveness in my counseling work with college students with interpersonal wounds.

1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just what a researcher needs, August 4, 2007

By 

Polly Browne (Mankato, MN USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Forgiveness: Theory, Research, and Practice (Paperback)

This handy volume contains chapters useful for the budding researcher or doctoral student who needs to see how theory, research, and practice fit together in a dissertation.