To the esteemed future Dr. Hanson, what a lovely and informative post. I took notice
of your conclusion in noting what you had learned about the two approaches as
described by the two Psychologists whose views were presented. It would seem
that Dr Worthington attempts to explain the discipline off forgiveness without
Biblical attributes while Dr McMinn lends Scriptural credence to his application of
Positive Psychology. Both psychologists are quite knowledgeable in their
theories. However Dr McMinn certainly applies the Scripture "Study to show thyself
approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the
word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15). In applying Biblical truths to his theories he is giving
honor to god our creator and applying truth, God's truth, to his theories. It would
appear that even though Dr Worthington is quite knowledgeable on his theory and is
even moreso adept, it lacks what we all know as Christians will pass the eternal
test. The LOE approach separates academic domains with the intent that they
remain separate, and the ways we study each remain separate as well (Johnson,
2010). Dr. Worthington discussed mainly the science of psychology in relation to
forgiveness. While he did mention God and the Bible, and a bit how they relate to
forgiveness, his discussion was largely scientific and he kept the two ideas separate.
He stated that while the Bible tell us to forgive, it does not tell us how. He goes on to
explain that psychology is the science that tells us how. He also, like you stated,
discussed his research and the REACH method. I like how Dr. McMinn talked about
how positive psychology spurred support for forgiveness, which is directly discussed
in the Bible. Similarly, Christians were intrigued by this information, so that it might
help them and others forgive. What are some ways in which psychology could
support you in your life, by helping you better understand God's plan and strive to be
a better person each day? Or, what are some ways that your religion help you
understand how people do what they do? . demonstrated a Levels of Explanation
approach by providing an explanation of effective ways in which individuals should forgive
those who hurt them. He has stressed the manner in which one looks at injustice and how it
makes them feel as per the levels of injustice. According to him, there exist many ways of
handling injustice, such as biblical and non-biblical techniques. The ideal way to deal with
unforgiveness is through forgiveness. He has also spoken about two types of forgiveness,
including decisional and emotional forgiveness. The issue with decisional forgiveness is that
even though one might decide to forgive another person, the emotions of what was done
might come back and affect the decision . After making the decision to forgive, one needs to
have emotional forgiveness as well. Dr. Worthington has presented the REACH method,
which is a five-step method that can help to forgive as well as retain the forgiveness. It
involves recalling the hurt, emphasizing with the person who has hurt, forgiving him
selflessly, committing to it, and holding on to the forgiveness even if doubts exist
I really enjoy how you thoroughly summarized the videos that we watched. You put
them in a very clear, succinct way. Dr. Worthington's talk was very interesting to
listen to, and brought up many good points, but remained largely scientific. Like you
stated, I like how he described the injustice gap, as this isn't commonly discussed in
daily life. I feel like this is an important component to consider when we look to
forgive someone or for someone to forgive us. They way he remained largely
scientific, and when he did mention God or the Bible he kept them very distinct, is
reflective of the LOE approach. How do you see yourself integrating religion and
science in your occupation, or in your future endeavors with others? While after
watching these videos I feel like I value the LOE approach more than I did before, but
I still feel a multi-faceted approach/integration is more beneficial overall.
Worthington (2014) relayed that the objective of decreasing the injustice breach
would be to forgive by choice willingly and not by force. I can recall, as an
adolescent, being made to apologize to someone if I hurt their feelings. The question
was then and still, today, was I apologizing because I was being made to or was I
genuinely sorry for my actions. I did not think at any moment if someone had hurt
me, whether I would want them to apologize for it or not. That said, we wake up daily
with brand new mercies from our heavenly Father. He does not hold what we did two
years ago against us, nor should we to our fellow man. Forgiving someone who has
wronged you is challenging, but if we think about God, he died on the cross for our
sins because he had committed no wrongs. While on the cross, he begged his Father
to forgive those who persecuted him, for they did not know what they were doing.
Consciously and subconsciously, we make ponder on forgiveness. Because there is
so much emotionally at stake, we can misconstrue the emotion for the best reaction
in our efforts to forgive. After making amends with someone, we should use God as
our guide and cast it into a sea of forgetfulness. The biggest issue facing us today is
we say that we can forgive and forget until the next time that person hurts us again,
and then all bets are off!
References
Johnson, E. (2010). Psychology and Christianity: Five Views (2nd ed.). Downers Grove,
IL: InterVarsity Press. ISBN: 9780830828487.
McMinn, M. (2019). The Science of Virtue: Why Positive Psychology Matters to the
Church. YouTube. Retrieved June 6, 2022, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3gFPgcVAEw&t=2s
Worthington, E. (2014). Why you should forgive and how to do it [Everett Worthington,
Jr. on forgiveness]. YouTube. Retrieved June 6, 2022, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Or9OuxuYKw&t=15s
Reference
2 Timothy 2:15. The Holy Bible. King James Version.
