Upbringing for forgiveness from a biblical perspective

Abstract

The analyses contained in the article refer to the tension that occurs between the biblical call to forgiveness, the purpose of which is to regulate interpersonal relationships marked by weakness and harm, and the peculiar drama of forgiveness or revenge that takes place inside a person experiencing harm and includes not only reason and will, but also intense, negative feelings. These concepts are taken from a pedagogical perspective to define guidelines for Christian education, including upbringing for forgiveness. The author is looking for answers to two questions: How can we understand the call to forgiveness written on the pages of the Bible? How can we educate so that the call to forgiveness in the context of strong faith and experience of serious harm does not cause ideological and moral crises? The analyses have been divided into three parts: the first presents the biblical call to forgiveness, the second attempts to look at forgiveness from the perspective of the parable of the prodigal son, and finally the third part contains conclusions referring to the practice of Christian education, among them the statement that, in the upbringing for forgiveness, as well as indicating the rationality of the act of forgiveness it is imperative to initiate transcendent relations of the pupil.