ABSTRACT
Themes in respondents’ essays represent such forgiveness challenges as defining forgiveness, examining the process and functions of forgive ness, and exploring possible conditions and dark sides of forgiveness. Forgiveness as a philosophical topic is equally challenging. As communication scholars, religious aspects of forgiveness have been particularly interesting to people because faith perspectives typically situate forgiveness as a response to moral transgression, within a relationship context. The notion of forgiveness surfaces in certain early Hindu and Buddhist texts, and the sacred scriptures and writings for each of the Abrahamic faiths emphasize the centrality of forgiveness as a means of reconciliation between God and humankind, and between people. Feeling “wronged” presents additional forgiveness quandaries as related to personal health and well-being. Forgiveness is at times a process of overriding certain emotional responses or desires, and choosing personal and relational health.
