ABSTRACT
The story of the prodigal son is ultimately one of reconciliation, a reconciliation that only comes after the realization that the son’s acts have dishonored the father and made the son unworthy of his inheritance. In a generous act of grace, the father chooses not to take into account the wrong he has suffered but instead accepts the apology and offers forgiveness. Indeed, this parable illustrates the transforming power of an apology, how it can repair a damaged relationship and restore fellowship between the offender and the offended. (For the psychological research on the transformative effects of apology, see Bennett & Dewberry, 1994; Bennett & Earwaker, 1994; Enright & Fitzgibbons, 2000; Enright & North, 1998; Lazare, 1995; Petrucci, 2002; Takaku, 2001; Weiner, Graham, Peter, & Zmuidnas, 1991; and Worthington, 1998.)
Apologies are not just used in private exchanges but also have been shown to repair relationships between public officials and their constituencies. Probably the most (in)famous apologia is Richard Nixon’s well-known “Checkers” speech, in which the then-vice president defended himself from Democratic-party charges that he misused a special campaign fund. After he denied the charge and detailed his financial status, Nixon declared that he had indeed accepted one gift from a Republican contributor-a cocker spaniel named Checkers-and that because his kids liked the dog so much, he refused to return the gift. The effort by Nixon was successful enough to save his place as the vice presidential nominee on the 1952 Republican ticket (Rosenfield, 1968).
