In defense of divine forgiveness: A response to David Londey

Despair (sickness of the spirit) and divine forgiveness are decisive psychological and theological themes essential to both Søren Kierkegaard's relational vision of ‘the self before God’ and his own personal struggles with guilt and the consciousness of sin. Reading Kierkegaard as both a physician and a patient of this struggle, therefore, this article examines The Sickness unto Death (1849) as an attempt to resolve the sinful ‘self’ by integrating a psychological perspective on despair with a theology of the forgiveness of sins. It is suggested that by presenting this integrative notion of self-knowledge through the ‘higher’ Christian pseudonym of Anti-Climacus, Kierkegaard is indicting his own resistances to accepting divine forgiveness and thereby operating—via a ‘higher’ pastoral identity—as a physician to his own soul. By diagnosing the unconscious psychological and theological relationships between sin/forgiveness, offense, and human impossibility/divine possibility, Kierkegaard finally reveals faith—as a self-surrendering recognition of acceptance before the Holy Other—to be the key to unlocking the enigma of the self in despair.

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Vergifnis ter wille van JHWH se Naam (Ps 25:11)

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies ◽

10.4102/hts.v64i2.51 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 64 (2) ◽

Author(s):

D.F. O’Kennedy

Keyword(s):

The Core ◽

The Past ◽

Divine Forgiveness

Forgiveness for the sake of YHWH’s Name (Ps 25:11) This article investigates the concept of divine forgiveness as illustrated in Psalm 25, especially verse 11. Psalm 25:11 is one of only four references in the Psalms where the Hebrew stem (forgive is found). Scholars agree that the petition for forgiveness in verse 11 forms the core or centre of the entire Psalm. This article will offer a possible answer to the following question: what motivates the supplicant to ask for forgiveness? In contrast to other forgiveness passages the Psalmist does not regard repentance or obedience as motivation for the petition. He rather emphasizes the fact that his sin is great (v 11b). The true motivation for this prayer for forgiveness lies in the Name and honor of YHWH (v 11a). He experienced YHWH as ’n faithful God in the past; therefore he has the courage and honesty to plea for forgiveness.

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William Blake : Poet of Divine Forgiveness

The Expository Times ◽

10.1177/001452466908001205 ◽

1969 ◽

Vol 80 (12) ◽

pp. 371-374

Author(s):

H. Wilson Curry

Keyword(s):

William Blake ◽

Divine Forgiveness

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Belief in Human Sinfulness, Belief in Experiencing Divine Forgiveness, and Psychiatric Symptoms

Review of Religious Research ◽

10.1007/s13644-015-0232-3 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 58 (1) ◽

pp. 1-26 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Jeremy E. Uecker ◽

Christopher G. Ellison ◽

Kevin J. Flannelly ◽

Amy M. Burdette

Keyword(s):

Psychiatric Symptoms ◽

Divine Forgiveness

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‘Who Can Forgive Sins but God Alone?’ Human and Angelic Agents, and Divine Forgiveness in Early Judaism

Journal for the Study of the New Testament ◽

10.1177/0142064x11404601 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 33 (4) ◽

pp. 351-374 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Daniel Johansson

Keyword(s):

Early Judaism ◽

Divine Forgiveness

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Forgiveness, Attachment to God, and Mental Health Outcomes in Older U.S. Adults: A Longitudinal Study

Research on Aging ◽

10.1177/0164027517706984 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 40 (5) ◽

pp. 456-479 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Blake Victor Kent ◽

Matt Bradshaw ◽

Jeremy E. Uecker

Keyword(s):

Well Being ◽

The United States ◽

Self Esteem ◽

Attachment To God ◽

Secure Attachment ◽

Subjective Beliefs ◽

Divine Forgiveness ◽

Moderating Role ◽

Over Time

We analyze a sample of older U.S. adults with religious backgrounds in order to examine the relationships among two types of divine forgiveness and three indicators of psychological well-being (PWB) as well as the moderating role of attachment to God. Results suggest that (a) feeling forgiven by God and transactional forgiveness from God are not associated with changes in PWB over time, (b) secure attachment to God at baseline is associated with increased optimism and self-esteem, (c) feeling forgiven by God and transactional forgiveness from God are more strongly associated with increased PWB among the securely attached, and (d) among the avoidantly attached, PWB is associated with consistency in one’s beliefs, that is, a decreased emphasis on forgiveness from God. Findings underscore the importance of subjective beliefs about God in the lives of many older adults in the United States.

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