Christian narratives of forgiveness: An examination of components used by Christian laypeople in the process of forgiveness

There is rising interest in forgiveness within the social sciences; however, the religious roots of forgiveness are often overlooked. The primary aim of this research was to assess whether those of Christian faith have unique elements in their forgiveness process. Motives and mechanism of forgiveness were assessed in 100 Christian narratives of forgiveness and then considered in light of current process models. The results of this analysis show that Christians incorporate the main components of current process models; however, they also approach them with motives and mechanisms unique to the Christian faith. Their understanding of God and a relationship with God greatly influence their motives, and disciplines of the Christian faith greatly influence the mechanisms used in their forgiveness process.