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Forgiveness and Justice







Forgiveness and Justice: A Christian Approach by Dr. Bryan Maier

Forgiveness at its core involves two people committed to naming and dealing with wrongdoing in a holistic way.  Yet, often we too easily think that a mere ‘I’m sorry’ will suffice for the one who has been hurt by sin and evil.  Dr. Bryan Maier comes to grips with the full weight of forgiveness and justice in his new book entitled Forgiveness and Justice: Christian Approach.  Wanting to engage to engage the best of secular counselors and psychologists but desiring to chart a course that stands firm on the Scriptures, this book is a great work at the intersection of counseling, psychology, and biblical theology. 

In cataloging the levels in which sin causes the most damage, Bryan gets to the basic message of how sin acts upon its victims.  Victims can fall prey to a dangerous situation in which they believe that “there is no such thing as justice after all or a judge who can enforce the law,” thereby increasing the chances in the victim’s mind that this same type of action can take place once again (49).  Other interpretations that falsely place blame on the victim’s shoulders only encourage the perpetrator to be let off the hook and the victim to feel a strong sense of shame for which she has no true basis.  And yet, there is a fine line here between a longing for justice and exacting revenge.  Bryan writes, “Revenge, often touted as “a dish best served cold” still leaves a sour taste in our mouths (52). 

Bryan brings to bear upon the counseling process the imprecatory psalms in the Scriptures.  With wisdom and skill, Bryan writes, “A second benefit from reading the imprecatory psalms is the reassurance that not only does God see everything that happened but that He will do something about it.” Not only does this release the victim from the feeling that they have to exert vengeance or make the wrong right, but it gives us the opportunity to have faith in God that he will do what he has promised to in the end.  God’s holy character and his will is that the entire created order will be remade and restored and that every sin will be wiped away, a hope and a promise that is as sure as the sun.

This is an excellent book for counselors, pastors, any Christian who works with those who desire for forgiveness and justice.


Thanks to Kregel Ministry for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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