The Politics of Forgiveness

Forgiveness is a Christian virtue. Is it also a political one? To what extent does forgiveness depend on repentance, and upon justice? Some say democracies cannot survive without practicing forgiveness; others that this is too much to expect. Should we resign ourselves to mere toleration, or can forgiveness be approximated in concrete political ways? These are questions at the forefront of American public life, and how we answer them has meaningful implications for our civic leaders.