By Myra Blyth
Forgiveness and Restorative Justice: Perspectives from Christian Theology by Myra N. Blyth, Matthew J. Mills, and Michael H. Taylor.
This book recently released offers perspectives from theology on the meaning and place (if any) of forgiveness in restorative justice. The three authors share a passion for restorative justice and found a powerful impetus for their constructive dialogue in a common core of influential works, including those of restorative justice advocates, Howard Zehr and John Braithwaite; theologians, including Timothy Gorringe and Christopher Marshall; and sceptics, like Annalise Acorn.
Myra Blyth offers two chapters which explore the intersection between ritual, forgiveness and the conference dynamic. In chapter 2 she draws on ritual theory and proposes ways to enhance the potential of the conference script as a “ritual of restoration”. In chapter 6 Blyth offers an analysis of the conferencing experience based on empirical research with victims, offenders and facilitators carried out during 2019-2020 and contends that the practices of restorative justice will be enriched by adopting a more fluid understanding of forgiveness as defined by participants, and by conceiving forgiveness as a process/journey-oriented practice, i.e. a dynamic and integral component necessary for a process to be ‘fully’ restorative.
In chapter 4, Taylor asks whether forgiveness is a Christian idea, as feared by some who would deny its place within the principles and practices of restorative justice. In fact, he argues, forgiveness is incredibly difficult to define and there is no distinctively Christian concept, even though Christian faith may motivate its adherents to be forgiving. In chapter 7 he looks beyond the conferencing process and towards the social context to ask whether restorative justice carries any responsibility for establishing a more just society; that is, transforming the social reality which gives rise to many of the problems which the conferencing process is meant to address.
Mills offers three reflections on restorative justice principles in the light of historical theology. He draws upon a range of theological sources, especially from the medieval and Catholic traditions, as well as modern philosophy (both ‘continental’ and ‘analytic’);
In chapter 3 he critiques the western intellectual tradition around retribution and the marginalisation of victims. His concern is to give stakeholders “reasons” to engage in a restorative justice conference arguing against a binary view of right and wrong, and for the mutual recognition of wrongdoing (human sinfulness) in both victims and offenders so that mutual acknowledgement of a common humanity can be the starting point for criminal justice processes. In chapter 8, Mills offers a speculative thought experiment concerning the afterlife as a context for restorative justice. Considering both a victim’s right to withhold forgiveness and the limitations of restorative justice for addressing acts of wrongdoing which are regarded as ‘unforgivable’, he considers the possible dynamics of a future (as conceived in the Christian tradition) in which all things are reordered and revisioned.
Whilst the authors come from very different vantage points their essays share core concerns around common themes that are crucial to restorative justice theory and practice. The following extract from the introduction outlines these common themes:
Not only is there a processional aesthetic to the ordering of these contributions – before, during, and after the conference – but a number of themes also run like threads throughout the book. All three of us refer to ‘metanarratives’ or all-embracing stories. Metanarratives give expression to the meaning of life; for Christians, the creative and redemptive drama of which we are a part, and to which we contribute for good or ill, is what life is all about. The metanarrative provides a context and rationale for various teachings or doctrines as they ‘fill out’ the details of the story. For example, doctrines of atonement, some more punitive than others, which try to explain how our redemption was brought about, only make sense within the bigger picture which explains why the redemptive act of the crucifixion was necessary in the first place.
A second common theme is ‘community’, which is important for restorative justice as a whole. It is communities, not just individuals, that need to be ‘restored’ when the moral rules, and with them mutual trust, have been broken; trauma is social. It is communities that are bound together by shared values, reinforce them, and build solidarity. It is com- munities, not just victims, that should have a say as to how wrongs can be righted and may be best placed to do so. It is communities that have a vital, supportive role to play along the road to the restoration of offenders. And it is communities that may or, as many fear, may not be adequate to the task; more of a utopian ideal than a reality.
Thirdly, we all regard ‘moral seriousness’ as essential to the task of restorative justice. The reality of offending, the harm done, the responsibility of the offender, and the need for reparation, must be fully acknowledged and confronted – by way of shaming, for example – and reflected in all attempts to deal with offending in a restorative way. Social policies, for instance, must be realistic and take into account what might be called the darker side of human nature, or what the Christian tradition refers to as ‘sin’, lying at the heart of its metanarrative about redemption and its rituals of baptism, confession, and eucharist. Besides being a costly endeavour, restorative justice involves confrontation with evil, clear-eyed judgement, and an inflexible love.
Writing from a Christian point of view, most of our arguments in favour of restorative justice are made on Christian terms. We state the case, not ‘aggressively’ but convinced that ours is ground upon which others might come to stand as well. We also claim that religious traditions are worth engaging in dialogue, since they offer weighty insights, tried and tested by long experience, into topics highly relevant to restorative justice which may well enrich the wider discussion. Yet, even when one has difficulties with the metanarrative and doctrine of Christianity, perhaps in the life, ministry and martyrdom of Jesus of Nazareth, inspiration and justification may still be found. This could help those partners in criminal justice pro- cesses – police, prison services, probation officers, social workers, criminologists, lawyers, and the public – to understand where Christians may be coming from.