From Destruction to Reconciliation

SUMMARY

Daniel Johnson discusses how the application of “restorative justice” in his own life and in the life of the victim of his criminal offense contributed to his personal regeneration and healing for his victim. Mr. Johnson challenges criminal justice policy-makers to create conditions where “restorative justice” can be employed in the broadest sense in order to do what contemporary, punitive, retributive criminal justice systems are largely incapable of doing, that is, facilitate lasting offender rehabilitation and healing for crime victims and communities, and to offer opportunities for victim-offender reconciliations.     

Differentiation of Self and the Process of Forgiveness: A Clinical Perspective for Couple and Family Therapy

In this article we explore the role of differentiation of self in facilitating forgiveness in the context of couple and family relationships. Differentiation is defined from the Bowen perspective as the ability to connect with others without being excessively emotionally reactive to the ebb and flow inherent in all significant relationships (being able to connect to others yet also being able to self‐regulate). Forgiveness is described as the releasing of an emotional injury via a complex psychological and relational process that is less an act of will than a discovery or possibility through understanding and empathy. Differentiation of self is related to emotional intelligence and empathy. The developmental and relational benefits of such are illustrated and discussed. A rationale for viewing differentiation and forgiveness in a contextual, historical, and relational attachment paradigm is suggested. Relevant clinical cases illustrate the dynamics of differentiation and forgiveness as discovery in the context of an understanding and empathic relational environment.     

生态时代与共同体

生态时代的一系列观念应该发展。作者论述了生态时代和共同体观念、生态时代观念的思想来源、生态时代与宗教等文化因素的关系、宽恕和恩惠 ,探讨了未来生态时代和社会共同体的基础。其主要的思想内容是强调未来的社会共同体形式应该与生态自然之间建立起相互有益的平衡 ,改造我们的文化以使生态时代的生活成为现实。     

从中西比较的视角论说中国古代宗教信仰与历史的关系

宗教的起源和发展一直是古史研究的重要课题之一。北京师范大学历史学院的古史研究者对古代的宗教与社会问题进行了长期探索,这里发表的五篇文章分别表达了研究者在这个问题上的见解:刘家和认为,比较研究还应继续做同中察异的工作,就宗教与历史之关系而言,中国的三代与古代希腊、罗马本来各不相同;但不论前者的邦国,还是后者的城邦,都有自己的守护之神,这点又是相同的;可是在此之上,前者还有天或皇天上帝,后者则无,原因之一是由于前者在地上有最高的天下共主,而后者则无。杨共乐认为,敬重神灵,墨守礼仪,以敬神束缚民众,以礼仪统一思想,是罗马早期宗教具有的明显的目的性;敬仰民族神明,宽容外邦神灵,又使罗马的宗教传统具有鲜明的独特性和开放性;早期罗马的宗教传统是多神崇拜但有秩序,宽容外神但有原则,主要表现在新的外神从未渗透到罗马旧有宗教的核心,后者一直保持着主导地位。刘林海指出,基督教最初并非罗马的唯一选择,其优势是在历史过程中逐步确立的;罗马传统宗教自我更新的失败则把基督教推向了国教的地位。蒋重跃对《新约》的道德金规则与《论语》的忠恕思想做了比较研究,认为两者都主张博爱。但《新约》的金规则只有肯定式的表达,因为基督教的博爱来自上帝,上帝是无限的,上帝的爱也要无限地向外推出去;《论语》的忠恕思想则既有肯定式,也有否定式的表达,由于儒家的博爱来自人自身,人是有限的,所以人类之爱既可向外推出去,又要向内加以限制。这是二者最根本的差异。王献华在分析雅各布森的相关作品的基础上认为,对早期两河流域宗教的研究和对早期两河流域社会与文化的历史研究必须是合二为一的学术进程;在早期两河流域宗教研究中,神灵史的路径可以认为是下一阶段的学术方向。     

Family Social Work: The Past and the Present

SUMMARY

It is easy to blame the dysfunction of a family member on his or her behavioral patterns. I use the title, “It's the Relationship, Stupid!” not to talk down to family therapists, but to remind myself that the source of dysfunction is usually family relationships, especially the marriage relationship. This article gives several case studies for practical application of therapy techniques that focus on developing the “WE” of the family unit. One practical technique that I developed is a communication typology. The married couple (and family members) are divided into “Painters” and “Pointers.” This typology explains much of the conflict and mis-communication that leads to the breakdown of the “WE.” This article also presents dysfunction within the individual as a relationship problem and introduces the concept of the “spirit” of the individual as expressing the relationship the person has with self.     

Forgiveness as a positive contributing factor on the mental wellbeing of Congolese refugees and asylum seekers post-war experience

ABSTRACT

The ongoing political violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has exposed female Congolese to traumatic events and adverse situations such as sexual violence, genocide, torture, political persecution, and the loss of loved ones, which have made them to leave their country. These traumatizing experiences negatively affect the mental wellbeing of Congolese. The study explored the impact of forgiveness on mental wellbeing among Congolese refugees and asylum seekers post-war experience. Ten female Congolese refugees and asylum seekers with post-war experience were purposely selected and interviewed through semi-structured interviews. Key findings of the study showed that forgiveness resulted in the improved mental wellbeing of Congolese female refugees and asylum seekers, with reduced anger, anxiety, depression, stress, and rumination. Forgiving participants reported that their mental wellbeing improved compared to those who found it difficult to forgive rebels and state forces causing war in DRC. These findings indicate the importance of incorporating forgiveness in mental wellbeing interventions to improve the mental wellbeing of war survivors. The study provides recommendations on how mental health practitioners can incorporate forgiveness in mental wellbeing interventions.     

孔子忠恕伦理思想辨义

忠恕关系是体用关系,不是恕涵盖忠;忠恕不仅是“己所不欲勿施于人”,忠的含义是“己欲立而立人,己欲达而达人”,仁包含忠恕两个方面,认为“己所不欲勿施于人”没有达到仁的境界是不对的;忠恕之道在现代社会的贯彻应该注重其本有含义,也就是强调对自我的约束和限制,同时也要注重现代社会的特点,融入人格独立,彼此尊重的精神.     

Effect of Perceived Crisis Response on Consumers' Behavioral Intentions During a Company Scandal – An Intercultural Perspective

In the context of a multi-national company scandal, namely Volkswagen's Dieselgate, we examine the effect of customers' perception of organizational crisis response on their revenge and avoidance intentions in different cultural settings. Using data collected in the US and in Germany, we are able to show that the perception of appropriate crisis response reduces customers' revenge as well as avoidance intentions. However, due to the domestic bias of German respondents, the mechanism linking perception of the organization's crisis response to the respective outcomes differs between Germany and the US. Our results demonstrate for the first time that domestic bias is not always associated with being an amplifier of positive factors; rather, in the context of an organizational scandal, it dampens the effects of organizational crisis response.     

Exploring the Place of Forgiveness Therapy in Social Work Practice

This paper examines the potential contribution of forgiveness therapy to social workers who may often encounter clients who have experienced severe interpersonal injury, or who have inflicted significant harm upon themselves or others. Basic theoretical and empirical perspectives on the processes and dynamics of forgiveness, as well as an introduction to forgiveness therapy, are provided. A case example demonstrating the application of forgiveness therapy in a social work setting is utilized to underscore points of convergence and potential divergence between this innovative therapeutic approach and important social work values and practice concepts. Research directions that may promote the further incorporation of forgiveness and forgiveness therapy into social work are indicated.     

儒家和谐社会理念及其历史局限

“忠恕”是孔子的“一以贯之”的行仁之方,“和谐”是儒家文化的核心价值理念。“忠恕”即是“絜矩”,而“絜矩”也就是社会的“和谐”。这是中国文化所能贡献于世界的一个普遍价值。儒家对和谐社会的构想并没有完全停留在抽象的层面,它至少包含这样几个具体层面:君子修养的身心和谐;家庭和社会人际关系的和谐;经济的富裕和均平;执政者的率先垂范;人与自然的和谐等。自秦汉特别是汉代“独尊儒术”以来,中国古代社会并没有真正实现社会的和谐,这主要是因为儒家的和谐社会理念受到如下几种历史时代的局限:经济制度的局限;政治制度的局限;君臣之伦与家庭和社会伦理的局限;士人修身与社会的世俗文化的局限;人口和农业生产给自然生态环境造成的压力等。