No Future Without Forgiveness [B0751]

2000 PB in nice clean condition. The establishment of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission was a pioneering international event. Never had any country sought to move forward from despotism to democracy both by exposing the atrocities committed in the past and achieving reconciliation with its former oppressors. At the center of this unprecedented attempt at healing a nation has been Archbishop Desmond Tutu, whom President Nelson Mandela named as Chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. With the final report of the Commission just published, Archbishop Tutu offers his reflections on the profound wisdom he has gained by helping usher South Africa through this painful experience. In No Future Without Forgiveness, Tutu argues that true reconciliation cannot be achieved by denying the past. But nor is it easy to reconcile when a nation "looks the beast in the eye." Rather than repeat platitudes about forgiveness, he presents a bold spirituality that recognizes the horrors people can inflict upon one another, and yet retains a sense of idealism about reconciliation. With a clarity of pitch born out of decades of experience, Tutu shows readers how to move forward with honesty and compassion to build a newer and more humane world.

From Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Wonderful book written by a beautiful soul about one of the worst human rights abuses in modern history. Bishop Tutu's compassionate theology of human dignity and reconciliation makes this an absolute must read for anyone wanting to explore what it truly means to forgive those who have profoundly wronged you and your community. This was a very healing read, even though at times the subject matter unsettled my soul. It was worth all of it to learn more about this man's perspective and love for humanity."; "This book is a wonderful book that needs a little patience but pays off handsomely if you get through the end. The first part of the book lays out a philosophical and theological framework for how to decide to deal with the problems of racial reconciliation on a massive scale. This section felt a little bogged down as it speaks to the trappings of normal politics and political individuals who I have never heard of. However, around halfway through, the book turns to the individual stories of those affected by apartheid, and in many ways the stuffy theory in the first half has a renewed life and importance. It brought me to tears."