Original Research - Special Collection: HTS 75th Anniversary Maake Masango Dedication

Forgiveness and politics: Reading Matthew 18:21–35 with survivors of armed conflict in Colombia

Robert W. Heimburger, Christopher M. Hays, Guillermo Mejía-Castillo
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies | Vol 75, No 4 | a5245 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v75i4.5245 | © 2019 Robert W. Heimburger, Christopher M. Hays, Guillermo Mejía-Castillo | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 28 August 2018 | Published: 19 February 2019

About the author(s)

Robert W. Heimburger, Fundación Universitaria Seminario Bíblico de Colombia (FUSBC), Colombia; and, Oxford Pastorate, United Kingdom; and, IFES, United Kingdom
Christopher M. Hays, Fundación Universitaria Seminario Bíblico de Colombia (FUSBC), Colombia
Guillermo Mejía-Castillo, Fundación Universitaria Seminario Bíblico de Colombia (FUSBC), Colombia

Abstract

After decades of armed conflict in Colombia, how do those most affected by that conflict understand forgiveness? While others have researched Colombians’ views of forgiveness, this study is the first to do so through discussion of a narrative of forgiveness. Readings of the biblical narrative chosen for this study, the Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor (Mt 18:21–35), can enable North Atlantic scholars to discover dimensions of the parable revealed by those who live lives that mirror the realities of the parable, unlike such scholars. The study aims to understand how conflict survivors, especially internally displaced persons (IDPs), understand forgiveness and its relation to politics. The study also aims to identify how these women and men read Matthew 18:21–35 differently from academics. Groups in eight locations around Colombia discussed Matthew 18:21–35. Researchers led lectura popular de la Biblia [people’s readings of the Bible], inviting participants to say how the parable related to their lives and to discuss the political consequences that would come from imitating characters in the parable. Conflict survivors said that forgiving was essential if their communities were going to be communities at all, especially communities at peace, offering freedom and economic opportunity. Unlike commentators, they read Matthew 18:21–35 as enjoining forgiveness towards those beyond their local church and for wrongs involving money and violence. As Colombian churches seek to counter resentment with forgiveness, they should be aware of the power of lectura popular, especially of this parable, to create a safe environment where conflict survivors can speak candidly.

Keywords

Forgiveness; Politics; Colombia; Conflict Survivors; Matthew

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Crossref Citations

1. The Christian concept of forgiveness and religious education facing the problem of individualism
Jarosław Horowski
British Journal of Religious Education  vol: 46  issue: 1  first page: 71  year: 2024  
doi: 10.1080/01416200.2023.2262773