Beyond Belief

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BBC Radio 4 FM

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Beyond Belief: Unforgiveness

Unforgiveness

BBC Radio 4 - Beyond Belief, Unforgiveness

Aleem Maqbool explores what happens when we can't, or won't, forgive.

Julie Nicholson's daughter, Jenny, was killed in the 7/7 London Bombings. She hasn't forgiven Jenny's killer. She tells Aleem Maqbool how this clashed with her role as a vicar.

"I didn't choose to forgive. It wasn't that I tried and tried to forgive. There was a moment when I thought, what on earth does this word 'forgiveness' even mean?"

Julie Nicholson's daughter, Jenny, was killed in the 7/7 London Bombings. Julie has not forgiven Jenny's killer which has led to conflict with what was expected of her in her role as a parish priest. She tells Aleem Maqbool about the difficulties in reconciling her faith's teachings on forgiveness with her Christian ministry and the response she received after being dubbed "the vicar who couldn't forgive".

Julie's story sparks a discussion on the place of forgiveness from different religious perspectives. Aleem is joined by New Testament scholar, Professor Anthony Bash, who has written extensively on the theology of forgiveness, Rabbi Elchonon Feldman, Senior Rabbi at Bushey United Synagogue and author Marian Partington.

They discuss what is meant by forgiveness in different religious contexts. Whether it is essential to forgive others for the hurt they have caused us or is there a limit. Can we forgive the unforgiveable?

Producer: Katharine Longworth with Vishva Semani 
Assistant Producer: Josie Le Vay
Editor: Tim Pemberton

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