TY - JOUR
T1 - Forgiveness in late medieval sermons
T2 - On the unforgiving servant
AU - Cels, Marc B.
N1 - Funding Information:
I gratefully acknowledge support from the Academic Research Fund at Athabasca University and the patient assistance of library staff at Athabasca University, the Bodleian Library (Oxford), Cambridge University, Magdalene College (Oxford), the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies (Toronto), and Vilnius University. I am also indebted to IMSSS colleagues for their valuable comments on an earlier version of this paper presented at the Medieval Congress in Leeds 2016 and to the journal’s anonymous reviewers for their constructive criticism.
Funding Information:
This work was supported by Athabasca University-Academic Research Fund [21704].
Publisher Copyright:
© International Medieval Sermon Studies Society 2018.
PY - 2018/1/1
Y1 - 2018/1/1
N2 - This study contributes to the history of forgiveness. It samples twenty-nine Latin model sermons on the parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18. 23–35) to access instructions and persuasive material used to teach late medieval Christians about interpersonal forgiveness, peacemaking, or reconciliation. Only half the surveyed sermons discuss forgiveness. Of those that do, only two authors explained the qualified obligation to forgive: to obtain divine forgiveness, Christians must be willing to forgive a penitent offender agreeing to make amends. Christians could still seek justice for harm suffered, so long as they did so without resentment or the desire to harm their offender. These authors also acknowledged the practical difficulties of loving enemies. Unconditional forgiveness remained a goal for those seeking a heavenly reward for Christian perfection, especially monks and nuns. More sermons discouraged anger or warned of God’s wrath against the unforgiving without detailing the norms for forgiveness.
AB - This study contributes to the history of forgiveness. It samples twenty-nine Latin model sermons on the parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18. 23–35) to access instructions and persuasive material used to teach late medieval Christians about interpersonal forgiveness, peacemaking, or reconciliation. Only half the surveyed sermons discuss forgiveness. Of those that do, only two authors explained the qualified obligation to forgive: to obtain divine forgiveness, Christians must be willing to forgive a penitent offender agreeing to make amends. Christians could still seek justice for harm suffered, so long as they did so without resentment or the desire to harm their offender. These authors also acknowledged the practical difficulties of loving enemies. Unconditional forgiveness remained a goal for those seeking a heavenly reward for Christian perfection, especially monks and nuns. More sermons discouraged anger or warned of God’s wrath against the unforgiving without detailing the norms for forgiveness.
KW - Anger
KW - Christian ethics
KW - Forgiveness
KW - Love of enemies
KW - Medieval sermons
KW - Peacemaking
KW - Reconciliation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85055503436&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/13660691.2018.1520989
DO - 10.1080/13660691.2018.1520989
M3 - Journal Article
AN - SCOPUS:85055503436
SN - 1366-0691
VL - 62
SP - 42
EP - 60
JO - Medieval Sermon Studies
JF - Medieval Sermon Studies
IS - 1
ER -