Forgiveness and the Problem of Evil

Session Panelists: Matthew Ichihashi Potts & Miroslav Volf

In the final session of Deliver Us from Evil, we are joined by one of the most influential living theologians, Miroslav Volf, for a conversation about forgiveness and reconciliation. Miroslav is joined by Matthew Ichihashi Potts, the senior minister at Memorial Church.

As Christians, we know that forgiveness is essential to our faith – we are a forgiven people. Yet it doesn’t take long to see that forgiveness can be difficult both to understand theologically and to practice in real life.

What does it actually mean to forgive someone – to “let it go”?

Does forgiveness mean that we eventually forget the wrongs we have done or that have been done to us?

Is it simply a commitment not to retaliate?

And what about the great tragedies, suffering, and evil we see around us? Is Christian forgiveness relevant in the face of those realities? Could forgiveness be part of how we respond to Jesus and work toward the healing and restoration of our world?

There is much to explore. In this conversation, Miroslav Volf and Matthew Ichihashi Potts bring different perspectives on what Christian forgiveness entails. Together, they explore those differences and consider how they might help us imagine what forgiveness, justice, and reconciliation could look like in our communities and in the wider world.