Forgiveness and Health

Loren Toussaint is a professor in the department of psychology at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. He is a former visiting scientist at Mayo Clinic, the associate director of the Sierra Leone Forgiveness Project, and a consultant in the Department of Pastoral Care at Cancer Treatment Centers of America. Dr. Toussaint’s research examines religious and spiritual factors, especially forgiveness, and how they are related to health and well-being. He directs the Laboratory for the Investigation of Mind, Body, and Spirit, and has mentored over 75 students studying in this laboratory (see: https://www.luther.edu/touslo01/).  Everett Worthington, Ph.D., is Commonwealth Professor of Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University. He is also a licensed Clinical Psychologist in Virginia. He has published over 35 books and about 400 articles and scholarly chapters, mostly on forgiveness, marriage and family, and religion and spirituality. Many of those study the overlap of the topic with physical and mental health (see www.EvWorthington-forgiveness.com). David R. Williams is the Florence and Laura Norman Professor of Public Health, African and African American Studies and Sociology at Harvard University. His prior academic appointments were at Yale University and the University of Michigan. The author of over 350 scientific papers on social influences on health, he directed a national study of forgiveness and health and has studied the association between religious involvement and health. He is a member of the Institute of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and was ranked as one of the World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds in 2014.  

Chapter 1. Introduction: Context, Overview and Guiding Questions; Loren L. Toussaint, Everett L. Worthington Jr. and David R. Williams.- Part I. Definition, Measurement and Models.- Chapter 2. Defining Forgiveness: Historical Roots, Contemporary Research and Key Considerations for Health Outcomes; Jeritt R. Tucker, Rachel L. Bitman, Nathaniel G. Wade and Marilyn A. Cornish.- Chapter 4. Measuring Forgiveness in Health-Related Contenxts; Charlotte vanOyen Witvliet, Daryl R. Van Tongeren and Lindsay Root Luna.- Part II. Empirical Evidence of Forgiveness-Health Connections.- Chapter 5. Forgiveness and Physiological Concomitants and Outcomes; Kevin T. Larkin, Carol Goulet, and Casey Cavanagh.- Chapter 6. Forgiveness and Mental Health; Brandon J. Griffin, Everett L. Worthington, Jr., Caroline R. Lavelock, Nathaniel G. Wade and William T. Hoyt.- Chapter 7. Forgiveness and Physical Health in Healthy Populations; Alyssa C.D. Cheadle and Loren L. Toussaint.- Chapter 8. Forgiveness and Health in Patient Populations; Jennifer P. Friedberg, Hillary Lewin Tuvia and Rose Cha.- Chapter 9. The Role of Forgiveness in Chronic Pain and Fibromyalgia; Martin Offenbächer, Jessie Dezutter, Miguel Vallejo and Loren L. Toussaint.- Chapter 10. Forgiveness and Problematic Substance Use; Jon R. Webb and Bridget R. Jeter.- Chapter 11. Forgiveness and Subjective Well-Being: Discussing Mechanisms, Contexts and Rationales; Patrick L. Hill, Marie E. Heffernan and Mathias Allemand.- Part III. Factors Connecting Forgiveness and Health.- Chapter 12. Sex, Forgiveness, and Health.- Andrea J. Miller and Everett L. Worthington, Jr..- Chapter 13. Forgiveness of Others, Race/ Ethnicity and Health: A Nascent Area of Inquiry; Cheryl A. Smith and Michael J. McFarland.- Chapter 14. Aging, Forgiveness and Health; Neal Krause and R. David Hayward.- Chapter 15. Culture, Forgiveness and Health; Mark M. Leach and Stephanie Parazak.- Part IV. Applications Regarding Forgiveness and Health.- Chapter 16. Forgiveness and Health in Nonmarried Dyadic Relationships; Jody L. Davis, Jeffrey D. Green, Chelsea A. Reid, Jaclyn M. Moloney and Jeni Burnette.- Chapter 17. Forgiveness, Family Relationships and Health; Frank D. Fincham.- Chapter 18. Forgiveness Interventions to Promote Physical Health; Barbara Elliott.- Chapter 19. Concluding Thoughts: Summary and Integration, Models and Research Agendas; Lorent L. Toussaint, Everett L. Worthington Jr. and David R. Williams.

The world being what it is, there is no shortage of circumstances where the worst of human behaviors provide the opportunity for one of the best, namely forgiveness.  Philosophers have long wrestled with the question of whether forgiveness is better for the forgiver or the forgivee.  Remarkably, this question has become a subject of careful scientific research in recent years, and this excellent, important book presents the first thorough overview of the subject.  Naturally, the answer to the question, "Is forgiveness good for you" is mighty complicated.Robert M SapolskyJohn A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn ProfessorDepartments of Biology, Neurosurgery, and Neurology and Neurological Sciences______________________________________________________________________________How we experience life’s challenges can profoundly affect our well-being. In this outstanding book, Toussaint, Worthington, and Williams open our eyes to the power of forgiveness, which may be one of the most important tools we have for reducing disease and improving human health. Their review of the subject is the best to date and a must-read for scientists, practitioners, and laypeople alike.George M. SlavichDirector, Laboratory for Stress Assessment and ResearchCousins Center for PsychoneuroimmunologyUniversity of California, Los Angeles______________________________________________________________________________ burgeoning field of inquiry will want to have this book on their shelves.Christopher G. EllisonProfessor of SociologyDean's Distinguished Professor of Social ScienceUniversity of Texas at San Antonio______________________________________________________________________________This volume is cutting edge. All that is currently known on forgiveness, unforgiveness and health is covered between these covers. A remarkable compilation of chapters that review research findings on the relationship between forgiveness and medical and mental health. A book of great significance in this emerging area.Leslie GreenbergProfessor-Department of PsychologyYork University______________________________________________________________________________Forgiveness and Health is the definitive volume on the role of forgiveness in human health. Scholarly, creative, and user-friendly, the chapters in this book are likely to steer the field for many years to come.Michael McCulloughProfessor-Department of PsychologyUniversity of Miami______________________________________________________________________________This book is a comprehensive and carefully crafted resource for researchers, teachers, students, and anyone looking to better understand the science of how forgiveness can improve one's health.  Leading contributors offer deep insight and useful recommendations about forgiveness and well being.  This book is the best answer to date of the important question, "how and why is forgiveness good for you?" Frederic LuskinDirector of the Stanford Forgiveness Projects______________________________________________________________________________Research on forgiveness has seen an explosion of interest and activity over the past several years.  In Forgiveness and Health, Toussaint, Worthington and Williams have done the burgeoning field an important service by bringing together top scholars in the field to assess the current state of theory, measurement and findings on the topic.  As important, their volume provides crucial insights for helping to guide future research efforts on forgiveness and its consequences.  There is little doubt that Forgiveness and Health will be an essential resource for scholars in the field for years to come.Marc MusickProfessor, Department of SociologyMike Hogg Professorin Liberal ArtsSenior Associate Dean, College of Liberal Arts______________________________________________________________________________This volume signals a coming-of-age of forgiveness theory, research, and practice.  Written by leaders in the field, the chapters in Forgiveness and Health report on the latest advances in the  definition, theory, and measurement of forgiveness.  In rich detail , they describe how forgiveness is fully interwoven into physical health, mental health, culture, and context. The volume cements the vital role of forgiveness in efforts to understand and enhance health and well-being.  Highly recommended for researchers and practitioners alike.Kenneth I. Pargament, Ph. D.Professor, Department of PsychologyBowling Green State University______________________________________________________________________________This volume provides a welcome and comprehensive approach to understanding forgiveness and its role in health.  It is well-known that social ties are key determinants of good health and well-being, and that social isolation is a risk.  But there are strains in every relationship, and a need for restoration.  Forgiveness is a mechanism for the repair of social relationships -- and it is available to everyone.Ellen L Idler, PhDSamuel Candler Dobbs Professor of SociologyDirector, Religion and Public Health CollaborativeDepartment of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public HealthEmory University______________________________________________________________________________Drs. Toussaint, Worthington, and Williams are, of course, three of the leading experts on the topic of forgiveness and how it relates to, and impacts, both mental and physical health. Consequently, it is not surprising that they assembled a true all-star collection of authors in this comprehensive volume on forgiveness. Though the research literature is not as plentiful in this area as in others with longer histories, through examination of this book I found it rather amazing how much work has been done in a relatively short amount of time. There is currently no better source for a thorough survey of the work on forgiveness and health than this book. All scholars interested in this area will want to have this volume on their shelf.Kevin S. Masters, Ph.D.Professor and Program Director, Clinical Health PsychologyEditor-in-Chief, Annals of Behavioral MedicinePast President, Division 38 (Health Psychology) American Psychological AssociationUniversity of Colorado Denver