Exploring personal and relational motivations and processes of forgiveness in religious families

• Published date: 01 July 2023
• Author: Justin J. Hendricks,Joe M. Chelladurai,Loren D. Marks,David C. Dollahite,Heather H. Kelley,Andrew H. Rose
• Date: 01 July 2023
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12733

RESEARCH

Exploring personal and relational motivations and

processes of forgiveness in religious families

Justin J. Hendricks

1

|Joe M. Chelladurai

1

|Loren D. Marks

1

|

David C. Dollahite

1

|Heather H. Kelley

2

|Andrew H. Rose

3

1

School of Family Life, Brigham Young

University, Provo, UT

2

Human Development and Family Studies,

Utah State University, Logan, UT

3

Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work,

Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX

Correspondence

Justin J. Hendricks, School of Family Life,

Brigham Young University, 2086 JFSB, Provo,

UT 84602, USA.

Email: justin_hendricks@byu.edu

Abstract

Objective and Background: We used qualitative methodology

to explore forgiveness motivations and processes in an

ethnically, economically, and geographically diverse

sample of 198 highly religious Christian, Muslim, and

Jewish families in the United States (N=480). Prior

research has identified several significant relational implica-

tions and outcomes of forgiveness. However, there is a need

for additional research on forgiveness processes and motiva-

tions among highly religious families.

Method: Families were interviewed jointly through a

semistructured interview protocol. Analysis was conducted

using thematic and team-based coding procedures.

Results: Core themes included (a) “Why forgive?”:Rela-

tional, religious, and spiritual motivations; (b) “What enables

state forgiveness?”: Relational, religious, and spiritual pro-

cesses; and (c) The role and development of trait forgiveness

(forgivingness).

Conclusion: Findings highlight the relational, religious, and

spiritual motivations and processes present in forgiveness and

therolereligious/spiritualbeliefs and practices play in those

processes. Additionally, findings illustrate participants’value of

the virtue of forgivingness and reported religious and relational

processes that helped in developing the trait of forgivingness.

Implications: We offer several questions that can be used

as a starting point for practitioners to work within the

worldview of religious clients to empower individuals,

couples, and families to forgive.

KEYWORDS

family process, forgiveness, God, relationships, religion

Author note: The authors express their gratitude for funding from the Eliza R. Snow Grant.

Received: 30 June 2021Revised: 25 January 2022Accepted: 30 April 2022

DOI: 10.1111/fare.12733

© 2022 National Council on Family Relations.

1014 Family Relations. 2023;72:1014–1031.wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/fare

Research on forgiveness has identified several significant relational implications, including

positive correlations with relationship quality, relationship satisfaction, and gratitude

(Fincham & Beach, 2013). Although there are some instances in which forgiveness can be costly

and maladaptive, such as allowing room for repeat offenses or enabling a lack of change

(McNulty, 2010), social science research has indicated that forgiveness is generally beneficial in

relationships across time, situation, and relationship length because it aids in relational repair

and enrichment (Rusbult et al., 2005; Worthington et al., 2015). For example, spousal forgive-

ness has been found to buffer against the consequences of relational risk factors such as parental

divorce or stress (Olson et al., 2015), and the denial of forgiveness to a romantic partner has

been found to increase anger and avoidance (Jennings et al., 2016). Parental forgiveness can

also be helpful for others, including children, who tend to model parent behavior (Gordon

et al., 2009).

Given the largely positive influences of forgiveness, practitioners have developed interven-

tions and therapeutic techniques to facilitate forgiveness (Fincham & Kashdan, 2004). Further,

because of the positive relationship between religion, spirituality, and forgiveness found by

several studies as well as a meta-analysis (Davis et al., 2013), a number of these interventions

have incorporated dimensions of religion/spirituality (Worthington et al., 2012).

Multiple areas of research need development to provide better empirical support and theo-

retical foundations for the incorporation of religion and spirituality into therapeutic or interven-

tion work on forgiveness, as well as to enable the refinement of such interventions. Qualitative

methodology is well suited to provide a richer perspective and to explore the processes behind

the religion–forgiveness relationship. Relatively little qualitative research has explored how

religion and spirituality motivate and provide resources that facilitate and empower individuals

to forgive (Recine et al., 2020). Relatedly, much of the research that has been done focuses on

how religion motivates or enables individuals to forgive a certain action (e.g., intimate partner

abuse; Taylor, 2004), otherwise known as state forgiveness. Few if any qualitative research

has explored individuals’perceptions on how religion influences the trait of being forgiving

(otherwise referred to as trait forgiveness), even though meta-analytic research shows a stronger

connection between religion and trait forgiveness than religion and state forgiveness (Davis

et al., 2013). Further, of the qualitative studies examining the relationship between state forgive-

ness and religion, little research has focused on familial forgiveness of smaller or mundane inter-

personal offenses—the primary focus being larger offenses such as the murder of a loved one

(Parker et al., 2004) or traumatic experiences surrounding being a victim of war (Nyarko &

Punamäki, 2017). Scholars have also recently pointed to the need to study the connection

between spirituality and forgiveness (Worthington et al., 2013), as well as parent–child forgive-

ness processes with both adolescent and parental participants (Fincham, 2017). Lastly, more

work needs to be done on religious and ethnic minorities.

In this study, we sought to address many of these gaps in the literature to provide a better

empirical and theoretical foundation for the integration of religion and spirituality in interven-

tions to allow individuals and families to reap the potentially positive benefits of forgiveness.

Specifically, in this study, using a sample of highly religious, ethnically and religiouslydiverse

families, we qualitatively explored the questions (a) why do people forgive, (b) what enables

state forgiveness, and (c) what enables trait forgiveness?

REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Much could be said regarding the research on forgiveness that has grown over recent decades.

However, to contextualize our research questions and findings, we address the prior research on

(a) the motivations of forgiveness, (b) religious resources in facilitating state forgiveness, and

(c) the trait of forgiving others (otherwise referred to as forgivingness).

FORGIVENESS IN RELIGIOUS FAMILIES1015