The concept of forgiveness
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the concept of forgiveness and its connection to restorative justice, and assess arguments about it.
Key learning points
- Forgiveness means to grant pardon for a wrongdoing; to give up resentment and the desire to seek revenge.
- It can help people heal emotionally and rebuild relationships.
- Forgiveness is shown in different ways, including restorative justice.
- Restorative justice helps victims and offenders communicate, supporting forgiveness.
- There are both positives and negatives to forgiveness, related to healing and justice.
Keywords
Forgiveness - to grant pardon for a wrongdoing; to give up resentment and the desire to seek revenge against a wrongdoer
Healing - the process of becoming emotionally or physically whole and restoring well-being after harm or injury
Restorative justice - an approach to justice that focuses on repairing the harm caused by wrongdoing through dialogue and understanding
Common misconception
Forgiveness means forgetting what happened or excusing the wrong.
Forgiveness means letting go of resentment and anger, but it does not mean forgetting or saying the wrong was acceptable.
Teacher tip
Use examples from the Forgiveness Project to illustrate why and how victims of crime have been able to forgive.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
5 Questions
Q1.What Christian value is undermined the most by corporal punishment?
Q2.Christians read Bible verses through the lens of love, mercy, and .
Q3.Which Christian group strongly opposes corporal punishment?
Q4.Corporal punishment fails to meet aims like reformation and .
Q5.Which ethical theory would oppose corporal punishment since it fails to achieve a loving outcome?
Assessment exit quiz
5 Questions
Q1.Match each keyword to its meaning.
to to grant pardon for a wrongdoing
the the process of restoring well-being after harm or injury
an approach to justice that focuses on repairing the harm caused
Q2.Forgiveness is giving up resentment and the desire for .
Q3.Restorative justice allows victims and offenders to , which can lead to forgiveness.
Q4.What is a criticism some people have about forgiveness?
Q5.What does forgiveness not mean?
To help you plan your 11 religious education lesson on: The concept of forgiveness, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 religious education lesson on: The concept of forgiveness, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 religious education lessons from the Religion, crime and punishment unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.