Paul Ricoeur's Pedagogy of Pardon : A Narrative Theory of Memory and Forgetting
Author(s): Maria Duffy
Maria Duffy describes Paul Ricoeur's narrative theory of memory and addresses central conceptual and methodological issues in his theory of forgiveness and reconciliation. As the many Truth Commissions around the world illustrate, revisiting the past has a positive benefit in steering history in a new direction after protracted violence.
A second deeper strand in the book is the connection between Ricoeur and John Paul II. Both lived through the worst period of modern European history (Ricoeur a prisoner of war during WWII and John Paul, who suffered under the communist regime). Both have written on themes of memory and identity and share a mutual concern for the future of Europe and the preservation of the 'Christian' identity of the Continent as well as the promotion of peace and a civilization of love. The book brings together their shared vision, culminating in the award to Ricoeur by John Paul II of the Paul VI medal for theology.
Review(s):
“Duffy's work... provides a clearly written discussion of Ricoeur's narrative theory and its impact on our understanding of memory, reconciliation, and ethics... By tone and argument, her intention is not to provide a critical evaluation of Ricoeur's philosophy, but rather persuade the reader to apply Ricoeur's thought to contemporary theological treatments of peace and justice. As such, this work would be useful for theologians working on issues of conflict, religion,and politics.” —Forrest Clingerman, Ohio Northern University
ISBN: 9781847064745