Reconcliation: Restoring Justice

In this book, which emerges from the Cambridge Hulsean Lectures for 2002, one of the world's leading authorities in theology and politics offers a compelling account of hope for reconcliation. Amidst a world torn apart by conflit and now engaged in a 'war on terror' John de Gruchy is wary of complacent and false notions of forgiveness, cheap grace, and is fully aware of the complexity of guilt. His argument is informed by the conviction that fundamental to any possiblity of reconcliation is the restoration of justice. This is integral to justification by God, the renewal of personal relationships, and the transformation of society. Reconciliation has considerable relevance to conversations in theology, social and political science, social theory, jurisprudence and beyond. 'Drawing deeply on the rich resources of Christian faith and tradition, de Gruchy has provided a passionate yet carefully reasoned account of the connection between God's gift of reconcliation in Christ and political struggles for justice and peace. Using the Truth and Reconcliation Commission in South Africa as his case study, de Gruchy cautions against cheap alternatives to reconciliation as he explores the costly process of truth-telling, forgiveness, moral accountability, and the restoration of justice at the interface of faith and politics. I warmly commend this timely book.' John W. de Gruchy was Director of the Graduate School in Humanities and Robert Selby Professor of Christian Studies at the University of Cape Town.