Page 150 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 5

A Portrait of a Christian Psychologist: Paul C. Vitz

Answer by Paul Vitz Paul Vitz, Ph.D.

Professor and Seni-
or Scholar, Institute
Thank you very much for your positive remarks for the Psychological
about my understanding of self-forgiveness and Sciences, Arlington,
its problems and difficulties. Thanks also for Virginia; Professor
your questions! Emeritus, New York

University.
In your first question you propose that human
subjectivity makes accurate/objective know-
ledge of one’s guilt impossible and this makes
forgiveness within a secular psychological fra-
mework always to some extent incomplete and
distorted. After all, our objective guilt can only
be known by God and so we are therefore trap- forgive us. And our forgiveness of the other al-
ped in a subjective and unreliable understan- ways to some extent suffers from our subjectivi-
ding of our actual guilt with respect to harming ty. And as I argued in my article this problem of
another. Without God’s forgiveness a truly ac- subjectivity is an especially big problem when
curate and complete forgiveness is not possible. we come to “self-forgiveness” where our “good”
You ask: How do I see this issue? (Did I get your self forgives the “other “self.
question right?)

Your second question is more difficult for me
I think a key to being able to give and receive to understand but I believe it boils down to the
forgiveness is the virtue of humility---a very question: Can “self-forgiveness”, even if mista-
unpopular virtue these days. With growth ken, have some positive benefits. My answer is
in humility comes an increasing ability to see “yes”--- but the positive effects, I believe, tend
our self and our guilt in an objective way. Of to be short-lived and the underlying issues re-
course, we never reach complete objectivity but main and will return. Some, perhaps all, of the
humility lets us approach it. A lot of ordinary positive effects of “self-forgiveness” come from
“every-day” forgiveness is superficial and even the person coming to a limited kind of self-ac-
self serving, in short false forgiveness. To the ceptance. This is how I interpret those studies
extent that secular psychology can accept and which show positive effects of self-forgiveness.
develop humility in its psychotherapy it could In this connection you ask: Could “self-for-
move toward a more objective knowledge of giveness” in some situations serve as a bridge
guilt than is possible with the present models to a more genuine forgiveness? Yes, this may be
of therapy and thus move toward a more ge- possible but I would need to know more about
nuine forgiveness. However, a Christian based how it worked.
therapy by acknowledging prayer, our guilt and
God’s significance for our life, along with the Here are two articles, published after my 2011
natural understanding of forgiveness can help article, that also identify problems with self-
the person to a genuine complete forgiveness forgiveness.
and to the great peace and joy that it brings.

You are right that we can’t know our objecti- Wohl, M.J.A. & Andrea, T. (2011). A dark side to self-
ve guilt or the objective guilt of others--- and forgiveness: Forgiving the self and its association
therefore giving or receiving complete for- with chronic unhealthy behavior. British Journal of Soci-
giveness, which is the kind our hearts desire, is al Psychology, 50 (2), 354-364.
not possible in human (secular) terms. Without Squires, E. C., Sztainert, T., Gillen, N. R., Caoutte, J. &
Wohl, M. J. A. (2012). The problem with self-forgiveness:
God complete forgiveness isn’t possible. Only Forgiving the self deters readiness to change among gam-
God can fully understand and thus completely blers. Journal of Gambling Studies, 28 (3), 337-350.

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