Forgiveness Experiences among Victims of Religiously Based Social Conflicts

Abstract

Forgiveness in the context of religiously based social conflicts represents a complex phenomenon at the intersection of religious philosophy, ethics, and human psychology, requiring a deeper understanding of its personal and sociocultural dimensions. While previous studies have examined forgiveness through theological prescriptions or psychological measures, little is known about how individuals construct and interpret the meaning of forgiveness within their lived experiences. This study addresses this gap by asking: How do victims of religiously based conflicts experience and embody forgiveness in their everyday lives? Using an interpretative phenomenological approach (IPA), the study explores participants’ subjective meaning-making processes and provides a comprehensive answer to the central research question. Data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 15 participants and analyzed thematically to uncover essential experiential structures. The findings reveal that forgiveness is a dynamic, multidimensional process involving three key dimensions: personal healing, where individuals reclaim emotional autonomy; spiritual transcendence, where forgiveness is framed as closeness to God; and social reconciliation, where participants rebuild trust within multi-religious communities. These insights go beyond prescriptive theological models and enrich our understanding of forgiveness as a lived, evolving phenomenon shaped by trauma, faith, and cultural contexts. The study contributes to advancing scholarship in religious ethics, phenomenology, and conflict resolution, offering both theoretical and practical implications for counseling, interfaith dialogue, and community-based reconciliation efforts. Future research could expand these findings through comparative studies across diverse cultural and religious contexts to explore the universal and context-specific meanings of forgiveness.