Womit habe ich das verdient? Schuld und Verzeihen im Abendland: Impulse religiös-künstlerischer Traditionen für die therapeutische Praxis

Guilt and dealing with it in the form of forgiveness play a central role in therapeutic contexts. Secular as well as religious paths can contribute to a successful debate. With recourse to worldwide cultural assets and various treatment methods, this essay would like to show how a fruitful examination of the concept of guilt can succeed in favour of a practice of forgiveness. In addition to secular coping, there is a wealth of religious, artistic and supportive attempts at coping, all of which lead to forgiveness and reconciliation. In this essay, the Western Christian tradition strands are therefore brought into a dialogue with modern, international scientific currents, represented by the Medical Humanities and Healing Arts. What aspects can be gleaned from these traditions for psychiatric-psychotherapeutic practice in an increasingly secular environment?

At the beginning of my remarks I present biblical-artistic impressions of guilt and forgiveness (1). This is followed by a theological-dogmatic definition of the concepts of guilt and sin (2), forgiveness within the framework of the Christian religion and the practice of forgiveness in the West (3), before the next section (4) focuses on artistic processing in the Church and Bible is judged as an expression of forgiveness. After an excursus on Medical Humanities and Healing Arts (5), therapeutic impulses on the art of forgiveness (6) and a concluding case study on trialogic work (7) follow.