In the Church Library – Two books from Desmond Tutu

Rev. Desmond Tutu is not only a Nobel Laureate and an iconic South-African activist but also a prolific author. Two of his books are now in the church library. In No Future without Forgiveness (179 T), published in 1999, he describes his responsibilities as head of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, an unprecedented attempt at healing a nation after apartheid. It exposed past evils, but offered amnesty and forgiveness rather than punishment and denial. He applies this approach on a personal level in The Book of Forgiving; the Fourfold Path for Healing Ourselves and our World (179 T). Written with his daughter Mpho, they explain the process of forgiveness – telling the story, naming the hurt, granting forgiveness, and renewing or releasing the relationship. Only then can we “bring peace to ourselves and our world.” To make this volume even more useful, they include meditations, exercises, and prayers after each chapter.

-Carol Jensen, Church Librarian