Reimagining forgiveness: A transformative engagement with a social imagination of forgiveness through intercultural Biblical reading in South Africa

Abstract

How can one work towards the transformation of the social imagination of forgiveness among racially divided South African Christians, with the focus on the White participants, through a process of intercultural Bible reading of Matthew 18:15-35? The study highlights the
role of local congregations as both sites of constraint and transformation. The research involves two Methodist churches that are institutionally united (sharing the same doctrine, polity, and denominational identity) but socially separated by their lived realities. The findings suggest that ecclesial institutions are not neutral containers of belief but active participants in shaping theological imagination. When these spaces facilitate shared practices across lines of division, they may offer a “road to reconciliation” by challenging fixed ideas of community, justice, and grace. In doing so, they contribute to reimagining forgiveness as a socially embedded and transformative process in postapartheid South Africa.