In our increasingly polarized culture, bitterness and resentment can seem not only justified, but appropriate. When we have been offended or harmed by another we tend to turn a cold shoulder, if not scheme to pay them back. Our circles are increasingly made up only of those we perceive are safe enough not to hurt us. 

This is not new. Followers of Jesus in antiquity likewise lived in a cultural context that exhibited retribution rather than forgiveness. And yet, these early Christians discovered and embodied a new and distinct way of life.

Dr. Timothy Norman explores how the early church experienced and extended forgiveness in ways that transformed the world as they knew it, while pondering the implications of the New Testament’s teaching on forgiveness for the 21st century.

With a Ph.D. in Theology (Bristol) and as an OSU alum, Dr. Tim Norman frequently speaks on college campuses and at conferences across the country. Tim invests in training leaders across the globe and teaches graduate courses in South Asia and Africa on the New Testament, Theology, Leadership, and Biblical Interpretation and Communication.

This was recorded live during a Carmen House Speaker Series event on the campus of The Ohio State University.