Forget Them Not: A Holistic Guide to Prison Ministry - Softcover

Hemenway, Joanne

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1608993205 ISBN 13: 9781608993208

Publisher: Wipf and Stock, 2010

Synopsis

To witness effectively and powerfully to Christian testimonies of care and compassion, of justice and mercy, of healing and wholeness, it is necessary to foster awareness of the realities of the present system of retributive justice if there is to be any hope of transformation to a system of justice which is restorative. Forget Them Not provides a history of the prison system as a means of punishment contrasting it with the relatively recent but growing practice of restorative justice. Joanne Hemenway explores the concept of disconnection as radical evil, as a separation from God who is the source of our being, and shows how our present approach to punishment fosters this evil. The present system, with its motif of retributive justice, generates shame, rejection, and loneliness which stokes the fires of anger and rage. This breeds deep disconnection which only serves to fuel further cycles of violence. Hemenway presents three vignettes designed to help explore forgiveness in the context of both retributive and restorative justice. To promote healing and connection, Forget Them Not introduces compassionate witnessing in prison ministry as a way to develop awareness and empowerment.

About this title

About the Author

Joanne Hemenway received her doctorate of ministry degree from Andover Newton Theological School. She has been actively involved in a variety of prison ministries, including Partakers/Boston University College Behind Bars program. She is a member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).

Edition details

• Publisher: Wipf and Stock
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1608993205
• ISBN 13: 9781608993208
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 184