Linguistic Aspects of Christian Theology of Forgiveness: The Penitential Discourse

Abstract

Christian theology of forgiveness is faced with the need to use and interpret various terms, symbols and metaphors that help to correctly understand and assimilate the forgiveness of a person by God, as well as to fulfill the Gospel commandment to forgive others. This also allows us to realize the multidimensional nature of the phenomenon of forgiveness and the potential inherent in it. An important stage of theological research is the study of the structure of repentant discourse in language, in which the elements of insult, offender, guilt, revenge, retribution, apology, and reconciliation are highlighted. Repentant discourse allows us to better understand the essence, context and conditions of forgiveness, which, in turn, opens up the opportunity to formulate the most accurate definitions within the framework of the theological study of Christian forgiveness.