Beyond Forgiveness: Reflections on Atonement

by Phil Cousineau

"If we harbor thoughts of violence or hatred, or seek revenge or retribution, we are contributing to the wounding of the world; if we transform those thoughts into forgiveness and compassion, and then move beyond them to actually make amends or restitution, we are contributing to the healing of the world. This timely, powerful and compassionate book helps show us the way."
― Deepak Chopra "Nothing will help us survive the present age more than breaking the tragic cycles of violence and revenge that threaten our very existence. To do so, we must honor our soul's desire for deeper forms of reconciliation, a process that Phil Cousineau reveals here as being on the other side of forgiveness, in the ancient ritual of atonement. His book is a profoundly important contribution to the healing of the world, and I give it my blessing."
― Robert A. Johnson , author of Transformation , Inner Work and Owning Your Own Shadow As indispensable as forgiveness has been to the healing process throughout history, there is another equally profound action that is needed for ultimate reconciliation, which Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mohandas Gandhi, calls “the other side of the coin.” Turning over the coin of forgiveness, we discover atonement , the half-hidden, much-overlooked other half of the reconciliation process. Beyond Forgiveness shows how acts of atonement―making amends, providing restitution, restoring balance―can relieve us of the pain of the past and give us a hopeful future. This rich and powerful book includes 15 thoughtful contributions by high-profile thinkers and activists including Huston Smith, Michael Bernard Beckwith, Azim Khamisa, Rabbi Michael Lerner, Jacob Needleman, Michael Nagler, Diane Hennacy Powell, James O’Dea, Arun Gandhi, Kate Dahlstedt, Ed Tick, Richard J. Meyer, Rev. Heng Sure, Douglas George-Kanentiio and Katharine Dever. Atonement is put forward as a process that we must all learn to practice―from individuals to nations―if we are to heal our wounds and move forward.

272 pages, Paperback

Published January 5, 2011

About the author

Phil Cousineau is the award-winning author of The Wisdom of the Odyssey and over forty other books, including the bestselling The Art of Pilgrimage, The Hero’s Journey, and Once and Future Myths. With more than 40 books and 25 scriptwriting credits to his name, the "omnipresent influence of myth in modern life" is a thread that runs through all his work.

A writer, filmmaker, storyteller, and cultural historian, Phil has consulted on mythology and story for major studios including Warner Brothers, Pixar, and Lucasfilm. A protege of mythologist Joseph Campbell, Cousineau began his career teaching screenwriting classes on Myth and the Movies at the American Film Institute in the 1980s.

He was co-writer and host of Link TV/PBS-TV's Global Spirit, the "inner travel" television series, which Bill Moyers called "more important than journalism today." His documentary films have won more than 25 international awards, including the Academy Award-nominated, Forever Activists.

Born in an army hospital in Columbia, South Carolina, Cousineau grew up in Detroit, Phil Cousineau has lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for over 40 years. All of his grandparents were French-Canadian.

Reviews

[Winslow Eliot · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an extraordinarily powerful book - my mother was absorbed in it the last few months of her life, and urged me to read it. It was way beyond forgiveness, as the title implies, and takes us into a place of being 'at-one'. Highly recommended.

[Barbara Newhall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cousineau is to be applauded for taking the conversation past forgiveness and on to the -- much tougher -- task of atonement. I go into more detail in a review on my website http://barbarafalconernewhall.com/201...

[Marlena Fiol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beyond Forgiveness is a collection of wise and powerful essays, each one demonstrating how acts of atonement—such as making amends or providing restitution—prove the depth and authenticity of our desire to be forgiven. During this time of turmoil and unease in the world, Cousineau’s book continues to be a timely reminder that through acts of forgiveness and atonement, each of us can contribute to the process of healing the pain of the past and moving toward a more hopeful future.

[Diane Francis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of this book seemed very redundant. But the second half of the book was very interesting, with personal stories and insights from the individuals that had done the forgiving and had been forgiven. This book would have been a 5 star if it had focused more on the stories. I really learned a lot, and it was an interesting read. Definately worth the time to read, and don't skip the first part all together.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inspiring collection of essays on what is possible when the intention to heal is greater than the seductive state of being right.