The Practice of Forgiveness in Sue Miller's Novel The World Below

SUMMARY This article argues that literature rather than works in Christian theology or the social sciences provide the best resource for imagining the practice of forgiveness. The World Below, by Sue Miller is used as a case study to imagine the elements in a forgiving relationship. In this novel the lines between victim and offender are blurred and the actions of accountability are shaped by differences in gender and power. Memory places a crucial role as enabling forgiveness. The natural grace of remembering is the key to a theology that embodies the practice of forgiveness.