L. Gregory Jones, associate professor of theology and director of the Center for the Humanities at Loyola College in Baltimore, Md., comes from a Wesleyan religious background and at times sounds downright Anglican.

He claims that while "Forgiveness should be at the heart of Christian community and life, it has largely been co-opted by the therapeutic grammar of modern Western life."

Central to his thesis is the claim that a Christian understanding and practice of forgiveness is bound to the "heart of the Triune God's creative and recreative work in restoring humanity to communion with God, with one another and with the whole creation."

The practice of forgiveness is a craft that must be learned within the baptismal/ eucharistic community as the Christian is trained in the way of forgiveness and unlearns the way of sin and death.

The book is enriched by helpful illustrations from literature, ranging from Flannery O'Connor to Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Particularly useful is his chapter on "Loving Enemies" and dealing with the "eclipse" of forgiveness by violence.

This is a well-crafted book. I recommend it.

(The Rev.) Bob Libby

Key Biscayne, Fla.