There is no consensus about what someone who has violated society's rules must do in order to be fully restored to the community. Although repentance is a prominent idea in religions ranging from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam to Buddhism and Hinduism, its use in civic culture is vague and inconsistent. For example, is remorse the same as repentance? Drawing from a variety of religious and civic perspectives, the renowned contributors to this book_from the fields of theology, philosophy, and the social sciences_offer a broad understanding of repentance and its many applications. The essays question the legitimacy of repentance as a religious concept for the civic culture, exploring the way in which the religious origins of repentance might both illuminate and facilitate our civic usage of the idea. Excellent for theologians, philosophers, moral ethicists, and anyone asking, ' Who deserves a second chance?'

Amitai Etzioni is the founder and first president of the Communitarian Network and university professor at George Washington University. Among his many books are The Spirit of Community and The New Golden Rule.

Chapter 1 Acknowledgments Chapter 2 Introduction Chapter 3 Repentance and Forgiveness: A Christian Perspective Chapter 4 Godly Sorrow, Sorrow of the World: Some Christian Thoughts on Repentance Chapter 5 From Sacrifice to Sacrament: Repentance in a Christian Context Chapter 6 Repentance in Judaism Chapter 7 Fire in the Atman: Repentance in Hinduism Chapter 8 Repentance in the Islamic Tradition Chapter 9 Repentance, Punishment, and Mercy Chapter 10 Repentance in Criminal Procedure: The Ritual Affirmation of Community Chapter 11 Index