Understandings,Definitions, and Experiences of Clergy in Residential Psychiatric Treatment

The author conducted a qualitative examination of the understandings, definitions, and experiences of forgiveness held by members of the clergy who reported initial or ongoing conflict with the religious superiors who mandated their entry into residential psychiatric treatment because of substance abuse/dependence, sexual misconduct, compulsive behavior disorder, or affective disorders. Participants completed an 8‐item reflection questionnaire constructed for this study. Responses were examined qualitatively to identify trends, commonalities, or differences in the understandings, definitions, and experiences expressed in these responses. The author compared the data collected with definitions presented by previous researchers who have examined forgiveness in other populations.