Hope, Trust, & Forgiveness

As ethical beings, we strive for lives that are meaningful and praiseworthy. But we are finite. We do not know, so we hope. We need, so we trust. We err, so we forgive. In this book, I draw our attention to the ways in which these three capacities—hope, trust, and forgiveness—contend with human limits. Each experience is vital to human flourishing, yet each also poses significant personal and institutional challenges as well as opportunities for growth. Through formal experiments with the essay form, Hope, Trust, and Forgiveness explores these challenges and opportunities and proposes ways to best meet them.

“With creativity and candor, Lysaker returns us to scenes of ordinary life, reminding us of our finitude while also showing how finitude itself throws us toward each other in ways that demand courage and imagination. This might well be the handbook for our time.” Megan Craig, Stony Brook University

“Drawing upon diverse thinkers from several philosophical traditions, Hope, Trust, and Forgiveness is a beautiful exploration of how we relate to ourselves and one another as we navigate uncertainty, intimacy, and injustice. Lysaker has a rare and remarkable ability to capture the nuance of our lived experiences through his powerful writing.” Katie Stockdale, University of Victoria

“A work in fragments without ever feeling fragmented, the book’s individual tesserae communicate a vibrant, beautiful, troubled world. Many of the text’s connected interventions stand on their own as self-contained ephemera advocating decency and care in harsh and uncertain times. Taken as a whole or in parts, this is a rich and intimate book.” Mark Christian Thompson, Johns Hopkins University