"To See Your Face Is Like Seeing the Face of God": Pastoral and Systemic Reflections on Forgiveness and Theosis in the Jacob Story

[Chapter in The Art of Forgiveness, 2018] This paper considers the story of Jacob and Esau's reconciliation (Gen 32-33) through the lens of my own experience in pastoral ministry and of Family Systems Theory. In one sense it is a psychological reading of the narrative of Gen 32-33. In another it is an attempt to explore the practical and theological implications of Jacob's startling response to Esau's forgiveness. It was first presented in 2015 to a mixed audience of theologians, pastors, and counselors