CLENDENEN, Avis

PERSONAL: Female. Education: Chicago Theological Seminary, D.Min., Ph.D. (theology and human sciences).

ADDRESSES: Office—Religious Studies Department, Saint Xavier University, 3700 W. 103rd St., Chicago, IL 60655. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Saint Xavier University, Chicago, IL, adjunct professor of pastoral theology, Catholic Theological Union.

WRITINGS:

(Editor) Spirituality in Depth: Essays in Honor of Sister Irene Dugan, R.C., Chiron Publications (New York, NY), 2002.

(With Troy W. Martin) Forgiveness: Finding Freedom through Reconciliation, Crossroad Pub. (New York, NY), 2002.

(With Sister Irene Dugan) Love Is All around in Disguise: Meditations for Spiritual Seekers, Chiron Publications (New York, NY), 2004.

Also author of numerous articles.

SIDELIGHTS: Avis Clendenen has written and edited several books on spirituality, including, with fellow professor of religious studies Troy W. Martin, Forgiveness: Finding Freedom through Reconciliation. In this work the coauthors present Ecumenical perspectives on forgiveness and healing, using real-life stories and examples from the Bible to show that people must confront their betrayers and accusers in order to accomplish forgiveness. In situations where this is impossible, Clendenen and Martin advise that God be asked to do the confronting.

Stephen A. Schmidt commented in a review for Religious Education that the subject "is handled with detail and care. The authors understand the cultural conditioning of all our personal theology: We tend to ignore the difficult challenge of being forgiven, or we psychologize our experience as a result of personal misfortune. What we are offered [is] an understanding of forgiveness as exchange, a gift of freedom, hope, healing—even for those of us with unfinished business." Noting his status as a "Lutheran sceptic," the critic added that "the chapter on Purgatory was the clearest and most engaging description I have ever read."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Library Journal, March 15, 2002, Pam Matthews, review of Forgiveness: Finding Freedom through Reconciliation, p. 97.

Religious Education, winter, 2003, Stephen A. Schmidt, review of Forgiveness.

ONLINE

Saint Xavier University Web site, http://www.sxu.edu/ (June 2, 2005), "Avis Clendenen."