Be a peace maker: Examining the relationship between religiousness and intergroup forgiveness

This research examined the associations between religiousness, empathy, and intergroup forgiveness. The findings of 2 studies conducted in different intergroup contexts showed that empathy mediated the relationship between religiousness and intergroup forgiveness. In Study 1 (N = 911), intergroup forgiveness immediately right after a deadly hijacking incident in Manila was predicted by religiousness, and this association was mediated by empathy. Study 2 (N = 72) replicated the mediating effect of empathy on the relationship between religiousness and intergroup forgiveness in a different context: after typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed here.