One of my fellow fellows on the Templeton-Cambridge Journalism Fellowship, Sandi Dolbee, did a project about forgiveness. Some of her work was published over the weekend. The subject raises lots of fascinating ethical issues about what forgiveness might be, where justice plays a part, how you actually forgive. Here's a taster:

Since its emergence in the 1990s, the new science of forgiveness has mushroomed into hundreds of studies by researchers testing aspects ranging from the physical and mental health effects on college students seething over being dumped by their dates to abuse victims reeling from betrayal and people rendered paralyzed in accidents.

In journal after journal, year after year, the cumulative evidence is enough to even convince a team from “CSI.” Bag 'em and tag 'em: People who learn to forgive seem to have fewer cardiovascular problems and stress-related ailments, and generally feel happier than those still holding a grudge.

Just last month, the journal of Mental Health, Religion and Culture reported that people who forgave had decreased odds of depression ??" women more so than men. Another study published this year found that men generally have a harder time forgiving than women.