It is a question which has returned to public debate after the Olympic swimmer Adam Ramsay-Peaty spoke candidly about the distance which has grown up between him and his family, and the Christian quality of forgiveness. It’s rarely edifying to discuss another family’s feud, and knowing nothing more about the Peaty family’s circumstances I will not dive into their particulars. Forgiveness is the absolute core of Christian ethics. A stark quid pro quo is set up: our forgiveness is explicitly tied to our willingness to forgive. This is essential because another of Christianity’s core premises is that we are in desperate need of forgiveness ourselves.