The Difference Between Redemption and Atonement
And why it is important.
Redemption is a common trope in fiction. We talk of characters who did bad things who get “redemption arcs” and eventually come to be seen as better people through that redemption.
Unfortunately, redemption in the real world is much more complicated than spending a couple of episodes doing good things or making a single heroic sacrifice. To redeem yourself in the eyes of someone you’ve wronged takes a lot of effort and action on your part, and you need to prove that you have changed as a person.
However, part of redemption is getting the forgiveness of the person you’ve wronged. This is not always realistic; there may be nothing substantial that you can do to prove your redemption, and the person you have wronged has no obligation to actually forgive you.
This is where an important distinction needs to be made: the difference between redemption and atonement.
As I’ve described above, redemption is the seeking of forgiveness from one’s victim. Both parties need to take part in redemption, and without that, redemption is impossible.
On the other hand, atonement is seeking to improve things for the benefit of everyone without the requirement for forgiveness. Atonement does not require the person…
