Mercy is at the heart of the Christian message. It already characterizes the pontificate of Pope Francis. Volume 19 of the series Theology in Dialogue sheds light from different perspectives on the lasting relevance of mercy for the Church and society today. "It becomes clear that precisely on the subject of mercy exegetical, fundamental theological and systematic approaches can not only enter into a fruitful dialogue with spiritual, pastoral theological and charitable perspectives, but that they are rather irrevocably dependent on each other. This may sound self-evident, but Christian mercy is occasionally suspected of being grace at a reduced price. Finally, it is forgotten that mercy has a profoundly theological dimension, in the truest sense of the word, which g