Religion and the Death Penalty

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Foreword by Jean Bethke Elshtain

This important book is sure to foster informed public discussion about the death penalty by deepening readers' understanding of how religious beliefs and perspectives shape this contentious issue. Featuring a fair, balanced appraisal of its topic, Religion and the Death Penalty brings thoughtful religious reflection to bear on current challenges facing the capital justice system.

One look at the list of contributors reveals the significance of this book. Here are recognized leaders from the academy, government, and public life who also represent a wide range of faith commitments, including Jewish, Christian, and Muslim. Like many people of faith and goodwill, the authors disagree with one another, variously supporting retention, reform, or abolition of capital punishment. As a result, the book presents the most comprehensive and well-rounded religiously oriented discussion of the death penalty available.

Contributors

Religion and Capital Punishment: An Introduction
Erik C. Owens and Eric P. Elshtain

Faith Traditions and the Death Penalty

Catholic Teaching on the Death Penalty: Has It Changed?
Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J.

Can Capital Punishment Ever Be Justified in the Jewish Tradition?
David Novak

The Death Penalty: A Protestant Perspective
Gilbert Meilaender

Punishing Christians: A Pacifist Approach to the Issue of Capital Punishment
Stanley Hauerwas

The Death Penalty, Mercy, and Islam: A Call for Retrospection
Khaled Abou El Fadl

Theological Reflections on the Death Penalty

Categorical Pardon: On the Argument for Abolishing Capital Punishment
J. Budziszewski

Biblical Perspectives on the Death Penalty
Michael L. Westmoreland-White and Glen H. Stassen

Christian Witness, Moral Anthropology, and the Death Penalty
Richard W. Garnett

Human Nature, Limited Justice, and the Irony of Capital Punishment
John D. Carlson

Responsibility, Vengeance, and the Death Penalty
Victor Anderson

Personal Commitments and Public Responsibilities

The Death Penalty: What's All the Debate About?
Frank Keating

Reflections on the Death Penalty and the Moratorium
George H. Ryan

God's Justice and Ours: The Morality of Judicial Participation in the Death Penalty
Antonin Scalia

Why I Oppose Capital Punishment
Mario M. Cuomo

Capital Punishment: Is It Wise?
Paul Simon

Facing the Jury: The Moral Trials of a Prosecutor in a Capital Case
Beth Wilkinson

The Problem of Forgiveness: Reflections of a Public Defender and a Murder Victim's Family Member
Jeanne Bishop

Afterword: Lifting New Voices against the Death Penalty: Religious Americans and the Debate on Capital Punishment
E. J. Dionne Jr.

Index