<p>Helping believers think Christianly about theological and cultural issues by engaging in curious conversations with a diverse range of thoughtful people.</p>
Is the death penalty biblical? Should Christians support capital punishment—or does following Jesus lead us toward a different understanding of justice, mercy, and redemption?
Shane Claiborne joins me to discuss what the Bible says about the death penalty and why we both changed our minds. We explore Old Testament laws, Jesus’ teaching on “an eye for an eye,” the early church’s response to violence, and whether Romans 13 justifies capital punishment.
But this conversation goes beyond biblical interpretation. Shane shares stories from years of visiting people on death row, including encounters with people who were later exonerated, families of murder victims, and a former executioner. We wrestle with difficult questions: Can you be pro-life and support the death penalty? What about justice for victims? And what does it mean to believe that no one is beyond redemption?
Shane is an author, activist, and co-founder of Red Letter Christians. His books include Executing Grace: How the Death Penalty Killed Jesus and Why It’s Killing Us and Rethinking Life.
For my further thoughts on Romans 13 and the death penalty, join the Theology in the Raw community and watch or listen to Extra Innings:
https://www.patreon.com/theologyintheraw
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CHAPTERS
- 00:00 The Bible Belt is the death belt
- 00:33 Why Christians are debating the death penalty
- 05:27 Shane Claiborne: Why I changed my mind
- 08:32 How the death penalty works in practice
- 10:18 Who gets executed? Race, poverty, and geography
- 12:05 The human cost of death row
- 14:11 Can people on death row change?
- 16:50 What does biblical justice look like?
- 17:37 Don Johnson: Redemption on death row
- 20:01 What about the victims?
- 23:59 Forgiveness after the Charleston church shooting
- 25:10 Christian leaders and the death penalty
- 26:36 An invitation to pray on death row
- 29:20 Does the Old Testament justify capital punishment?
- 30:44 Jesus and “an eye for an eye”
- 31:54 The early church on killing and state violence
- 35:38 Why Christians still defend the death penalty
- 37:07 Reading Old Testament laws as Christians
- 39:22 Wrongful convictions and trusting the state
- 41:10 Race, wealth, and unequal justice
- 43:56 A Jewish perspective on the death penalty
- 44:48 Does Romans 13 support the death penalty?
- 47:50 The Reformation and the power of the state
- 49:58 Wrestling with a change of mind
- 51:12 Firing squads and the toll on executioners
- 52:54 Forgiveness, consequences, and the gospel
- 53:37 Shane’s books and further resources
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