Executing Grace: How the Death Penalty Killed Jesus and Why It's Killing Us

by Shane Claiborne

In this reasoned exploration of justice, retribution, and redemption, the champion of the new monastic movement, popular speaker, and author of the bestselling The Irresistible Revolution offers a powerful and persuasive appeal for the abolition of the death penalty.

The Bible says an eye for an eye. But is the state’s taking of a life true—or even practical—punishment for convicted prisoners? In this thought-provoking work, Shane Claiborne explores the issue of the death penalty and the contrast between punitive justice and restorative justice, questioning our notions of fairness, revenge, and absolution.

Using an historical lens to frame his argument, Claiborne draws on testimonials and examples from Scripture to show how the death penalty is not the ideal of justice that many believe. Not only is a life lost, so too, is the possibility of mercy and grace. In Executing Grace, he reminds us of the divine power of forgiveness, and evokes the fundamental truth of the Gospel—that no one, even a criminal, is beyond redemption.

Genres: Nonfiction, Christianity, Religion, Christian, Theology, Faith, Spirituality

316 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 26, 2016

About the author

Shane Claiborne is a prominent speaker, activist, and best-selling author. Shane worked with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, and founded The Simple Way in Philadelphia. He heads up Red Letter Christians, a movement of folks who are committed to living "as if Jesus meant the things he said." Shane is a champion for grace which has led him to jail advocating for the homeless, and to places like Iraq and Afghanistan to stand against war. And now grace fuels his passion to end the death penalty.

Shane’s books include Jesus for President, Red Letter Revolution, Common Prayer, Follow Me to Freedom, Jesus, Bombs and Ice Cream, Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers, his classic The Irresistible Revolution and his newest book, Executing Grace. He has been featured in a number of films including "Another World Is Possible" and "Ordinary Radicals." His books have been translated into more than a dozen languages. Shane speaks over one hundred times a year, nationally and internationally. His work has appeared in Esquire, SPIN, Christianity Today, and The Wall Street Journal, and he has been on everything from Fox News and Al Jazeera to CNN and NPR. He’s given academic lectures at Harvard, Princeton, Liberty, Duke, and Notre Dame.

Shane speaks regularly at denominational gatherings, festivals, and conferences around the globe.

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

BOOM! Shane Claiborne just dropped the mic. I already agreed with his views on the death penalty, but I learned a lot from this book. Claiborne supports his statements not only with the Bible but also a great deal of historical and legal research, so Christians and non-Christians alike will get a lot out of it.

[Carmel Hanes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someone adamantly supportive of the death penalty would likely ignore this book. Those clearly opposed to it will find this supportive of their points of view. Those fence-sitters among us might find this tilts them over to one side.

Claiborne shares his research on the history of the death penalty; the methods used, the differences in prevalence by state (who knew most executions occurred in just a handful of states), the disparities between races and affluence in those sentenced to death, the times things went horrifically wrong, the individuals exonerated before being executed (but after years on death row) and those the exoneration was too late for, and the movement by individuals and organizations to abolish this practice in favor of "grace" and the possibility of redemption.

In this treatise, the author refutes the idea that the bible supports execution through those oft-quoted parts about "an eye for an eye". Instead, he offers biblical passages that he believes supports the idea that no one is beyond the possibility of redemption and that execution is taking justice too far and beyond what is called for. Instead, he spends time with the idea of restorative justice, or making things whole and repairing the damage caused by the original act, leaving room for forgiveness that heals.

There are stories about those condemned, victims, families of victims, and those who are tasked with carrying out executions, all poignant and thought-provoking. Historical data about how executions are carried out and when they go awry are somewhat horrific to hear, and may trouble some (one can only imagine being present to witness that, or to feel responsible for causing it due to job description).

Dealing with those who commit terrible and inhumane acts is a conundrum for any civilized society. This book raises pertinent questions about whether our response to those acts can cause us to lose our own humanity in the process. Hearing of a single innocent person being executed is all I need to want to consider other options, knowing our jury system is not infallible. There is no redo button once someone has been put to death. Nor can one recover decades of life when falsely imprisoned in pretty inhumane conditions. It is heartening to know there are efforts to do away with this practice in favor of alternatives. Having worked with children in detention centers, I know first hand how restorative justice and grace can change hearts and lives.

[Hallie Carl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book on the death penalty was excellent. Shane Claiborne always reads like you are talking with a friend. He lovingly presents his point and helps support it not just with facts and scripture but personal testimonies. I would recommend.

[J.L. Neyhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books I wish I could make everyone read.

[Jon Seward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second book in a row I’ve read about the death penalty and it completely cements my opposition to it. Fantastic book and the facts and stories Shane uses evoked a ton of emotions in me. We as a culture truly need to rethink the death penalty. Anyone and everyone should read this.

[Emily Dehmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

PLEASE read this book.

[Jeff Lochhead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great overview of the need to get rid of the death penalty. Not that I needed to be converted to this position, but this book provided so many personal stories that were beautifully redemptive.

[Paul Fike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shane Claiborne does a masterful job dismantling the pervasive default death penalty advocacy so prominent among many evangelicals and fundamentalists. The outline of the book made his argument very persuasive. Starting with the perspectives of the victims (surviving family members of those murdered), proceeding to pertinent biblical material (rooted in grace throughout), Jesus' execution, early Christian leaders unambiguous stance against the death penalty, the decline in support for state sponsored execution, the inequalities of execution by race, as well as, the history of lynching in the US, the "Death Penalty's Hall of Shame" (which include botched executions, wrongful executions, as well as, mental illness and execution), putting a face on the issue and the innocent, and the awful toll executions take on those administering it. The concluding chapter is a vision of justice and the dream of the death of execution.

Before reading this book I was ambivalent concerning the death penalty. No longer! Claiborne's new vision of justice is one the should be explored and enacted if the administration of justice is to ever recover it's redemptive value and move beyond further violence, retribution, and vengeance.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic. Filled to bursting with grace, tempered with realism, breathing hope. Do yourself a favor and, as you read it, take a moment on every new page to read aloud the names of the executed that scroll along the bottom. Look them up when a name catches your attention. Pray for them, their families, and the victims of the crimes they were executed for. Pray for the end of the death penalty in America.

[Joanna Lampa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to read this ten more times to really digest it all. He says chapter 9 is R-rated, but I think the entire book is. I was sick to my stomach, then I had chills, I cried and laughed and screamed. This book is so necessary to any conversation on revenge, redemption, forgiveness, justice, and even atonement. I am so thankful to Shane Claiborne for the work and research and hard conversations it took to make this.

[Johanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not my style. I am grateful authors are writing about these topics for Christian conservatives in a way that Christian conservatives can hear and understand, but I'm just not able to read this type of book anymore as an exvangelical. I was halfway through before Claiborne mentioned race, which is honestly horrific for a book on the criminal justice system and the death penalty. Yet there were so many chapters on the Bible and Jesus, and I just no longer understand why that's more compelling than just valuing humanity because it's the right thing to do.

That said, he DID talk about race. I was afraid he wasn't going to even address it.

The second chapter Claiborne tells like 800 stories about victims and victims' families who did not want the perpetrator executed. I of course think what victims want is essential to finding justice, but I don't feel like random anecdotes is the right way to get to that. There were too many stories, too many of the same stories ("we forgive you" .... reinforcing the Christian narrative more than anything else), and almost no statistics about restorative justice and victims' rights/opinions.

In chapter 3, Claiborne goes over the list of people in the Bible who were murderers and says that we wouldn't have half our Bible without grace. But I don't really feel like grace is why those folks are included....to me, it feels a lot more like patriarchy, more like an allowance for men to do whatever they want without consequences. God wasn't the one who compiled our Bible as it is today; it was a group of people. People allowed the books in because they felt there was evidence enough to believe these are the divinely inspired books, so it was human's choice to include these books despite the writers' actions and characters (like David, who the author calls a womanizer, but who actually was a murderer and rapist), not God's issuance of grace.

And I just felt a lot of this was super cheesy. "At first I thought that I was obsessed with death, but then I realized that I am obsessed with grace." Major eyerolls.

All that said... even though this is not at all my style, there were some things I strongly disagreed with, I didn't learn what I hoped to learn about the inhumanity of the death penalty, and I didn't learn a new way to engage with criminal punishment... IF this is an avenue for conservative Christians to begin questioning what they believe about the death penalty, then I'm glad this book exists.

[Brandon Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ll tell you right off the bat, the only thing that I disliked about this book was the fact that it had to end. That’s saying something. I have a degree in Criminal Justice, and so when I read a book about the death penalty or the criminal justice system, the bar to impress me is pretty darn high. Not to mention, I’ve done a lot of reading and investigation about the death penalty over the years. It’s always had kind of a macabre fascination with it. I remember when I was younger I’d read about it from the college textbooks that my dad would bring home. I’ve also written two position papers on it, one in high school, and one in college at Weber State. In high school I was for it, but by the time I hit college, especially the second time around, I was done with it. If you’ve read blogs of mine on this issue, you’ll know why I loved this book.

If you’re not familiar with Shane Claiborne, he’s a Christian activist/author, the Director of “Red Letter Christians,”and the founding member of “The Simple Way,” a radical faith community in inner-city Philadelphia. Shane is one of those people who thinks that all those things that Jesus said about loving your neighbor and loving your enemies weren’t just suggestions, and that we ought to try to live those words. He and others like Craig Greenfield really inspire me.

Part of the premise of this book is to evaluate why Christians in America seem to love the death penalty. As he says, “the death penalty has not survived in spite of Christians, but because of us.” That’s really kind of sad. Why would we support the legalized murder of another human being? After all, our Lord and Savior was executed by the state, so why should we be in favor of that?

To answer this, Claiborne dives head first into the Bible to explore the scripture and theology, from the Old Testament and the New, that is used to justify the Death Penalty. Of course anyone with a passing familiarity with the Bible knows about the death penalty in the Old Testament, which touts “An eye for an eye,” and all of those things in the Law of Moses that can get you executed. However, when you really start to dig into it, the Old Testament, as bloody and violent as it often is, doesn’t record all that many executions. After all, why didn’t God execute Cain after he murdered Abel? In fact God actually protected Cain from those who would take vengeance on him (Genesis 4: 15-16). Moses murdered a man and wasn’t executed. Same thing with King David. If God was really all about the death penalty, why weren’t these men killed for their high crimes? Claiborne gets into this and also discusses the history and theology of “An eye for an eye,” as well as Romans 13 which is often used as a justification for the death penalty in the New Testament. (Spoiler Alert: both Claiborne and the early church fathers read that passage very differently).

Claiborne then moves onto some of the theology behind the Atonement of Christ on the Cross, and a discussion about how the Crucified Christ became a symbol of solidarity and hope with the African American community that suffered through the lynch mobs of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It’s one of the most powerful parts of the book, and really helps to strengthen his case for Christians to be against the death penalty.

With his theological underpinnings discussed and his case made, he switches gears to the death penalty in the modern United States and how we administer it. The facts he presents are damning. There are around 3,000 inmates awaiting execution in the USA. Meanwhile, 156 death row inmates have been exonerated and found innocent since 1973. Of course, it would be dumb to think that our courts have caught all the errors, and it’s a certainty that we have executed innocent people in the United States. The United States is 5th in the world in executions performed every year behind only China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. Hardly the kind of company we want to keep. Meanwhile, since 1976, 92.8 percent of executions have taken place in just 15 of the 50 states, largely in the “Bible Belt.” Also, 85% of US counties have not executed anyone in the last 45 years, and 80% of counties in America have no one on their state’s death row. In fact if we took out Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, then we’d be left with very few executions in the USA every year. Meanwhile polls are starting to show that when presented with an alternative like life in prison, a majority of Americans are now against the death penalty. Could the death penalty be dying?

Claiborne hopes so, and so do I. Throughout the book he recounts the horrors of botched executions, cases where people who were almost certainly innocent have been executed, stories of former wardens and prison officials who are forever haunted by their participation in the machinery of death, and of many, MANY people who are working to defeat this sentence and save people from state-approved homicide.

Of course, you wouldn’t be blamed for thinking, “but what about the victims and their families? Shouldn’t they have a say somewhere in here?” Yes, Claiborne says, they should. However, he spends a whole chapter talking about how actually quite a few families of victims are against the death penalty, and about how some of them have even been threatened by the state for daring to speak out against it. It’s not as black and white as it looks. Life isn’t usually that way, and death almost never is.

However, perhaps the most moving parts of the book are the personal stories that Claiborne shares throughout it. These are real stories of grace, radical grace. There are stories of murderers finding forgiveness and grace, of victims moving beyond pain and violence to reach out and extend that grace to criminals, and about men and women who have still gone to their deaths after receiving that grace for themselves.

I have to give this book 5 stars. I really think that every Christian, every person of faith, should read it. I think if you do, you’ll be hard pressed to come away from it without at least having your opinions and thoughts on the death penalty truly challenged.

[Jake B-Y · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’d give this book four stars if I were solely evaluating Claiborne’s work on theological depth and rhetorical style—his chapters on Scripture and the death penalty left something to be desired, and I’m not the target audience for his breezy, informal prose. But Shane Claiborne’s remarkable ability is not theological or stylistic; Claiborne has written a book that feels simultaneously like an insurmountable Christian case against the death penalty (which persuasively draws on human stories of suffering) and a call to arms. At the end of the day, Claiborne is an activist. While this may not persuade the Christians still inexplicably gung-ho about death, Claiborne is preaching to the choir very effectively, seeking to make abolitionists of Christian evangelicals. If you are already unsure whether killing is the answer to killing, Claiborne will make an activist out of you—and that’s a very good thing.

[Maddie Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an Atheist who has read dozens of books on mass incarceration/capital punishment, I was NOT expecting to get much from this book. Regardless, I wanted to read it so I had more footing for debates when Christians argue with me in favor of the death penalty. Hands down one of the best, most comprehensive books I’ve read on the topic.Lots of information, not only drawn from scripture but also breaking down history and the legal system,

[Nate Roels · Rating 5 out of 5]

I especially recommend this book to Christians, but really to anybody. It offers many different perspectives - victims, victim's families, offenders, wardens, officers, judges, etc. and demonstrates how the death penalty is not in line with the teachings of Christ, and is not just, fair, or practical from a non-Christian perspective either. It's time to abolish the death penalty in the United States.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you support the death penalty, I recommend you read this.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for any Christian concerned with the death penalty, whether staunchly for it or staunchly against it. Heavy, but deeply important.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was already anti death penalty but this really gave me a bigger perspective and validated my decision to stay that way. 💯

[Amberinhonduras · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an important conversation handled with Grace and humility. Highly recommend.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible read (or audio listen for me!). Lovingly said and well-researched. Highly recommend!

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be a required reading for everyone!

[Anna Fink · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely one of the harder books I’ve read this year. It’s hard mainly bc everything in this book is still happening to people. I’ve read a lot of books that have convinced me our justice system doesn’t work a lot of the time, but this one definitely takes the cake.

I loved all the stories of grace, forgiveness and reconciliation that he shared. He was honest in saying that these were the stories that changed his mind about the death penalty, and I can see why. There is such a better way.

[Peter LaRuffa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, not great. He goes for the heart with stories & testimonies. They're fine, but I was already there (like my heart is already heavy & concerned which is why I picked up the book), so I wish there was more facts/info than stories. There were some helpful insights, & some biblical conclusions I have to look into further because at first glance, the hermeneutic used didn't sit right, so it's worth looking into. Still glad I read it, but just good; not great.

[Joel Wentz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claiborne's missive against the death penalty is wide-ranging, well-researched and persuasive. Readers should note that it's a very conversational tone throughout, which will be good for some and a turn-off to others. There are also personal, deeply moving, stories threaded throughout the book. Some might argue that his argument relies too much on "emotional persuasion," but his stated intention is to make the issue more "personal," and to avoid simply running through stats (though there are plenty of statistics to be found).

I'm also impressed by the sheer number of topics Claiborne breezes through - there are chapters on scripture, on atonement theories, and the early church. He also writes about the impact of the death penalty on all people involved, including victims, perpetrators, politicians, and even the "bystanders" who are responsible for carrying out the orders. The scope of his argument is strong, but at the same time, very wide. One almost wishes for more depth in parts, but that would also hinder the approachable, conversational prose. It's a difficult balance, and he generally does a good job.

Overall, this is not a so-called "balanced" case. Claiborne doesn't give much (if any) room for "pro-death-penalty" arguments, so don't look for that here. Rather, he makes his intentions abundantly clear, and then spills pages of ink to back them up. So, if you are entrenched in a pro-capital-punishment mindset, this will probably be unsettling for you. But it deserves to be heard.

As a final note, any interested readers should ABSOLUTELY read Bryan Stevenson's masterpiece, "Just Mercy," as a companion piece.

[Logan Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second half of the book is excellent, but the first half is hard to get through. With the exception of his approach to Romans 13, which swayed me to his interpretation, Claiborne's exegesis is pretty bad. He's not wrong that lex talionis is a limit and not a license, but to come to the wholesale view on violence that he does, you have to ignore swaths of other passages that he either ignores, explains badly, or doesn't deal with. Another weakness is that he never addresses whether capital punishment is a deterrent for violent crime, which was the chief reason for its being reinstated by the Supreme Court.

But, there's a lot of good here too. His argument about the beliefs of the early Christians is a really good point, and the stories he shares of death row inmates proves that not all of them are Jack the Ripper. When the book is at its best, it argues that whether the death penalty is permissible in principle is irrelevant, because it's being executed unjustly (and just about always has). In the end, I left with the conviction that American cultural Christianity needs a revival of grace surrounding this issue. And despite its weaknesses, that made it a book worth my time.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have often wondered about the genesis of evangelical support for the death penalty, and Shane Claiborne gives a comprehensive history of the change from an abhorrence of the death penalty to ardent support. This book appalled me and it uplifted me--horrified at what we do in the name of justice, and likewise inspired by the work of devout abolitionists. May we somehow remember the truth of the gospel: we are created in the image of God and life is sacred. This book will stay with me for a very long time, and I pray I am faithful in any action God calls me to undertake. Thank you, Shane. A beautiful work.

[Joshua Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an important book to educate and inspire people about the injustice of the death penalty and our urgent need to abolish it forever. Shane's perspective is Christ-centered and overflowing with grace and compassion. No matter what your position on this issue, you will benefit from reading this book.

[Bailey McFerren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Executing Grace will provoke you to change your ideas about the death penalty, regardless if you are a Christian or not. Claiborne backs up his claims with evidence, scripture, testimony and first hand accounts that will have you weeping from the injustice. I recommend to anyone that wants to see a change in how we treat criminals in America.

[Christopher Julian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written and timely read. We live in a time of revenge when Christ calls his followers to grace and forgiveness. Fascinating accounts of true testimonies and interviews with families. Not a political argument but biblical perspective.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very important, well-written and thought provoking essential read for all who are seriously concerned about justice.A must-read for all people of faith. It should be in every church,schooland personal library. I cannot recommend this book enough.