Executing Justice: The Moral Meaning of the Death Penalty

by Lloyd Steffen

Book by Steffen, Lloyd

185 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1998

Reviews

[Rico · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was some good work in this text, and it was definitely thought provoking. However, the author's emphasis on Amnesty International as the epitome of solid logical anti-death positions was strange given the AI's simultaneous pro-abortion position. Also, attempting to draw out permanent human rights from the UN Declaration of Human Rights, which has no reference to God at all, even as a higher power, is a sand-based foundation to start with. Finally, his attempts to criticize the use of the cross as a symbol within Christianity only showed his lack of understanding in that area. I do wish that all Christians would recognize that to be pro-life is also to be anti-death penalty, but if we do as Mr. Steffen suggusts and undermine the salvific role of the death of Christ, we are shooting our theology in both feet. All those criticisms in play, I still think he brings up good points worth discussing.