The Politics of Punishment in Evangelical America (Aaron Griffith)
Aaron L. Griffith
Episode Summary
In the latter half of 20th century, the evangelical community’s developing attitudes toward crime and punishment overlapped with the increasingly punitive approach of the American criminal justice system. Faith leaders such as Billy Graham and James Dobson cast crime as an issue of the criminal’s heart, deemphasizing its enmeshment with broader social structures and ills.
On this episode, Aaron Griffith discusses his book God’s Law and Order: The Politics of Punishment in Evangelical America and how thinking about criminality can help people deepen their understanding of sin and redemption.
Chapters
- 0:25 20th-century Christianity and justice
- 6:31Â Crime: A matter of the heart?
- 15:45Â Cities
- 21:37 How neighborhoods function
- 26:45Â Biblical principles to guide policing
- 33:00Â Equal treatment for all: a biblical perspective
- 39:00Â Is there room for an inclusive, restorative justice model?
Books/articles mentioned:
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Transcript
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