Facts & Research
Religion
Leaders and organizations representing a variety of faiths have taken stances on the death penalty, often tying their views to beliefs about human dignity, retribution, and redemption.
Overview
Religious denominations in the U.S. have frequently made statements about the death penalty, sometimes pointing out concerns about its application, and other times judging the morality of the punishment itself. Historically, most major religious bodies allowed for the use of capital punishment, but criticism of the practice has greatly increased in recent times.
At Issue
In a diverse democracy, no single religious point of view occupies a privileged position in the framing of law. Nevertheless, the principles of various communities of faith are relevant in the political debate because they help inform the views of their respective constituents and reflect the “evolving standards of decency” that are vital to the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Eighth Amendment.
What DPIC Offers
DPIC provides a compilation of statements about the death penalty from a broad array of religious denominations. DPIC occasionally highlights the views of those speaking from a faith perspective when the comments relate to a case or controversy involving capital punishment. Finally, it features the results of death penalty polls when broken down by particular faiths.
Oct 06, 2020
New Papal Encyclical Tells Catholics There is ‘No Stepping Back’ From Opposition to Death Penalty
A new papal encyclical letter tells Catholics around the world that “[t]here can be no stepping back” from the Church’s formal opposition to the death penalty. Pope Francis’ October 3, 2020 encyclical, entitled
Read MoreNews & Developments
Human Rights
Aug 07, 2023
Religious Leaders Explain Why They Minister to Death-Sentenced Prisoners During Executions
Reverend Melissa Potts-Bowers, the spiritual advisor to Michael Tisius, recently described her experience ministering to him during his execution as “quite horrifying — as it’s intended to be.” Mr. Tisius was executed by the state of Missouri on Jun…
Victims' Families
May 30, 2023
Victims’ Families are Divided Over Death Penalty as Bowers Trial Begins
On May 25, 2023, 12 death-qualified jurors and six alternates were selected in the federal capital trial of Robert Bowers, who is charged with killing 11 worshippers at a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018. Prosecutors struck all the Black, Hispanic, an…
Religion
Apr 13, 2023
BOOKS: “He Called Me Sister: A True Story of Finding Humanity on Death Row”
In He Called Me Sister: A True Story of Finding Humanity on Death Row, author Suzanne Craig Robertson details her journey from reluctance to true friendship during her challenging fifteen-year relationship with Cecil Johnson, a Te…
Religion
Apr 12, 2023
EDITORIALS: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Calls on the Justice Department to ‘Drop the Death Penalty’ in Synagogue Shooting
On April 9, 2023, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette called upon Attorney General Merrick Garland to withdraw the government’s pursuit of the death penalty and accept a plea deal for a mandatory life sentence in the mass shooting at a synagogue in Pittsb…
Religion
Mar 08, 2023
BOOKS: “Crossing the River Styx: The Memoir of a Death Row Chaplain”
In Crossing the River Styx: The Memoir of a Death Row Chaplain, (March 2023), author Russ Ford recounts the abuses he witnessed as the head chaplain of Virginia’s death row and the strong relationships he formed with more than a d…
Religion
Feb 13, 2023
Local Church Leaders Across Alabama Speak Out About State’s Death Penalty Process
In a letter to Governor Kay Ivey (pictured) of Alabama, over 170 local faith leaders from many denominations and traditions across the state asked her to commit to a “comprehensive, independent, and external review of Alabama’s death penalty proce…
Arbitrariness
Jan 03, 2023
Court Recommends New Trial for Texas Death-Row Prisoner, Finding Rights Violated by Trial Judge’s Virulent Anti-Semitism
A Dallas County judge has recommended that the conviction and death sentence of a Jewish death-row prisoner be overturned because his trial was poisoned by the virulent anti-Semitic bigotry of the Texas judge who …
Arbitrariness
Sep 29, 2022
Texas District Attorney Recommends New Trial for Jewish Death-Row Prisoner Tried Before Anti-Semitic Judge
A Texas district attorney has asked a Dallas judge to overturn the capital murder conviction of Jewish death-row prisoner Randy Halprin (pictured) because of the virulent anti-Semitism of the judg…
Religion
Sep 08, 2022
News Brief: Pope Francis Calls for Prayer to Abolish the Death Penalty
Pope Francis has issued a renewed call to “all people of good will to mobilize for the abolition of the death penalty throughout the world,” devoting the September 2022 worldwide prayer intention of his papacy to ending capital pu…
Clemency
Aug 23, 2022
Oklahoma Executes James Coddington As Prison Director, House Speaker Call for Clemency and Faith Leaders Urge Halt to Scheduled 25-Prisoner Execution ‘Blood Bath’
Oklahoma executed James Coddington (pictured, right, at his clemency hearing) on August 25, 2022, after Governor Kevin Stitt rejected the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board’s
