Life on Death Row

3 credits · Divinity School

This course will examine issues of violence, punishment, forgiveness and restoration from the context of Death Row. Every society must contend with violence and violations of norms. We will investigate the causes and consequences of both crime and punishment in the United States, and explore the religious and cultural roots of both violence and punishment. Questions we will address include: What does it mean to give someone a death sentence? How do people live under the shadow of such sentences, and what do we have to learn from their experiences? What are Biblical and theological contributions, both positive and negative, to our current systems of punishment? What are alternative mechanisms for responding to violence? What are the effects of economic inequalities on crime and its redress? This course will provide opportunity to study alongside men who are on Death Row. It will meet weekly on Unit 2 at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution. [3] Mr. Reside