"A hidden death penalty"
Many Catholics and others against capital punishment have often suggested life in prison without parole as an alternative for dangerous criminals such as murderers....
Instruments of death: Can there be a humane execution?
Every method of killing can become a form of torture for the person being executed—and a means of moral injury to the executioner.
Time for another paradigm shift in policing
Another incident of police use of deadly force has grabbed national (and international) attention. It happened just outside Saint Louis, the city where my family and I live....
Militarized policing: The history of the warrior cop
In the 19th century, the U.S. adopted a "social peacekeeper" model of policing. Then the Civil War left behind a surplus of firearms.
Pub Theology, by Bryan Berghoef
Once when I was playing darts with some locals in a tavern, I scored a bull’s-eye, and another player shouted, “Tobias, you’re pure evil!” Immediately tapping my inner Augustine, I responded, “Does...
After the Troubles
On vacation with our daughters, my wife and I felt nervous upon realizing we'd be staying in Portrush, Northern Ireland on the 12th of July.
America’s altar
Drawing on Harry S. Stout, Stanley Hauerwas argues that the Civil War became a total, unlimited war because the demand to participate assumed a sacral status.
Justice or vengeance? The killing of bin Laden: The killing of bin Laden
"For God and country,” said the SEAL team commander. But if the God that Augustine had in mind were to shape how we think about war, there wouldn’t be much room to celebrate the killing of Osama bin Laden.
When the shooting stops: Criteria for a just peace
Those who have suffered through war are in special need of God's peace and justice, of reconciliation and restoration. After the smoke clears, Christians must work to foster and promote a just peace.
Jesus on Death Row: The Trial of Jesus and American Capital Punishment
Karl Barth once asked a poignant question about capital punishment: “Now that Jesus Christ has been nailed ...
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