Christianity has played a paramount role in mass incarceration. Mass incarceration’s origins, sustainment, and astronomic growth are inherently linked to Christian theology. Our embrace of penal substitution has engendered a retributive culture within our criminal justice system. The church has adopted and supported a meritocratic ethic that declares people get what they deserve. This worldview has subconsciously fostered an unquestioning allegiance to the state, and it has led the church to unwittingly consent to and affirm that crime is primarily a legal offense committed against the state rather than a sin that relationally harms individuals and communities, infringing on the shalom that God intends for us all.
The Impact of Meritocracy
Our understanding of God’s wrath colors our response to…
Few things are more controversial, scandalous, and beautiful than an act of forgiving love, especially one of a public nature. When Brandt Jean, a black man, hugged Amber Guyger—the white police officer who had murdered his brother Botham Jean inside…
When I was 16, I said a series of yeses to Jesus that has forever set the trajectory for my life. Meeting, knowing, and surrendering to Jesus has been the most transformative experience of my entire life. Ever since my…
Though it is quite clear that the gospel authors did not compose their works with a strict chronology in mind, this does not mean that they were arranged haphazardly.
The gospels were assembled with careful forethought, often in order to…
I’ll admit it—I’m a church guy. Incurably so, I hope.
I’ve been in the church my entire life, and though I’ve seen plenty of her flaws and a great deal of ugliness, I’ve also seen how wildly alive, vibrant, and…
