This bold work confronts the spirit of punishment that permeates
our culture and its deleterious effects on today's penal system and
society at large. Rooted in experiences of prison reality, the book
sets forth an original theory about the theological roots of our
current punitive ethos and offers a creative antidote informed by a
commitment to restorative justice. Snyder shows that the spirit of
punishment in our culture is rooted in and reinforced by popular
Christian misunderstandings of human nature and God's grace. These
misunderstandings include two consequential errors: the absence of
any notion of "creation grace" and an understanding of "redemption
grace" couched exclusively in individualistic, internalized, and
nonhistorical terms. In both cases the social-historical dimensions
of grace necessary for holistic redemption are ignored. These
theological distortions, coupled with a prevailing cultural context
that divides people between "them" and "us"-the most virulent form
of which is racism-make a spirit of punishment inevitable. Snyder
finds clues for a different understanding of humanity and God in
responses to crime categorized as "restorative justice". These
alternative perspectives seek redemption not only for the
perpetrator but also for the victims of crime and the larger
community. They also recognize all persons as "graced," no matter
what their actions may have been. Drawing on these clues, Snyder
initiates fresh ways of thinking about the traditional theological
concepts of covenant, incarnation, and trinity as foundations for a
restorative approach to justice. He also challenges religious
communities to understand God's good news in ways that offer hope
for a transformed world. The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of
Punishment is an eye-opening work with profound implications for
contemporary social life.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
(2)
(1)
