Ep 19: Capital Punishment in Christian Ethics with Shane Claiborne

Today we are joined by Shane Claiborne, an internationally-recognized author, speaker, and activist, and perhaps the leading western Christian voice for the New Monastic movement. While Shane does not identify as a libertarian, there are many aspects of his thinking which overlap with libertarianism.

In this episode, we discuss capital punishment in Christian ethics. Libertarians are divided on the issue, as are Christians. How does capital punishment relate to state power and human rights? Why are there more minorities executed than white people? Most importantly, how does Christian theology inform our thinking on this matter? Shane offers his insights in this fascinating discussion.

Hopefully the only thing that gets put to death in this episode is un-Christlike thinking.

• Shane Claiborne’s website
• The Simple Way (Shane’s community)
• Executing Grace (Shane’s book on capital punishment)