Protestant Fundamentalism and the Retributive Doctrine of Punishment*

Abstract

In Gregg v. Georgia in 1976, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that public opinion, including the public's presumed desire for retribution, can be a legitimate basis for penal policy. Subsequently, the retributive doctrine has guided sentencing reform across the nation. But variation among the public in support for retribution as the goal of punishment and the effects of religion in shaping public sentiments about punishment have received little attention from researchers. Drawing from recent work on attribution theory and religion, this paper proposes and reports evidence that public support for the retributive doctrine is closely linked to affiliation with fundamentalist Protestant denominations and fundamentalist religious beliefs. The normative implications of such a connection are addressed.

Vigilantism, Current Racial Threat, and Death Sentences

“…These results nevertheless imply that prior findings about the relationship between fundamentalism and punitive views are not restricted to attitudes (Grasmick and McGill 1994;Grasmick et al 1992). These links between fundamentalism and public support for harsh punishments also help to explain the imposition of the most severe sentence.…”

“…4 But liberals believe that crime is caused by inequitable conditions (Garland 2001), so they are skeptical about harsh sanctions (Brillon 1988;Langworthy and Whitehead 1986). Capital punishment is likely to be legal in the most conservative states (Jacobs and Carmichael 2002 (Grasmick and McGill 1994;Grasmick et al 1992). Where fundamentalism is strongest, prosecutors should be more likely to ask for the death penalty, and judges and juries should be sympathetic.…”

In-home firearm access among US adolescents and the role of religious subculture: Results from a nationally representative study

“…A number of studies also find that conservative Protestants tend to see behavior in relatively black and white terms, have strong disapproval of various crimes and acts of deviance, and favor harsh punishments for offenders (Ellison, Burr, and Mccall 2003;Bartkowski and Ellison 2009;Schieman et al 2006;Grasmick, Bursik, and Kimpel 1991;Unnever, Cullen, and Applegate 2005). Conservative Protestants and those with conservative religious beliefs tend to emphasize individual choice and make dispositional, rather than situational, attributions for wrongdoing (Spilka, Shaver, and Kirkpatrick 1985, 3;Grasmick et al 1992;Grasmick and McGill 1994). For conservative Protestants, this can involve a tendency to reduce the sources of behavior to -sinful‖ choices and a resistance to recognizing structural influences.…”

Explaining School Corporal Punishment: Evangelical Protestantism and Social Capital in a Path Model

“…Marshalling research and scientific evidence are not sufficient strategies (see Smith, 1996). As Grasmick et al (1992a) note, individuals ''whose views about crime and punishment are linked to their religious beliefs are not likely to be swayed by any evidence from the social and behavioral sciences'' (p. 40). Rather, opponents to school corporal punishment should attempt to craft theological arguments to support their points (see Bartkowski, 1996).…”