The Legacy of Blood Atonement? Gauging Mormon Support for the Death Penalty

Bibliographic Data

ID3321298
AuthorsJohn Bartkowski (0000-0002-1975-0421, The University of Texas at San Antonio, corresponding author), Janelle Kohler (The University of Texas at San Antonio), J P Hoffmann (0000-0002-3229-6809, Brigham Young University)
Year2023
Volume14
Issue2
Pages208
Publication date2023-02-03
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueReligions (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/rel14020208
OpenAlexW4319082487
LanguageEN
References cited19

American support for the death penalty has declined over time, but conservative religious groups have exhibited more favorable attitudes toward this practice than their mainline religious and secular peers. Scholars have generally overlooked Latter-day Saint (LDS, Mormon) support for capital punishment. However, this faith tradition is a case worthy of careful examination. Historically, LDS leadership was supportive of the death penalty, which was congruent with their teachings on blood atonement, i.e., theological rationales for capital punishment as a just response to murder. However, Mormon leaders have more recently adopted a neutral position toward the death penalty. To what degree might changing social attitudes and flagging LDS leader endorsements of the death penalty have contributed to diminished grassroots Mormon support for capital punishment? This study uses data from the General Social Survey to test three hypotheses: (1) those with an LDS affiliation will exhibit greater support for the death penalty when compared with their non-Mormon peers, including other religious conservatives; (2) LDS support for the death penalty will diminish over time; and (3) LDS support for capital punishment will be bolstered by frequent Mormon worship service attendance. Using cross-tabulations, logistic regression, and time series analyses, the results indicate support for all three hypotheses. Implications and directions for future research are discussed

Attendance · Capital punishment · Criminology · Faith · Political science · Social capital · Sociology · Theology · American Constitutional Law and Politics · Law · Mormonism, Religion, and History · Psychology · Reproductive Health and Contraception · Social Psychology

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