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Prison

The astonishing expansion of prisons raises troubling questions about treatment of prisoners, damage to families and communities, and the justice of a system that requires ever more prisoners for financial stability. Our contributors offer a theological critique of the prison system and articulate positive responses for Christian disciples.

"God's justice is fundamentally a restoring and renewing justice," Chris Marshall concludes in his survey of the biblical approach to corrective justice. "Knowing this, the Church is obliged to practice restorative justice in its own ranks and to summon society to move in the same direction." Andrew Skotnicki extends the case for restorative justice by reviewing the development of prisons in the Christian monastic tradition. Describing the victim-orientation of restorative justice principles, Lisa Rea writes, "Restorative justice promises to move us away from warehousing offenders and toward a system that leads offenders to personal accountability and allows victims to heal."

When John Thompson reviews Karl Barth's sermons preached in Basil Prison, he discovers, "Barth challenges us to find solidarity with prisoners. To do so is to follow Jesus who identified with prisoners. Barth is only asking us to do the same as Christ's disciples." In moving portraits of their varied prison ministries, Dick Allison, Alesha Seroczynski, Sarah Jobe, and Mary Alice Wise share how they practice Christian solidarity with prisoners and their families today.

The study guides and lesson plans integrate Bible study, prayer, and worship to address the troubling moral questions raised by the current penal system. The guides can be used in a series or individually. You may download and reproduce them for personal or group use.

Download the entire Prison issue and the set of five Study Guides. Or, download individual pieces by clicking the titles below.

Articles

  • "Divine Justice as Restorative Justice," by Chris Marshall
  • "The Measure with which We Measure," by Andrew Skotnicki
  • "Restorative Justice: The New Way Forward," by Lisa M. Rea
  • "Sermons in a Swiss Prison," by John Thompson

Art

  • "Without Hindrance," by Heidi J. Hornik, on Rembrandt's Paul in Prison
  • "Dehumanized Prisoners," by Heidi J. Hornik, on Francisco de Goya's Third of May, 1808

Hymn and Worship Service

  • "When Asked, Who Is My Neighbor?" by Emily R. Brink
  • Worship Service by Emily R. Brink

Inspirational Pieces

  • "Spiritual Friendship: Portrait of a Prison Ministry," by Dick Allison
  • "Reading for Life: Portrait of a Prison Ministry," by Alesha D. Seroczynski
  • "Project TURN: Portrait of a Prison Ministry," by Sarah Jobe
  • "The Hospitality House: Portrait of a Prison Ministry," by Mary Alice Wise

Reviews

  • "Christian Critiques of the Penal System," by L. Lynette Parker
    • Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, A Place of Redemption: A Christian Approach to Punishment and Prison
    • James Samuel Logan, Good Punishment? Christian Moral Practice and U. S. Imprisonment
    • Andrew Skotnicki, Criminal Justice and the Catholic Church
    • T. Richard Snyder, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Punishment
  • "Resources for Restorative Justice," by Kenneth L. Carder
    • Christopher Marshall, Beyond Retribution: A New Testament Vision for Justice, Crime, and Punishment
    • Lawrence W. Sherman and Heather Strang, Restorative Justice: The Evidence
    • Karen Heetderks Strong and Daniel W. Van Hess, Restoring Justice: An Introduction to Restorative Justice
    • Howard Zehr, The Little Book of Restorative Justice

Study Guides and Lesson Plans

Download the set of five Study Guides

  • "Divine Justice as Restorative Justice"
  • "The Measure with which We Measure"
  • "Restorative Justice: The New Way Forward"
  • "Spiritual Friendship with Prisoners"
  • "Portraits of Prison Ministry"

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  • About
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      • Dr. Bill Sterrett, Hale Endowed Chair of School Leadership
      • Dr. Holly Oxhandler, Professor, Associate Dean for Research, Diana R. Garland School of Social Work
        Back
        • Faith and Learning at Baylor
      • Dr. Larry Lyon, Vice Provost, Dean of the Graduate School
      • Dr. Min Y. Pack, Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering
      • Dr. Tom Hibbs, J. Newton Rayzor Sr. Professor of Philosophy and Dean Emeritus
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    • Baylor Symposium on Faith and Culture
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      • 2026 Technology and the Human Person in the Age of AI
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        • Conference Schedule
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        • Plenary and Featured Speakers
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        • Plenary and Featured Speakers
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        Back
        • Featured Speakers and Panels
        • Video Archive
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        • Featured Speakers
        • Video Archive
      • 2014 Faith and Film
        Back
        • Video Archive
      • 2013 Kierkegaard: A Christian Thinker for Our Time?
        Back
        • Featured Speakers
        • Video Archive
      • 2012 Technology and Human Flourishing
        Back
        • Featured Speakers
        • Video Archive
      • 2011 Educating for Wisdom in the 21st Century University
        Back
        • Featured Speakers
        • Video Archive
      • 2010 Human Dignity and the Future of Health Care
        Back
        • Featured Speakers
        • Video Archive
      • 2009 Secularization and Revival
        Back
        • Video Archive
      • 2008 Bottom-Up Approaches to Global Poverty
      • 2007 Friendship
    • Bill and Roberta Bailey Family Lecture in Christian Ethics
      Back
      • Bailey Lecture Video Archive
    • Other Conferences and Events
      Back
      • IFL@25
        Back
        • Select Pictures from IFL@25
      • 2019 LFP National Conference
        Back
        • Presenters
      • Art & Soul
      • Pruit Memorial Symposium
        Back
        • 2001 Celebrating Augustine's Confessions
        • 2002 Christianity and Economics
        • 2003 The Schooled Heart
        • 2004 Slavery, Oppression, and Prejudice
        • 2005 Global Christianity
      • Baylor University Medical Ethics Seminar
        Back
        • 2016 Medical Ethics Seminar
        • 2017 Medical Ethics Seminar
        • 2018 Medical Ethics Seminar
      • One-Time Conferences
    • Baylor Symposium on Nicaea: Creed, Culture, and Christendom
  • Programs
    Back
    • Communio: A Retreat for Baylor Educators
    • Crane Scholars Program
      Back
      • Application Requirements
      • Program Activities
      • Program Leaders
      • Media
    • Missio
    • Forming Character in the Classroom
      Back
      • About the Program: Called to Character
      • Past Workshops
    • Reading Groups and Guest Speakers
    • Soundings Project
    • Conyers Scholars
    • Vocare
  • Events
  • Media and Resources
    Back
    • Faith Animating Online Education
      Back
      • Starting Points
      • A Christian Imagination about Online Education?
      • Cultivating Character and Online Learning
      • Additional Resources
    • Institute for Faith and Learning Video Archive
    • Baylor Symposium on Faith and Culture Video Archive
    • Bill and Roberta Bailey Family Lecture in Christian Ethics
    • Recommended Reading
    • External Resources
    • The Christian Reflection Project
      Back
      • Acedia
      • Advent Ethics
      • Aging
      • Anger
      • Apocalyptic Vision
      • Attentive Patience
      • The Book of Acts
      • Caring for Creation
      • Catechism
      • Chastity
      • Children
      • Christianity and Islam
      • Christmas and Epiphany
      • Cities and Towns
      • Cloning
      • Consumerism
      • Death
      • Disability
      • Easter
      • Food and Hunger
      • Forgiveness
      • Freedom
      • Friendship
      • Gambling Culture
      • Generosity
      • Global Wealth
      • Health
      • Heaven and Hell
      • Hospitality
      • Immigration
      • Inklings of Glory
      • Lent
      • The Letter of James
      • Marriage
      • Membership
      • Monasticism Old and New
      • Moral Landscape of Creation
      • Mysticism
      • Parables
      • Patterns of Violence
      • Peace and War
      • Pentecost
      • Pornographic Culture
      • Prayer
      • Prison
      • Prophetic Ethics
      • Racism
      • Sabbath
      • Schools in a Pluralist Culture
      • Scripture
      • Sermon on the Mount
      • Singing Our Lives
      • Sports
      • Suffering
      • Traveling Well
      • Virtual Lives
      • Vocation
      • Where Wisdom Is Found
      • Women and the Church
      • Women in the Bible
      • Work
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