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PROTESTANT FUNDAMENTALISM AND THE RETRIBUTIVE DOCTRINE OF PUNISHMENT *
Author(s) -
GRASMICK HAROLD G.,
DAVENPORT ELIZABETH,
CHAMLIN MITCHELL B.,
BURSIK ROBERT J.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
criminology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.467
H-Index - 139
eISSN - 1745-9125
pISSN - 0011-1384
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-9125.1992.tb01092.x
Subject(s) - retributive justice , doctrine , punishment (psychology) , protestantism , supreme court , fundamentalism , normative , criminology , attribution , law , sociology , political science , economic justice , psychology , social psychology , politics
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.