Thursday, August 17, 2017

Jacobs on By Man Shall His Blood Be Shed


At Crisis magazine, philosopher James Jacobs reviews By Man Shall His Blood Be Shed: A Catholic Defense of Capital Punishment.  From the review:

The arguments are offered in a lucid and systematic manner so that they are accessible to those with no background in philosophy, theology or law.  For example, the opening chapter has an admirably clear introduction to the natural law, and the second chapter elucidates the relative authority of various theological sources.  They support their argument with copious examples, citing a profusion of authorities, ancient and modern.  Conversely, they engage a wide range of objections to their position with great dialectical subtlety…

The final chapter examines how since 1974 the American Bishops have tended to condemn capital punishment as intrinsically opposed to Catholic teaching, making it equivalent to abortion and euthanasia.  The bishops cite three arguments in defense of this position: it fails to achieve the goals of punishment; it is inconsistent with Gospel values; and, it is applied in a discriminatory fashion.  The authors reply by showing that each of these arguments is indefensible when considered in light of the constant Tradition of the Church and contemporary studies.  They also offer an examination of capital punishment as a deterrent, citing empirical data showing that it inculcates a repugnance to crime in general…

[The book argues] that the Church’s position on capital punishment has always been that it is not intrinsically evil, but it is rather a matter of prudential decision about which there can be valid disagreement.  This argument is completely convincing, given the abundance of evidence from philosophy, Scripture, and Tradition.
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8 comments:

  1. ParádoxoAugust 17, 2017 at 2:50 PM

    I'm glad that this book came out on Barnes and Noble's Nook app! I loved TLS and Aquinas, so this should be a keeper.

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    Replies
    1. Houdini August 17, 2017 at 2:58 PM

      Apparently his new book is coming out tomorrow too.

      Delete
    2. José F. ApolinarAugust 17, 2017 at 9:36 PM

      And it's already out of stock. I should have pre-ordered it!

      Delete
    3. RomanJoeAugust 17, 2017 at 10:48 PM

      I was able to pre order back in June. Way to go Dr. Feser!

      Delete
    4. CallumAugust 18, 2017 at 4:05 AM

      I pre ordered 2 weeks ago, wasnt early enough to get a copy. I'll have to wait until the next batch!

      Delete
    5. ParádoxoAugust 18, 2017 at 5:15 AM

      Hi, Jose. You could look for it in a digital format. I've been trying to make sure most of the books I buy these days are digital because I'm running out of shelf room.

      Delete
  2. dover_beachAugust 18, 2017 at 11:31 AM

    It's out of stock at Amazon. The Scream!

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  3. Son of Ya'KovAugust 18, 2017 at 4:15 PM

    My obvious correct advice to anyone who opposes the death penalty. You need to read this book. Not so much to change your mind but so you can be presented with the strongest case for the death penalty. Also so you can not repeat the God awfully bad arguments of Msgr. Stuart Swetland and Mark Shea.

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