Abortion, Execution, and the Consequences of Taking Life

by James D. Slack

Overview

Author James D. Slack guides the reader through an in-depth examination of policy toward life and death in the United States. Examining human life from the perspective of Imago Dei—the idea of being made in God's image—Slack argues that the taking of human life is the termination of the image of God. Intended to remind citizens and governments of their obligations to determine moral truth, this volume uses theocentric phenomenology to focus on the intimate consequences of abortion and capital punishment. Abortion alternatives as well as execution alternatives are explored as ways to encourage a policy that affirms life. This volume intends to reconcile the truth found in the world with the truth found in scripture. To do so, Slack studies the intimate consequences of murder, abortion, and capital punishment. Using a methodology of direct observation and qualitative open-ended conversations, Slack interviewed eighty-one people about abortion and its alternatives, the death penalty and its alternatives, and justice in society. This second edition is completely revised, placing greater emphasis on the thoughts of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and includes a new chapter.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781412853989
Publisher:	Transaction Publishers
Publication date:	07/30/2014
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	230
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

James D. Slack is a professor in the Robertson School of Government at Regent University. He is the author of two editions of HIV/AIDS and the Public Workplace. Much of his thinking and research focuses on theocentric phenomenology as it applies to the American political community and the American public service.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Preface
/1 Morality, Choice, and America
/2 The Word of God and Other Reasoning
/3 The Real of Abortion
/4 The Real of Sustaining Life: Abortion Alternatives
/5 The Real of Murder and Capital Punishment
/6 The Real of Misery Shared: Prison without Parole
/7 Outward Justice and Imago Dei
Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

Sociologist James D. Slack lays his superb scholarly reputation on the line in Abortion, Execution and the Consequences of Taking Life. He writes not from afar in the ivory tower, but close at hand in the trenches of life-and-death decisions. His extensive interviews with participants on all sides of these life-and-death dramas make Abortion, Execution and the Consequences of Taking Life a must-read. Indeed, no other scholar in sociology, political science, or psychology comes even remotely close to Slack's fair-and-balanced scholarly research when life and death hang in the balance.” —Charles W. Dunn, Professor Emeritus, Clemson University “It is authentically cutting edge, and even a bit avant-garde . . . Definitely worth the read.” —Lynne Marie Kohm, Regent University School of Law “James D. Slack has given a lucid but disturbing account of the public philosophy in America . . . will challenge you to think anew about abortion, execution, and the consequences of taking life.” —Donald C. Menzel, former president of the American Society for Public Administration; president, Ethics Management International "This is essential reading for anyone desiring to understand Death Policy in the twenty-first century." —Jack DeSario, University of Mount Union “This is a must read. I strongly recommend this newly revised and updated edition.” —Stephen M. King, Taylor University “James Slack has written an extraordinary book of profound relevance for our time. This second edition will be of interest to scholars and students alike . . . Slack has managed to produce a concise, well-researched second edition that is at once scholarly and highly readable. . . . The argument is highly persuasive without being ideological or didactic, and displays an acute moral sensitivity and humaneness that is a welcome departure from the cold utilitarianism that marks so many treatments of the subject.” —Gregory Butler, New Mexico State University On the First Edition: "Slack has produced an important book that energetically calls on readers to look beyond benefit-cost and cost-effectiveness calculations, reflect, and seek to ground public policy and administration firmly in morality." —David H. Rosenbloom, Public Administration Review On the First Edition: “Don’t judge a book by its cover. Or even its first chapter, for that matter. Or, at least, don’t judge this particular book that way. If you do, you may never get to the real story that has been written by UAB professor James D. Slack, and that would be your loss. . . . Abortion, Execution and the Consequences of Taking Life, despite its ‘academic’ title and beyond its ‘academic’ first chapter, is a compelling, enlightening examination of both sides of the abortion divide, the capital punishment debate and the hard (and usually deserved) life lived by those sentenced to a life in prison. . . . The success of this book. . . is that Slack thoroughly examines the issues across the spectrum, and he does it honestly and objectively, regardless of his personal views, through dozens of conversations and first-hand observations. . . . [L]ike any skillful writer, Slack takes us there, too. We overhear his conversations; we see what he sees and smell what he smells. Some of this is not pleasant. Maybe most of it. But it is real” —Joey Kennedy, BirminghamNews On the First Edition: "On the matters of abortion, capital punishment, and other life and death topics that commonly take center stage in political debate, "Abortion, Execution, and the Consequences of Taking Life" is a read very much worth considering." —Midwest Book Review On the First Edition: "James Slack has written a brilliant book. Moving effortlessly all the way from conceptually sophisticated political theology to the gritty details of prison existence, he shows that life can be taken in several ways and makes a powerful and compelling case against abortion and capital punishment, and makes a powerful and compelling case in favor of life imprisonment without parole. Highly recommended reading." —Murray Jardine, Jane Dickson Lanier Professor, Department of Political Science, Auburn University

From the Publisher