St Paul among the Criminologists

Paul of Tarsus has become a key figure in post-modern philosophical debates. Whilst an object of scorn for Nietzsche in the death of God debate, Paul has re-emerged as a locus of inquiry within the religious turn in continental philosophy and the ‘death of the death of God discourse.’ This chapter, in examining some potential relationships between philosophy, theology and criminology, addresses the question of what Paul’s own experience of grace offers in addressing the aftermath of crime. Further, it is argued that an analysis of Pauline theology and its context challenges dominant and punitive narratives and is an essential resource for critical criminology to speak at a collective level.