The Eschatology of the Execution Chamber: A Primer Before the execution, employees of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice kept asking me the same question, “Is Arthur saved?” Far more than being concerned about the eternal consequences of their own participation in the execution, they were concerned about his eternal destination. Repeatedly, I gave the same answer, “Saved from what? Y‘all are the ones who are going to kill him.” Evil can be so blinding. Pressed against the... Read more
*A short OpEd that ran in multiple Florida newspapers in recent days. Chickenhawk is a political term used to describe someone who is for war buts lack the fortitude to participate in war, usually asking others to participate instead. While such language has most often been used to describe war, I think it’s also appropriate to describe Governor Ron Desantis’ position on executions. Think about it, Governor Desantis consistently calls for greater use of the death penalty with... Read more
*This is my account of the final conversation I had with Arthur Brown, Jr. (as his spiritual advisor) immediately before he was executed by the State of Texas on March 9, 2023. Danger always seems to lurk in spaces where we don’t know what’s next. I guess that’s the nature of danger…the unknown. Door after door opened and shut. I didn’t know where I was going. I just knew that I had to walk by faith and... Read more
“Let anyone who is without sin…” : On Serving as Arthur Brown Jr.’s Spiritual Advisor During his Execution I used to think that God was everywhere…but God don’t live in spaces like this. I’d seen it all in pictures before. The dim lights. The harsh colors. The small windows. I don’t think it would’ve mattered how many times I’d studied those pictures before. Nothing could have prepared me for standing in the midst of it... Read more
Revolution Now! : A Spiritual Advisor’s Cry After Witnessing the Execution of Arthur Brown Jr. on March 9, 2023 *Delivered outside of the Huntsville Unit In the end, Arthur Brown was full of hope. There is no doubt in my mind that this was a brother who lived his life full of hope. Even in the execution chamber behind me…the most hopeless of hopeless places…Arthur brought the hope. Within that dark place, Arthur cried out,... Read more
“We live in the most supposedly Christian society in global history and yet we can’y seem to morally advance enough to stop killing each other…” -Arthur Brown, Jr. The Coming Chamber: On the Human Experience, Moral Imagination and Arthur Brown, Jr. The execution chamber is a symptom of a much larger disease. You see, these are dangerous times. Our ability to interact with each other is limitless. Yet, our understanding of our common humanity seems to decline with... Read more
Tuesday, February 28, 2023 The Fight for Arthur Brown: Brady Violations, Love & The Struggle to Save a Life There is danger in looking for God. For, sometimes in our looking we miss the finding. Arthur Brown wasn’t at the top of my list. In fact, I didn’t even know who he was until about nine months ago or so. You see, I was working on the case of another guy on death row when Brown’s... Read more
*This letter was submitted and should appear in multiple Oklahoma newspapers in the coming days. Dear Editor. What a curious moment in political theatrics. Representative Kevin McDugle’s press conference calling for a death penalty moratorium was filled with various assurances that he is still for the death penalty. Repeatedly, McDugle said he just wants to get it right. Does he not understand that there is nothing to get right? Actually, I think he does. Which is what... Read more
*The complete text of Orationes Mortuorum: 40 guided meditations based on the last words of the last 40 people who’ve been executed in the United States (as of 2/1/2023). If you would like a print/ereader copy with pictures : CLICK HERE Orationes Mortuorum (Prayers of the Dead) A Lenten Series, 2023 Jeff Hood Sponsored by: Saint Miriam Parish and Friary Death Penalty Action Clergy United Against the Death Penalty Red Letter Christians The season of Lent is about grief. It... Read more
February 16, 2023 The Emmanuel Littlejohn Tapes: A Summary *This is a summarization of an extended interview/podcast conducted with Emmanuel Littlejohn about his life and case. Full podcast located @ https://open.spotify.com/show/4zqmTtVJzyggmitxwyg9tV I didn’t have to do anything…although sometimes it felt like I did. We all make choices in life. I made some bad ones. But at the end of the day, I’m the one that has had to live with those choices. So,... Read more
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