---
title: "Media Alert: Scholars, Politicians and Religious Leaders Discuss Religion and the Death Penalty"
description: "Scholars, Politicians and Religious Leaders Discuss Religion and the Death Penalty In the past year, debate over the use of the death penalty in the U.S. has become louder and more focused as the first federal executions since 1963 took place. While public support for the death penalty remains high, it has fallen from a […]"
date: "2002-01-07"
authors:
  - name: "Benjamin Wormald"
    job_title: "Senior Engineer"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/benjamin-wormald/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2002/01/07/media-alert-scholars-politicians-and-religious-leaders-discuss-religion-and-the-death-penalty/"
---

# Media Alert: Scholars, Politicians and Religious Leaders Discuss Religion and the Death Penalty

### Scholars, Politicians and Religious Leaders Discuss Religion and the Death Penalty

In the past year, debate over the use of the death penalty in the U.S. has become louder and more focused as the first federal executions since 1963 took place. While public support for the death penalty remains high, it has fallen from a high of 77% five years ago to 63% in 2001. And 42% of death penalty opponents cite religious belief as an influence on their position.

### CONTACT

**Mary Schultz**
Communications Manager
202.419.4556
[mschultz@pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/religion](mailto:mschultz@pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/religion)

In light of this ongoing debate, the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life will hold a conference, "[A Call for Reckoning: Religion and the Death Penalty](/deathpenalty/)," that will bring together diverse panels of scholars and practitioners, **including Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, former U.S. Senator Paul Simon, Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating and Avery Cardinal Dulles**. Panelists will discuss the broad range of views on the death penalty offered by representative faiths and traditions in the U.S.

****

| What: | Conference to discuss broad range of religious views on death penalty |
****

| When: | Friday, January 25, 20029a.m. - 5p.m. |
****

| Where: | The University of Chicago Divinity School, Swift Hall1025 East 58th Street, Chicago, IL |
****

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

| Who: | Khaled Abou El Fadl, UCLA School of LawVictor Anderson, Vanderbilt Divinity SchoolJ. Budziszewski, University of TexasE.J. Dionne, Jr., The Brookings Institution and co-chair, the Pew Forum on Religion and Public LifeAvery Cardinal Dulles, S.J., Fordham UniversityJean Bethke Elshtain, University of Chicago and co-chair, the Pew Forum on Religion and Public LifeRichard Garnett, University of Notre Dame Law SchoolHon. Frank Keating, Governor of OklahomaGilbert Meilaender, Valparaiso UniversityDavid Novak, University of TorontoHon. Antonin Scalia, United States Supreme CourtHon. Paul Simon, Former Senator (D-IL)Beth Wilkinson, Former Federal Prosecutor of Oklahoma City bombing trials |
****[](/deathpenalty/registration.php3)

| RSVP: | Register onlineor call (773) 702-6943 |

Please note: Justice Scalia's presentation will not be open to video cameras. All other conference proceedings will be available for all types of media coverage.