This book rigorously examines the controversy over the death penalty with clarity and cogency. After Dr. Ron Gleason lays a thorough groundwork in history and law, he defines ethics philosophically, and then presents the Biblical mandate. For the secular reader, he illustrates the positions of leading thinkers on both sides of the issue and examines their arguments down to the foundational premises. For Christians both for and against capital punishment, Dr. Gleason identifies the governing Scriptures and illustrates them with commentary from the confessional statements of the historic reformed church and some of the foremost voices in the church today. Proponents on both sides will find the issues in focus and the arguments framed for more meaningful discussion. But as he homes in on the heart of the matter, the reader may find himself drawn persuasively to Gleason's conclusion. This book rigorously examines the controversy over the death penalty with clarity and cogency.