<![CDATA[The death penalty is a form of punishment that continues to spark debate in the fields of legal studies, human rights and Christian theology, as it concerns the relationship between justice, punishment and human dignity. Much of the previous research has focused primarily on legal and human rights aspects, whilst the theological implications of criminal law reform in Indonesia have been relatively under-examined. On the other hand, the Christian tradition itself reveals a diversity of views regarding the legitimacy of the death penalty, thus requiring a more contextual reading of the legal changes that have taken place. A significant development emerged through Law No. 1 of 2023, which changed the status of the death penalty from a principal punishment to a conditional alternative punishment with a ten-year probationary period. This study aims to analyse the theological implications of this change in status from the perspectives of Christian theology and public theology. The research employs a non-empirical qualitative method through a literature review, using a thematic-contextual approach to legal regulations, church documents, and contemporary theological literature. The findings indicate that the status of conditional alternative punishment represents a paradigm shift in sentencing from a retributive orientation towards a rehabilitative-restorative one. Theologically, this change broadens the understanding of offenders as moral agents who retain the potential for transformation, without neglecting the demands of justice for victims. The main theoretical finding of this study is the concept of “corrective-restorative justice”, namely a model of punishment that places punishment, rehabilitation, and human dignity in a dialogical relationship. This article contributes to the development of dialogue between Christian theology, public theology, and contemporary criminal law reform in Indonesia.]]>
Copyrights © 2026
