# Love, Justice, and the American Prison System: A Biblical Rethink (Abigail Pasiuk) Ep. #239

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-biblical-mind-543674/love-justice-and-the-american-prison-system-a-biblical-rethink-abigail-pasiuk-ep-239
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-biblical-mind-543674/love-justice-and-the-american-prison-system-a-biblical-rethink-abigail-pasiuk-ep-239.md
Podcast: [The Biblical Mind](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-biblical-mind-543674)
Published: 2026-02-12T12:31:29+00:00
Episode link: https://centerforhebraicthought.podbean.com/e/love-justice-and-the-american-prison-system-a-biblical-rethink-abigail-pasiuk-ep-239/
Audio file: https://rss.art19.com/episodes/60a5e290-765d-4006-81d0-cb48f89676ca.mp3?rss_browser=BAhJIg90cmFuc2NyaWJyBjoGRVQ%3D--952c5701c84ad333c69d5faa668f8177091704f0
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-biblical-mind-543674/episodes/love-justice-and-the-american-prison-system-a-biblical-rethink-abigail-pasiuk-ep-239
Duration seconds: 2194

## Resource

In this eye-opening conversation, PhD researcher Abigail Pasiuk joins Dr. Dru Johnson to explore how the Hebrew Bible can inform modern conversations about mass incarceration. Drawing on her personal experience—her father’s time in federal prison—and academic research at Oxford, Abby offers a theologically rich critique of retributive justice models prevalent in the U.S. prison system. She explains how biblical justice prioritizes restoration and dignity rather than dehumanization, citing key themes such as the Shema and imago Dei. Abby shares firsthand accounts from interviews with incarcerated individuals, exposing everyday indignities—from food labeled “not for human consumption” to being stripped of identity and reduced to a number. With over 80% recidivism in the U.S., Abby points to countries like Norway where restorative practices and the “principle of normalcy” have dramatically reduced reoffense. The episode challenges listeners to rethink what justice should look like through a biblical lens: not just punishment, but humanizing correction rooted in love. It’s a conversation that bridges theology, criminology, and real human stories—urging the church to see prisoners not as disposable, but as image-bearers. Follow Abigail's work here: https://www.theology.ox.ac.uk/people/abigail-pasiuk We are listener supported. Give to the cause here: https://hebraicthought.org/give For more articles: https://thebiblicalmind.org/ Social Links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HebraicThought Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hebraicthought Threads: https://www.threads.net/hebraicthought X: https://www.twitter.com/HebraicThought Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hebraicthought.org Chapter: 00:00 Abigail's Journey to Oxford 08:26 The PhD Experience at Oxford 17:18 Research…

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-biblical-mind-543674/episodes/love-justice-and-the-american-prison-system-a-biblical-rethink-abigail-pasiuk-ep-239/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-biblical-mind-543674/love-justice-and-the-american-prison-system-a-biblical-rethink-abigail-pasiuk-ep-239.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.