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A review by readwithbre
The Fall of the Prison: Biblical Perspectives on Prison Abolition by Lee Griffith
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.25
More than a text that makes a compelling biblical case for prison abolition, The Fall of the Prison by Lee Griffith demands a new vision for Christian discipleship; a discipleship that rejects a centering of personal piety in favor of following the radical Jesus way. I do not exaggerate when I say this is one of the most transformative texts I've ever encountered.
Using a combination of biblical texts, church historical accounts, and personal narrative, Griffith draws a gut-wrenching throughline to evaluate how the Christian faith went from being the faith of prisoners to being a prison-BUILDING faith, in fact, THE prison-building faith. He rebukes the people, time, and events that lead to this transformation by outlining the radical implications of the gospel message central to the Christian faith.
First, you'll probably find yourself disgusted by the European church's history of abusing the biblical text to its own oppressive ends (nothing new in that regard). Then angry. But by the time you land on the last sentence of the last page, you'll be compelled to action whether you wanted to be or not. The humility and rigor with which Griffith draws his conclusions will leave you wanting to start a church revolution; a revolution out of Christendom and into a faithful community that endeavors only to remake the world.
For those abolitionists (or possible abolitionists) who might encounter this text but don't identify as Christians, I would recommend you still sift through it, if for no other reason than to know thy enemy.
My only qualm with this transformative text is that Griffith couches his ideas and conclusions in European church history and theological thought. I found myself longing to know what was happening in Christianity on the African continent and even among Indigenous folks among the same timeline that he outlines what was going on in European church history. However, I'm willing to extend grace to Griffith on this, mainly because it's not well-known that African and Indigenous Christians did indeed exist before chattel slavery and colonization. Additionally, I believe the main audience that would come across this text would be more acquainted with the European Christian tradition than anything else.
All in all, I'd say that all Christians and abolitionists/students of abolition, regardless of historical, religious, or ethnic context, should study tf out of this book, if for no other reason than to understand some roots of the modern prison industrial complex, how its spirit reverberates throughout American society, and how to defeat it.
Using a combination of biblical texts, church historical accounts, and personal narrative, Griffith draws a gut-wrenching throughline to evaluate how the Christian faith went from being the faith of prisoners to being a prison-BUILDING faith, in fact, THE prison-building faith. He rebukes the people, time, and events that lead to this transformation by outlining the radical implications of the gospel message central to the Christian faith.
First, you'll probably find yourself disgusted by the European church's history of abusing the biblical text to its own oppressive ends (nothing new in that regard). Then angry. But by the time you land on the last sentence of the last page, you'll be compelled to action whether you wanted to be or not. The humility and rigor with which Griffith draws his conclusions will leave you wanting to start a church revolution; a revolution out of Christendom and into a faithful community that endeavors only to remake the world.
For those abolitionists (or possible abolitionists) who might encounter this text but don't identify as Christians, I would recommend you still sift through it, if for no other reason than to know thy enemy.
My only qualm with this transformative text is that Griffith couches his ideas and conclusions in European church history and theological thought. I found myself longing to know what was happening in Christianity on the African continent and even among Indigenous folks among the same timeline that he outlines what was going on in European church history. However, I'm willing to extend grace to Griffith on this, mainly because it's not well-known that African and Indigenous Christians did indeed exist before chattel slavery and colonization. Additionally, I believe the main audience that would come across this text would be more acquainted with the European Christian tradition than anything else.
All in all, I'd say that all Christians and abolitionists/students of abolition, regardless of historical, religious, or ethnic context, should study tf out of this book, if for no other reason than to understand some roots of the modern prison industrial complex, how its spirit reverberates throughout American society, and how to defeat it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement