Abstract
This article uses religious coping theory to theorize about how and why race and ethnic groups on death row frame religious last statements at the moment of imminent death. Unique data (N = 269) drawn from death row inmates in Texas between December 1982 and April 2016 reveal uniformity in the dominance that black, white, and Hispanic inmates assign to relational forms of expressions that draw them closer to God and expressions that facilitate spiritual intimacy with others, over self-focused expressions that represent efforts to gain control over the imminent death experience or signal a transformed life. There is a hierarchy of preferred religious coping methods that changes for each group following the implementation of a new policy allowing the family and friends of murder victims (co-victims) to witness the execution of inmates. It is concluded that race and ethnic groups differ in the premium they place on preferred religious coping strategies when faced with imminent death, and a change in social context, such as the sudden presence of co-victims at executions, increases the religious content of last statements for all groups.
Highlights
The last statements of those executed by the state have long fascinated scholars and onlookers alike since the origins of the practice in 14th-century Europe
More recent inquiries have analyzed the last statements of death row inmates with an eye toward understanding their psychological make-up (Foley and Kelly 2018; Kelly and Foley 2013; Rice et al 2009), the antecedents and consequences of expressed apologies (Cooney and Philips 2013; Eaton and Theuer 2009), possible race and ethnic variation in the content of last statements (Lester and Gunn 2013; McCaffree et al 2020), methods of religious coping (Smith 2018), and the multiple dimensions of forgiveness found in last statements (Smith 2019)
Three previously unanswered questions are asked and answered: Is there race and ethnic variation in the way groups prioritize methods of religious coping? Is there any indication of change over time in the preferred religious coping mechanisms employed by race and ethnic groups? And, is a change in social context associated with a change in the content of religious last statements among race and ethnic groups?
Summary
The last statements of those executed by the state have long fascinated scholars and onlookers alike since the origins of the practice in 14th-century Europe. What final words will people utter when they are certain of the exact time and place of their death? The systematic study of the final words of death row inmates is a relatively recent development in social science research that began with an interest in documenting the most common themes contained in last statements (Heflick 2005; Hirschmüller and Egloff 2016; Schuck and Ward 2008; Shermer 2018; Vollum 2008; Upton et al 2017; Vollum and Longmire 2009). There has been no attempt to theorize how and why race and ethnic groups prioritize certain religious coping methods over others in their last statements.. There has been no attempt to theorize how and why race and ethnic groups prioritize certain religious coping methods over others in their last statements. Second, no attempt has been made to track change over time in the priorities that race
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
