Should Religious Fundamentalists be Held Culpable for Their Crimes? An Analysis of the Psychological and Societal Effects of Hyper-Religiosity

Author

• Giuliana Natale

Date of Award

2016

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Tunick, Mark

Thesis/Dissertation Co-Chair

Vernon, Laura

Abstract

My research was used to determine if religiously-motivated criminal offenders should be held culpable and how offenders should be punished in a court of law. Some who commit religiously motivated crimes do not do so of their own volition (e.g., those born into a cult), some are not legally competent to stand trial, and some qualify to claim insanity by both legal and psychological standards. Psychological and social pressures exerted by cults (e.g., deindividuation) can interfere with moral and legal reasoning of the offender. I argue that only those individuals with awareness of the legality of their actions and ability to freely choose their actions should be held culpable for religiously-motivated crimes.

Comments

Includes bibliography.

Recommended Citation

Natale, Giuliana, "Should Religious Fundamentalists be Held Culpable for Their Crimes? An Analysis of the Psychological and Societal Effects of Hyper-Religiosity" (2016). Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2010 - 2019. 275.
https://digitalcommons.fau.edu/etd_honors_2/275

Extent

66 p.

Identifier

FA00003684