"Death and Forgiveness: My Capital Punishment Witness" is a journalist's journey reporting on and witnessing executions in Ohio over a period of 18 years. Johnson witnessed 21 executions in person, many of them eventful, and wrote objectively about those cases and dozens of others. Near the end of his award-winning journalism career, Johnson felt compelled to enroll in a theological seminary, where he earned masters and doctoral degrees. Along the course of his studies, he became convinced the death penalty was wrong and unjust on religious, moral, ethical, racial, geographic and legal grounds. This book is the result of his doctoral dissertation expanded to provide readers with a unique front-row seat, not only to executions, but to those affected by murder.

Alan Johnson is a former journalist who spent 44 years in the newspaper business, including 18 years reporting on capital punishment cases in Ohio. He was a media witness at 21 executions and wrote about dozens of others. Near the end of his journalism career, he enrolled in theological seminary and began a soul-searching reassessment of the idea of executions - killing someone to show killing is wrong. This is his first book.