Method

This chapter provides a comprehensive explication of the qualitative methodological approach employed in exploring Jewish scriptural teachings through the lens of criminology. The researchers introduce their professional perspective in a brief statement at the start of the chapter. The study was grounded in a constructivist paradigm, utilizing a hermeneutic phenomenological design to plumb the depths of ancient texts and derive novel insights into criminal behavior, punishment, and rehabilitation. Central to this endeavor was the rigorous sampling and recruitment of 39 participants across 5 distinct groupings, including rabbis, academics, rehabilitation practitioners, formerly ultra-Orthodox offenders, and ex-convicts who underwent religious transformation. In-depth, semi-structured interviews facilitated an inductive examination of lived experiences and interpretations. The analysis process is elucidated in detail, delineating the hermeneutic strategies of engaging in iterative cycles of understanding religious sources while remaining open to emergent themes. Transcending a mere description of procedures, this chapter illuminates the painstaking efforts to fuse ancient wisdom with contemporary voices in forging an original spiritual criminological perspective. The methodological transparency affords insights into the philosophical underpinnings shaping this innovative integration of tradition and empiricism.