Why would anyone seek to be hanged, decapitated, or otherwise executed? This book deals with this central question, but mostly it studies how this inclination was discussed and interpreted and how the authorities reacted to it. Compared to earlier research, dealing with cities or countries, the international perspective is of importance throughout this book. The role of theology and especially soteriology in discussions and actions is also emphasised. Although the problem probably is universal, the focus here is primarily on western Europe and the 18th and 19th centuries. Martin Bergman was ordained to priesthood in 1986 by bishop Olaus Brännström in the Cathedral of Luleå, Sweden. In 1996, the degree of Doctor of Theology at the University of Lund, Sweden, was awarded to him for the thesis Dödsstraffet, kyrkan och staten i Sverige från 1700-tal till 1900-tal (Rättshistoriskt bibliotek 53).