The Old Rugged Cross is a 1912 church hymn by George Bennard. In the song, the speaker considers the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and reconciles with his own “shame” and “suffering” as he prepares to die.
Get the entire Just Mercy LitChart as a printable PDF.
"My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." -Graham S.
The timeline below shows where the term The Old Rugged Cross appears in Just Mercy. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 4: The Old Rugged Cross
...that a week beforehand he had requested on Herbert’s behalf that the church hymn “ The Old Rugged Cross ” be played during his execution. To his surprise, the officers had agreed. Stevenson now...
(full context)
...before he is taken away. The officers put on a record of the hymn “ The Old Rugged Cross .” As he watches Herbert die, Stevenson notices a “cloud of regret and remorse” affecting...
(full context)