How should Christians think and act with respect to guns and gun ownership? Dr. Michael Austin (Professor of Philosophy at Eastern Kentucky University and Senior Fellow of the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Institute), joins Matt, Derek, and Alastair to discuss his recent book, God and Guns in America. Listen in to hear questions like, are assault rifles necessary, why has owning a gun become a right of passage for some, and how do we steer clear from polarization on the topic of guns?
Timestamps:
Why write a book about Christian’s use of guns? [0:00 - 5:50]
What is the crisis of gun violence in America and how should Christians think about it? [5:50 - 8:20]
What kind of role do guns have particularly on the American imagination? [8:20 - 10:49]
Are assault rifles necessary? [10:49 - 15:15]
Owning a gun as a right of passage [15:15 - 17:28]
Should Christians own a gun? [17:28 - 21:14]
Guns are not going away in America. What are important policy details and measures Christians should be aware of or even support? [21:14 - 27:28]
How can we steer ourselves away from polarization and partisanship on the topic of guns? [27:28 - 30:17]
How do we preserve equal access to guns that do not privilege those who are well-off and disparage those who live in neighborhoods where they might actually need a gun for self-defense? [30:17 - 37:27]
Since it seems as though the government has fewer means to protect its citizens, should we care more about gun rights now more than ever? [37:27 - 40:49]
What can the church do? [40:49 - 45:02]
Resources mentioned:
God and Guns in America by Michael Austin
If you’re interested in supporting the show financially, you can check out our Patreon here.
Finally, as always, follow Derek, Andrew, and Alastair for more tweet-sized brilliance. Thanks to Timothy Motte for his sound editing work. And thanks to The Joy Eternal for lending us their music, which everybody should download out of gratitude for their kindness.