Your Piece or your Peace? Can you have both? This book is exactly what you think it is when you look at the title: how can evangelicals, especially in the US, entrenched in gun culture; how did this happen; and why is it seemingly impossible to change? I urge you to give it a chance. If you are an Evangelical Christian perhaps this can strengthen your cause or perhaps, the author hopes, it may lead you to some soul searching that could change your view--even if it for something like universal background checks or something "seemingly minor." If you are a Progressive Christian, you may find yourself feeling more sure and empowered as to not being able to reconcile Christianity and gun culture. If you are neither of these things, I think this gives you a great lens to examine this and better understand the world around you--maybe even giving you the tools to go forth and do more for change. I love the perspective of this author given he was an Evangelical, is a Christian (how that changed over time) AND he is a journalist with a strong and skillful background. The tone of this book is that of a journalist in that there is a conversational tone, facts and figures easy to digest, and many conversations on both sides of the topic: gun loving evangelicals, progressive Christians and just people who are scratching their heads from the outside. I highlighted more in this book than I have in many books before because the facts and figures were extremely meaningful to me. I kind of don't want to even share a sampling here because I hope you'll read this whole book and take it all in versus a little snippet. You learn about other countries actions around gun control, their perspectives and, most interestingly to me, people who are out there turning guns that may take lives into tools that sustain lives. I wasn't sure I wanted to read this because I feel a bit numb in today's world with all the news coming at us, but what could a world be like with less mass shootings, less school shootings, less violence? Does this give you all the answers? No, but it paves a path forward looking at beliefs, power structures and avenues for change. Happy I delved in.

4.5 stars. The blurb describes this book as writing in the tradition of Kristin Kobes du Mez and Tim Alberta, and I couldn't agree more. A great addition to the literature on the connection between white evangelicals and political extremism.

In "In Guns We Trust," Kole describes the connections between the "unholy trinity" of white evangelicals, politics, and firearms. Kole served as the AP New England bureau chief at the time of the Sandy Hook shooting and attended a church where carrying was common, so he is familiar with all sides of the issue. In researching this book, he traveled to rural Southern churches with shooting ranges on their property, interviewed firearms manufacturers, and talked with members of a ministry transforming guns into garden tools. I really appreciated Kole's depth of research and willingness to sit down and have a conversation even with those he vehemently disagrees with. I did walk away from this book with some hope in our country's ability to end gun violence and the potential role the church could play in making that happen.

My only critique (if you could even call it that), is that the people who I think need to read this book most probably won't pick it up. I knew I would agree with the message before I even picked it up, but I don't know how best to get other people to pick it up. Kole's approach is great and a lot can be learned if one is just willing to listen.

Thank you to Broadleaf Books for an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The book impressed me as containing well written coverage of the subject written by an author who in the past has been a member of the white evangelical community and is thus able to speak their language and question their apparent ability to ignore certain portions of the teachings of Jesus (e.g. The Sermon on the Mount).

This book examines the subject of guns in America with particular emphasis focused on the segment of American citizens who self identify as white evangelicals and who also report having a higher rate of gun ownership than any other segment of society. They are also the most loyal supporters of politicians who resist “common sense” gun laws. This book explores the history of many of these evangelical groups and tries to see why and how these believers "traded pacifism for pistols" and came to view the Second Amendment as "God-breathed.”

The author reports on his various visits to churches on both sides of the issue of gun ownership. Some of the churches he visits consider gun ownership as integral to their faith and are using shooting ranges to share their beliefs and grow their churches. One church even had a shooting range on their property. There was also a visit to a manufactures of AR-15 style assault rifles that publicly advertise themselves to be a Christian-owned company.

He also tells how other countries have responded to instances of mass shootings by passing laws to restrict gun availability to the public and subsequently their instances of gun violence have been greatly reduced. It is interesting to note that evangelical Christian communities in other countries have generally supported stricter gun laws unlike their American compatriots.

The author also reports on what others in the United States are doing to get firearms off the streets and suggests specific steps that can be taken toward treating gun availability as more of a public health challenge than a public safety crisis.

4.5 stars

This book is singular because the author himself was an evangelical Christian (I’m not sure whether he still classifies himself as such anymore, though I get the sense he may, at least to some degree, in spite of the gun divide.) While evangelicals are more likely than other Americans to have a gun, isn’t this at odds with their pro-Jesus, do-no-harm stance? Kole argues that it is and examines the ways in which the movement turned to guns and the insidious ways they are marketed to the group. The book is filled with good statistics and even, dare I say it, a smidgen of hope for the future.