In Guns We Trust
The Unholy Trinity of White Evangelicals, Politics, and Firearms
by William J. Kole
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Pub Date Oct 14 2025 | Archive Date Not set
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Description
In this unsettling investigation into white evangelicals' fusion of the gospel and guns, veteran journalist William J. Kole exposes how some Christians are standing in the way of reasonable restrictions on firearms--and how it makes us all less safe.
On the evening that the bass player on his worship team casually showed him his handgun, the author's world shifted. In that moment, Kole--who was the AP's New England bureau chief when a gunman massacred twenty-six people at Sandy Hook Elementary--knew he had to figure out what was going on.
Why were white evangelicals more likely than other Americans to own a weapon? What made them treat the Second Amendment as if it were God-breathed? And how did his own faith, rooted in Jesus's call to turn the other cheek, get hijacked?
In the pages of In Guns We Trust, Kole looks at the unholy alliance between white evangelicals, guns, and politics. Writing in the tradition of Tim Alberta and Kristin Kobes du Mez, he takes us into sanctuaries where worshippers raise hands and pack heat; to a rural church that does outreach through target practice with assault rifles; and into the lucrative gun-making industry, in which evangelicals play an outsized role. He introduces us to global Christians who can't imagine owning firearms and dissidents in the US who are working for change--including activists beating guns into garden tools, and nuns who bought company stock so they could sue a gun manufacturer.
Our nation is awash in more guns than citizens. With meticulous research, humanizing interviews, and immersive narrative, Kole pulls back the curtain on the locked-and-loaded Christianity that got us here. Ignoring gun-toting believers, Kole argues, means the violence will continue. But when intentional conversation and faithful resistance bear fruit, peace may yet prevail.
Advance Praise
“With a keen journalistic eye and a commitment to uncovering the complexities of American identity, In Guns We Trust is an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the intricate dynamics at play in one of the most contentious issues facing the nation today. Prepare for a compelling journey that will reshape your understanding of faith, power, and the pervasive grip of gun culture in America.”
—Shannon Watts, founder, Moms Demand Action
“Imagine losing a child to gun violence and then being betrayed by the same group that committed to praying for you. In Guns We Trust offers history and insight into how Christian nationalism has rendered Christians in the United States impotent in the face of injustice. With astute precision, William J. Kole offers an insider view on how white evangelical churches and communities have largely traded their witness to Christ for guns.”
—Nelba Márquez-Greene, licensed therapist and mother of Ana Grace, murdered at Sandy Hook
“With his captivating storytelling, journalistic curiosity, and prophetic lament, William J. Kole shines a much-needed light on how many Christians have actively participated in furthering the scourge of gun violence. He invites us to envision a different future where everyday Christians courageously reckon with our history of complicity by actively moving toward peacemaking. I highly recommend this much-needed resource to any North American Christian wanting to grapple more deeply with the injustice of gun violence.”
—Joash Thomas, author of The Justice of Jesus
“In Guns We Trust demands a reckoning. William J. Kole lays out our predicament. We have to ‘put down our guns,’ do whatever we can to ensure that no child, no person, is ever killed in the US again, and practice the nonviolence of Jesus so that, finally, we might learn the meaning of the words ‘In God We Trust.’”
—Rev. John Dear, activist, Nobel Peace Prize nominee, and author of The Gospel of Peace, The Nonviolent Life, and The Questions of Jesus
“In Guns We Trust is a gripping and thought-provoking page-turner that challenges readers to confront America’s deep-rooted relationship with firearms. Journalist William J. Kole masterfully weaves together startling facts—such as the reality that there are more guns than people in the United States—with profound questions about the ties between guns, white evangelicals, and politics. This book compels us to ask why, despite heart-wrenching tragedies like Sandy Hook, the country has yet to enact sweeping gun reforms. In Guns We Trust is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the forces shaping our nation’s gun culture and policies.”
—Ebony Reed, coauthor of Fifteen Cents on the Dollar: How Americans Made the Black-White Wealth Gap
“America is in the midst of an excruciating gun crisis, with no end in sight. And evangelical Christians, perhaps more than any other voting bloc, hold the political power to influence our response. Why won’t they budge? In Guns We Trust is William J. Kole’s attempt to answer this question. And as a veteran journalist who spent decades in the evangelical church, he’s the perfect man for the job. The resulting book is unforgettable. Part sermon, part history lesson, and part investigative deep-dive, In Guns We Trust is also a valuable reminder that our path isn’t preordained.”
—Philip Eil, author of Prescription for Pain
“In Guns We Trust is a vivid and essential American journey. William J. Kole leads us into a world of evangelical Christianity where the Second Amendment and the Ten Commandments are both sacred texts. With searing clarity, Kole explores how the interplay of faith and firearms is reshaping politics, culture, and the very notions of what it means to be a Christian in America.”
—Brian Murphy, author of The Root of Wild Madder and 81 Days Below Zero
Marketing Plan
National and online publicity campaign to news media, Christian media, and political media
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Available Editions
EDITION | Other Format |
ISBN | 9798889835639 |
PRICE | $30.99 (USD) |
PAGES | 288 |
Links
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews

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.

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.

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.
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