For many American evangelicals, owning a gun isn’t just a part of their national identity. Rather, they see gun ownership as a kind of sacred, God-given right, interwoven into their spiritual DNA, argues journalist William J. Kole in his new book, In Guns We Trust: The Unholy Trinity of White Evangelicals, Politics, and Firearms (Broadleaf Books, Oct.). Kole spoke with PW about his deep dive into the world of guns and evangelicals, how it rocked his faith, and the troubling and hopeful stories he found along the way.
How did you become an evangelical?
I was baptized in the Catholic Church, but we never went to church. In college, I encountered some young evangelicals who seemed so joyous it was contagious. I ended up in an Assemblies of God church and became a lay missionary. I was always a misfit because my politics were progressive, but I enjoyed the energy and camaraderie. I often made excuses for evangelicals.
You say guns became the last straw. When did you realize there was so much support for guns among evangelicals?
In the summer of 2016, when a bass player showed up to our worship music practice with a 9 millimeter semi-automatic, it blew me away. I had 35 years of experience in evangelical Christianity, and I didn’t know people were walking around with guns. I was the Associated Press’s New England bureau chief when the Sandy Hook school shooting happened. For me, it was incomprehensible that evangelicals would embrace guns so much.
Did you find a historical precedent for evangelical gun support, or did you see it as a more recent phenomenon?
A little bit of both. Historically, a lot of evangelical denominations were once pacifist. The Assemblies of God was a pacifist denomination, and now it’s one of the most gun-toting groups of Christians you’ll find. Some gun owners draw out biblical mandates that they are to protect their families. They believe there’s a clear and present danger out there.
Did anything especially move you when you did your reporting?
I was moved when I went to Dunblane, Scotland. In 1996, a guy went into a school gymnasium and killed 16 children and their teacher. I spoke with a father who lost his five-year-old daughter. He took a lead role in working with lawmakers to get gun restrictions in place. American evangelicals think any restrictions can be a slippery slope. The only way we can move forward is to get evangelicals to change their minds.
What do you think it will take for anything to change?
There are definitely people doing interesting things. Shane Claiborne in Philadelphia is collecting guns, including AR-15 assault rifles, and he turns them into garden tools. My favorite story is a group of rogue nuns who are buying stock in gun companies so they can introduce certain shareholder policies. I find that deliciously subversive. There are Christians involved in trying to change hearts and minds. But I see very few evangelicals involved in gun reform at all.
How would you describe your faith identity these days?
Faith is important to me. Writing this book rocked my world. I haven’t set foot in a church in nine months. I’ve been deconstructing my faith, and I identify as an ex-vangelical. I still find the person of Jesus very compelling. I won’t let these people rob me of my faith. I am committed to reconstructing and finding out what’s next.
