Guns
Christian Restorative Justice, Gun Rights and Responsibilities
Photo credit: Kalhh | CC0.
Introduction
These resources explore moral and ethical challenges related to gun rights and responsibilities, and the frameworks within which people see these issues.
Other Resources on Christian Faith, Self-Defense, and Violence
James Fallows, Back to Guns: Kant vs. Saint Augustine. The Atlantic, Jan 4, 2013.
Secular Talk, Pro-Life Evangelical Pastor Pushes for Gun Control. Secular Talk, Oct 24, 2015.
Mark Gomez, San Jose: Boy, 9, Shot While in Bed After Upstairs Neighbor Shoots Himself in Foot. San Jose Mercury News, Oct 28, 2015.
Abigail E. Disney and Kathleen Hughes, Would Jesus Wear a Sidearm? New York Times, Oct 30, 2015.
Adelle M. Banks, Anti-Abortion Activist Rob Schenck Now Opposed to Christians Owning Guns. Sojourners, Oct 30, 2015.
John Piper, Why I Disagree with Jerry Falwell, Jr. on Christians and Guns. Washington Post, Dec 23, 2015. Although disagreeing is Doug Wilson, John Piper and Guns. Blog and Mablog, Dec 23, 2015. Rebutted by Benjamin Corey, Why Exodus 22:2 Doesn’t Work To Justify Armed Self-Defense. Patheos, Jan 15, 2016.
Kate Shellnut, Not an Act of God: Ministries Respond to Surge in Mass Shootings. Christianity Today, Feb 15, 2018.
Kate Shellnut, Pew: White Evangelicals Want Stricter Gun Laws Too. Christianity Today, Feb 26, 2018.
Phil Zuckerman, Mike Huckabee Ties Mass Shootings to a Lack of Faith in God. Social Science Proves Him Wrong. Los Angeles Times, Aug 11, 2019. Huckabee provides an embarrassing example of some white evangelical flimsy reasoning or attempts to be relevant.
Obery Hendricks, Christians Against Christianity: How Right-Wing Evangelicals Are Destroying Our Nation and Our Faith. Beacon Press | Amazon page, Jul 2021. Black theologian Obery Hendricks cogently critiques the unholy alliances between white evangelicals and the NRA, the modern antiabortion platform, big business and antilabor, and others. Chapter 7, on the NRA, is excellent.
Tish Harrison Warren, What Should Christians Do About Guns? New York Times, Apr 23, 2023. “Restrictions on the types of guns that can be sold (such as banning AR-15-style weapons), requirements of licensing, insurance and safety courses for gun ownership (as we do with driver’s licenses and vehicles), universal background checks, red flag laws, storage requirements and stricter age limits for gun ownership. We need to make it harder to get guns, which makes it easier to ensure guns stay in trustworthy hands.”
Gun Rights and Responsibilities: Topics:
The section on Gun Rights and Responsibilities examines the following issues: 2nd Amendment explores the history of constitutional law and how it was interpreted; Gun Death Stats and Culture explores why the U.S. has such an unusual gun culture; NRA and Its Influence spotlights the National Rifle Association, given its influence and political power; Gun Laws Outside the U.S. gives perspective on other countries’ gun laws and cultures.
Christian Restorative Justice Critique of the Right: Domestic Policy Topics:
This page is part of our section Critique of the Right, which engages the following topics: Banking and Finance examines the economic and political power of financial institutions; Bioethics discusses abortion policy; Business and Economics examines economic theories, taxes, housing, environment, corporate law, labor law, automation, and inequalities of wealth and power; Civil Unions makes the Christian case for civil unions for all and removing marriage from the culture wars; Criminal Justice examines crime statistics and definition, policing, prosecution, sentencing, prisons, and reintegration; Education examines public education and conservative resistance to it; Environment and Health highlights the many challenges we face related to animals, climate change, food, and health systems; Government Corruption spotlights political compromises and dealings contrary to the public good; Gun Rights examines gun policies and rhetoric; Media spotlights failures of, and possible fixes to, left-wing or left-leaning media; Power and Politics highlights the impact of racial considerations and racism on political campaigns, voting rights, public investments, and other political procedures; Race examines the impact of white supremacy on virtually every aspect of American life.
Christian Restorative Justice Critiques of the Right: Philosophical Influences:
