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Beating Guns: Hope for People Who Are Weary of Violence
Parkland. Las Vegas. Dallas. Orlando. San Bernardino. Paris. Charleston. Sutherland Springs. Newtown. These cities are now known for the people who were shot and killed in them. With less than 5% of the world's population, the people of the US own nearly half the world's guns. America also holds the record for the most gun deaths--homicide, suicide, and accidental gun deaths--at around 90 a day and about 33,000 per year. Some people say it's a heart problem. Others say it's a gun problem. The authors of Beating Guns believe it's both.
This book is for people who believe the world doesn't have to be this way. Inspired by the prophetic image of beating swords into plows, Beating Guns provides a provocative look at gun violence in America and offers a clarion call to change our hearts regarding one of the most significant moral issues of our time. Bestselling author, speaker, and activist Shane Claiborne and Michael Martin show why Christians should be concerned about gun violence and how they can be part of the solution. The authors transcend stale rhetoric and old debates about gun control to offer a creative and productive response. Full-color images show how guns are being turned into tools and musical instruments across the nation. Charts, tables, and facts convey the mind-boggling realities of gun violence in America, but as the authors make clear, there is a story behind every statistic. Beating Guns allows victims and perpetrators of gun violence to tell their own compelling stories, offering hope for change and helping us reimagine the world as one that turns from death to life, where swords become plows and guns are turned into garden tools.
This book is for people who believe the world doesn't have to be this way. Inspired by the prophetic image of beating swords into plows, Beating Guns provides a provocative look at gun violence in America and offers a clarion call to change our hearts regarding one of the most significant moral issues of our time. Bestselling author, speaker, and activist Shane Claiborne and Michael Martin show why Christians should be concerned about gun violence and how they can be part of the solution. The authors transcend stale rhetoric and old debates about gun control to offer a creative and productive response. Full-color images show how guns are being turned into tools and musical instruments across the nation. Charts, tables, and facts convey the mind-boggling realities of gun violence in America, but as the authors make clear, there is a story behind every statistic. Beating Guns allows victims and perpetrators of gun violence to tell their own compelling stories, offering hope for change and helping us reimagine the world as one that turns from death to life, where swords become plows and guns are turned into garden tools.
288 pages, Paperback
Published March 5, 2019
68 people are currently reading
1,635 people want to read
About the author
Shane Claiborne
54books585followersShane Claiborne is a prominent speaker, activist, and best-selling author. Shane worked with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, and founded The Simple Way in Philadelphia. He heads up Red Letter Christians, a movement of folks who are committed to living "as if Jesus meant the things he said." Shane is a champion for grace which has led him to jail advocating for the homeless, and to places like Iraq and Afghanistan to stand against war. And now grace fuels his passion to end the death penalty.
Shane’s books include Jesus for President, Red Letter Revolution, Common Prayer, Follow Me to Freedom, Jesus, Bombs and Ice Cream, Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers, his classic The Irresistible Revolution and his newest book, Executing Grace. He has been featured in a number of films including "Another World Is Possible" and "Ordinary Radicals." His books have been translated into more than a dozen languages. Shane speaks over one hundred times a year, nationally and internationally. His work has appeared in Esquire, SPIN, Christianity Today, and The Wall Street Journal, and he has been on everything from Fox News and Al Jazeera to CNN and NPR. He’s given academic lectures at Harvard, Princeton, Liberty, Duke, and Notre Dame.
Shane speaks regularly at denominational gatherings, festivals, and conferences around the globe.
Shane’s books include Jesus for President, Red Letter Revolution, Common Prayer, Follow Me to Freedom, Jesus, Bombs and Ice Cream, Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers, his classic The Irresistible Revolution and his newest book, Executing Grace. He has been featured in a number of films including "Another World Is Possible" and "Ordinary Radicals." His books have been translated into more than a dozen languages. Shane speaks over one hundred times a year, nationally and internationally. His work has appeared in Esquire, SPIN, Christianity Today, and The Wall Street Journal, and he has been on everything from Fox News and Al Jazeera to CNN and NPR. He’s given academic lectures at Harvard, Princeton, Liberty, Duke, and Notre Dame.
Shane speaks regularly at denominational gatherings, festivals, and conferences around the globe.
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August 13, 2019
Coauthor Mike Martin is the founder and Executive Director of an organization that partners with communities in an effort to repurpose weapons for productive lifelong purpose. In other words they beat guns into garden tools. It can be a meaningful gesture for persons donating guns that have been used in ways that devastated their family's life (e.g. guns used in suicide).
In this book Mike Martin is joined by activist and best-selling author Shane Claiborne to describe the absurdity of American lack of gun controls and laws. Along the way the book lays out the history of the issue that led to the current situation.
It's also worth mentioning that Shane Claiborne speaks the language of evangelical Christianity. But he ends up with political and theological positions regarding justice, poverty, and morality that are considerably different from stereotypical conservative white evangelicals.
I find it interesting to note who owns all those guns.
Here's a few more statistics. USA has the world record for the most civilian-owned guns (about one per person). But only 32 percent of households have guns (i.e. 68% have no guns). That means some folks have a lot of guns. Three percent of the US population owns half the guns. The folks in that 3 percent own an average of seventeen guns each, a total of 133 million guns.
High numbers of guns results in higher rates of death, most by suicide. See following link:
That illustrates one manifestation of American exceptionalism. We're totally off the charts!
So what are some common sense changes to gun laws discussed by this book?
A link to an interesting blog post:
In this book Mike Martin is joined by activist and best-selling author Shane Claiborne to describe the absurdity of American lack of gun controls and laws. Along the way the book lays out the history of the issue that led to the current situation.
It's also worth mentioning that Shane Claiborne speaks the language of evangelical Christianity. But he ends up with political and theological positions regarding justice, poverty, and morality that are considerably different from stereotypical conservative white evangelicals.
I find it interesting to note who owns all those guns.
A Pew Research Center survey showed that 41 percent of white evangelicals ... owns a gun. Compare that to the 30 percent of the general population who own a gun. The demographic with the highest rate of gun ownership is white, evangelical Christians. The followers of the Prince of Peace are packing heat. Praise the Lord, pass the ammunition.The above fact is one reason Shane's ability to talk in Christian vernacular is significant because those are the people who need to hear this message.
Here's a few more statistics. USA has the world record for the most civilian-owned guns (about one per person). But only 32 percent of households have guns (i.e. 68% have no guns). That means some folks have a lot of guns. Three percent of the US population owns half the guns. The folks in that 3 percent own an average of seventeen guns each, a total of 133 million guns.
High numbers of guns results in higher rates of death, most by suicide. See following link:
That illustrates one manifestation of American exceptionalism. We're totally off the charts!
So what are some common sense changes to gun laws discussed by this book?
Might it be time to say that automatic and high-capacity semiautomatic guns do not belong on our streets? When would anyone really need to fire off one hundred rounds in one minute? (p239)
Maybe we can also explore new technology, like smart guns. ... Smart guns have a trigger that recognizes the fingerprint of the designated owner, and without the fingerprint verification the gun will not shoot. (p239)
The restrictions placed on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have prohibited it from studying gun violence and need to be removed and the funding restored. It is absurd that we do not have recent data because the gun lobby has forced the data to be destroyed, since what it shows could be bad for the firearms industry. (p240)
... the one-handgun-a-month law, which would limit the amount of handguns that one person can buy to twelve a year. It makes a lot of sense .... (p250)
Should we really have that Barrett .50-caliber gun that can shoot a plane out of the sky? Should we have bullets that are designed to penetrate a bulletproof vest of a police officer? Why does a law-abiding citizen need a silencer on their gun? (p251)
The industry that creates one of the most dangerous products you can buy enjoys total immunity when it comes to any responsibility for harm done. Toy weapons have more regulations than real weapons. If you shoot your friend's eye out with a Nerf gun, you can sue Nerf. But not so with a Winchester rifle or an AR-15. It's time for the weapons industry to take the same responsibility as every other industry. ... Likewise, gun shops that sell guns irresponsibly should be accountable for the lives that are lost. (p253)
A link to an interesting blog post:
July 7, 2019
Shane Clairborne, Christian activist and motivational speaker, and Michael Martin, former Mennonite pastor and founder of RAWtools.com, a company that turns donated weapons into gardening tools, wrote this book about the work they do together. Tired of gun violence in America, the two are traveling the country and speaking out about it. With respect to gun violence, they remind us, we are is not where we want to be as a country.
Research shows that most Americans already agree with them. Why are our children still dying in mass shootings? We are being help hostage by a profit-making industry that cares little about the lives lost to inadequate gun controls; our “religious right� is actually wrong and has only been mouthing Christianity and not living it; there is a skewed religiosity and a profit motive among preachers and teachers as well, like Jerry Falwell Jr at Liberty University. The words of these two authors reassure me that my reason has not been deceived: I have long thought there is a rot somewhere in traditional religions that is killing the source of our morality.
This long conversational history rounds the bases on reasons we should consider turning our guns into garden tools and shares the sources of the authors� own decision to spend their energies on this effort. They teach, better than any pastor I’ve heard in many years. They quote the Bible, Jesus, and leaders of nonviolence movements in the past, pointing to the undeniable bottom line that Christians are not meant to arm themselves against those who come to hurt them. They are meant to do as Jesus did during his years on earth: defuse the situation, change the subject, turn the other cheek, and yes, die for one’s beliefs. Because the idea for which he died will never die.
Every few pages, like tombstone markers, pages describe one or another incident of gun violence, naming the victims and reminding us of the circumstances. Most of these twenty or so tombstones are as familiar to us as our own names, horrific and shocking incidences of unnecessary and impersonal violence by people mad with delusion. It is hard to understand how our politicians dare stand in front of us; dare to speak a word to us without offering to protect us by controlling guns.
Shane and Mike have done their research on the NRA, and do not hesitate to point to the ways our nation’s dialogue has been warped by the nominally nonprofit’s profit motive. The NRA boasts some five million members. If we do the math—one-third of 325 million U.S. residents are gun owners—over 90 percent of gun owners are not represented by the NRA. But their lobbying arm keeps politicians flush with cash for their campaigns. This trade-off should be outlawed, but even our courts have refused to look after the people’s interests with regard to this matter.
A chapter detailing “the absurd� of pride in gun ownership recount instances of folly: an instance where a groom posing with a rifle at his wedding accidentally shoots his photographer. Or the Hello Kitty assault rifle handled by a seven-year-old that managed to kill a three-year-old.
In a chapter named “Mythbusting� the authors address things we might be persuaded to believe without evidence, like “Stranger Danger.� Actually, we’re far more likely to be killed by people we know well. Regarding the old standby, “Guns Keep Us Safe,� the argument is so shopworn by now that statistics start to sound like “the absurd� chapter. The men discuss race and guns, veterans and guns, women and guns, and they quote of the U.S. Supreme Court as saying the Second Amendment is “a relic of the 18th century.�
This is a worthwhile book, giving us the language and statistics we will need to surprise our opponents into silence, unable to find a reasonable comeback if we are using logic and not emotion. The U.S. has about 270 million guns in circulation, 42% of guns in the world, or 90 for every 100 people. Forty-four percent of Americans personally know someone who has been shot, accidentally or intentionally. Christians are challenged to explain the fact that 41% of white evangelicals own a gun, compared to 30% of the general population. The authors ridicule the defenses they’ve heard for gun ownership among religious people and point out that Jesus teaches countering aggression with creativity, not submission:
”evil can be opposed without being mirrored…oppressors can be resisted without being emulated…enemies can be neutralized without being destroyed.�Finally the authors remind us that the opposite of love is not hate, but fear. They explain that “fear not� is the most reiterated commandment n the Bible and that powerful people who are afraid are the most dangerous elements in the world. We really do have more to fear from fear itself. We need courage to stand in front of armed neighbors and say no to guns, but these men are handing us the tools.
Shane Clairborne is a Philadelphian when he’s at home, and is founder of The Simple Way, a social services organization in Philly. He is President of Red Letter Christians, a Christian group which mobilizes individuals into a movement of believers who live out Jesus� counter-cultural teachings and tries to combine Jesus and justice.
Michael Martin teaches nonviolent confrontational skills in addition to beating weapons into ploughshares. These are the kind of Christians I like and admire and would travel to hear.
March 15, 2019
From the outset, it's important to realize that the two authors of Beating Guns (Shane Claiborne of The Simple Way and Michael Martin of RAWtools), are radical Christian pacifists. They rely on an assumption of the universal applicability of scripture, and of Gandhian teachings of nonviolence. Nevertheless, the authors go to great lengths dissecting with empathy why a person would want to own guns, and why the misapplication of anger and fear might cause a person to amass guns with the deliberate intention of harming others. But as much as Claiborne and Martin may want to get inside the heads of potential adversaries, this book does not pull any punches.
There are any number of books out there about the power of the NRA, the history of gun culture, and the way that virulent adherence to the Second Amendment can lead directly to mass shootings. In fact, Claiborne and Martin express their heavy reliance on Pamela Haag's scholarly and lively history on gun culture, The Gunning of America. But what makes this book special is the graphical liveliness achieved when dealing with a very sobering topic. Beating Guns has that info-byte feel of The Whole Earth Catalog, even as it provides a unified view on how to think about guns. For example, every 20 pages or so, the authors provide a one-page summary of the names of victims of mass shootings over the last 20 years, so those victims will be remembered.
The most important point Claiborne and Martin make about personal handguns in the post-Civil War period was that companies such as Winchester and Colt had to rely on government purchases to be profitable, because the sale of guns to individuals simply wasn't that impressive, even when settlers moving to the frontier states were considered. The Wild West imagined in 1890s dime novels, 1930s movies, and 1950s TV shows was simply a myth, the authors say, and not only for the view of eradicating those pesky Indians. Cowpokes were really underpaid itinerant laborers, and far fewer died in gunfights than in stabbings and beatings. Sure, a settler almost always owned a single family rifle or shotgun, but the history of personal gun use we hear from the NRA is largely fiction. It took a massive advertising campaign from 1900 to 1920 to promote the idea of gun ownership by women and teens, and thereby make gun manufacturers profitable.
The authors rightly point out that most members of the NRA do not support full rights to own semi-automatic weapons, bump stocks, and the like. Rather, from 1980 on, the NRA was slowly taken over by an extreme minority of assault-weapon fanatics, in the same way today that the Republican Party is being taken over by know-nothing populists. The reason the NRA makes claims it is on the verge of going broke is because it has hitched its star to an extreme minority, the authors say.
Claiborne and Martin give plenty of examples of victims of mass shootings who have grown to spread empathy to others, particularly in the actions of RAWtools, an organization that literally hammers guns into garden tools. Laurie Works, for example, lost two sisters to a shooter at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, then later was living in the Colorado Springs neighborhood where a shooter randomly took out three people. Instead of concentrating on bitterness and fear, she spends her time talking about forgiveness and love.
The authors suggest several ideas for common-sense gun laws, but they emphasize that we cannot rely on the government to truly change things. No legislation can heal an embittered heart, they say, and misuse of weapons can only be confronted by healing the twisted minds that give rise to such behavior.
Because Beating Guns is a book about radical transformation, there will be many who will be totally immune to its message. But for those who want to move beyond gun laws and seek real answers as to how the society has gotten so dangerously perverse, this book preaches a message of radical love and healing that is a message open to all, provided one is willing to hear.
There are any number of books out there about the power of the NRA, the history of gun culture, and the way that virulent adherence to the Second Amendment can lead directly to mass shootings. In fact, Claiborne and Martin express their heavy reliance on Pamela Haag's scholarly and lively history on gun culture, The Gunning of America. But what makes this book special is the graphical liveliness achieved when dealing with a very sobering topic. Beating Guns has that info-byte feel of The Whole Earth Catalog, even as it provides a unified view on how to think about guns. For example, every 20 pages or so, the authors provide a one-page summary of the names of victims of mass shootings over the last 20 years, so those victims will be remembered.
The most important point Claiborne and Martin make about personal handguns in the post-Civil War period was that companies such as Winchester and Colt had to rely on government purchases to be profitable, because the sale of guns to individuals simply wasn't that impressive, even when settlers moving to the frontier states were considered. The Wild West imagined in 1890s dime novels, 1930s movies, and 1950s TV shows was simply a myth, the authors say, and not only for the view of eradicating those pesky Indians. Cowpokes were really underpaid itinerant laborers, and far fewer died in gunfights than in stabbings and beatings. Sure, a settler almost always owned a single family rifle or shotgun, but the history of personal gun use we hear from the NRA is largely fiction. It took a massive advertising campaign from 1900 to 1920 to promote the idea of gun ownership by women and teens, and thereby make gun manufacturers profitable.
The authors rightly point out that most members of the NRA do not support full rights to own semi-automatic weapons, bump stocks, and the like. Rather, from 1980 on, the NRA was slowly taken over by an extreme minority of assault-weapon fanatics, in the same way today that the Republican Party is being taken over by know-nothing populists. The reason the NRA makes claims it is on the verge of going broke is because it has hitched its star to an extreme minority, the authors say.
Claiborne and Martin give plenty of examples of victims of mass shootings who have grown to spread empathy to others, particularly in the actions of RAWtools, an organization that literally hammers guns into garden tools. Laurie Works, for example, lost two sisters to a shooter at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, then later was living in the Colorado Springs neighborhood where a shooter randomly took out three people. Instead of concentrating on bitterness and fear, she spends her time talking about forgiveness and love.
The authors suggest several ideas for common-sense gun laws, but they emphasize that we cannot rely on the government to truly change things. No legislation can heal an embittered heart, they say, and misuse of weapons can only be confronted by healing the twisted minds that give rise to such behavior.
Because Beating Guns is a book about radical transformation, there will be many who will be totally immune to its message. But for those who want to move beyond gun laws and seek real answers as to how the society has gotten so dangerously perverse, this book preaches a message of radical love and healing that is a message open to all, provided one is willing to hear.
July 7, 2023
Claiborne was one of those authors whom God used to deeply shape me into the person I am today. Shane’s “radical� faith and willingness to say things bluntly and call us to the furthest reaches of the Kingdom was inspiring. I loved reading the well-articulated thoughts of a dreamer and a prophetic visionary.
Some would point out my youthful naïveté in some of my responses to his writing almost two decades ago—and there would be some truth to that. The world is complex and full of nuance; things are never as easy as our dreams would lead us to believe at times. However, I still to this day appreciate these same attributes to Shane’s cultural model and leadership. He too has matured over the years, but his prophetic spirit lives on.
All of this continues to be the expected marker of this book, just as all of his others. The book is full of practical tidbits and statistics to consider. It’s full of history and theology. It’s full of many different and diverse stories. It also has some of that prophetic poetry that maybe overstates some things from time to time. Yet, the prophets have always used some hyperbole to ignite our imaginations.
This book is pretty straightforward. There are no unexpected curveballs, nor is it “extreme� towards any particular ideology. It’s a book about coming to grips with our idolatry of violence, the place of guns in our culture, and some common sense discussions it seems like almost all of us agree on. The most difficult part of the discussion will come not in its content, but in the way we need to take action in moving forward. Hopeless, right? Maybe. Maybe not. This book addresses some of those things.
I am a proud hunter and gun owner. I own guns for the sole purpose of ethical meat harvesting. I do not own them for protection or for the threat of war. There are people on either side of where I sit on my convictions. That’s the nature of the world. But we CAN and we NEED to imagine a world where we can work together to improve things and be a part of what God is building. This book is a great place to start a good conversation.
Some would point out my youthful naïveté in some of my responses to his writing almost two decades ago—and there would be some truth to that. The world is complex and full of nuance; things are never as easy as our dreams would lead us to believe at times. However, I still to this day appreciate these same attributes to Shane’s cultural model and leadership. He too has matured over the years, but his prophetic spirit lives on.
All of this continues to be the expected marker of this book, just as all of his others. The book is full of practical tidbits and statistics to consider. It’s full of history and theology. It’s full of many different and diverse stories. It also has some of that prophetic poetry that maybe overstates some things from time to time. Yet, the prophets have always used some hyperbole to ignite our imaginations.
This book is pretty straightforward. There are no unexpected curveballs, nor is it “extreme� towards any particular ideology. It’s a book about coming to grips with our idolatry of violence, the place of guns in our culture, and some common sense discussions it seems like almost all of us agree on. The most difficult part of the discussion will come not in its content, but in the way we need to take action in moving forward. Hopeless, right? Maybe. Maybe not. This book addresses some of those things.
I am a proud hunter and gun owner. I own guns for the sole purpose of ethical meat harvesting. I do not own them for protection or for the threat of war. There are people on either side of where I sit on my convictions. That’s the nature of the world. But we CAN and we NEED to imagine a world where we can work together to improve things and be a part of what God is building. This book is a great place to start a good conversation.
January 19, 2019
I come from a denominational background (American Evangelical/Baptist) where it is not uncommon for people to treat the broadest possible interpretation of the Second Amendment (right to bear arms) with practically the same devotion as any of the basic tenets of the faith. Attempts to discuss gun violence are met with, “It’s not a gun problem. It’s a heart problem� or some similar slogan. Over my last eight years as a pastor I have grown increasingly troubled by the gun culture I see among Evangelicals and the not-so-Christlike attitudes that it seems to foster in many people. I picked up this book to try to get another perspective on the issue.
These authors contend that the US has both a heart problem and a gun problem. The book is loaded with history and disturbing statistics on gun sales, ownership, lobbying, laws, crime, self-defense, and suicide in the US (especially as compared to other industrialized nations). Furthermore, they point out Scripture passages where the prophets speak of a future without weapons or warfare (the title beating guns is a play on prophetic verses about “beating swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks� � Isaiah 2:4) and where Jesus speaks of non-violence and loving one’s enemies (e.g. the Sermon on the Mount � Matthew 5-7). While leaving some room for individual conscience as to what “commonsense gun laws� and responsible gun ownership might look like, they rightly challenge Christians to seriously reflect on how we as followers of Jesus Christ should relate to guns as far as ownership, admiration, advocacy, voting, etc.
Unfortunately, there is some serious “cherry picking� going on in their use of Scripture. They completely ignore passages that are in tension with their completely pacifist approach…passages that, if we take the Bible seriously, must be taken into account. For example:
- Most of the prophets who describe the coming world peace talk about it being preceded by violent judgment from God/Jesus rather than a utopia brought about purely by social reform (e.g. Revelation 19)
- Jesus� rebuke of Peter for attacking a member of the party who came to arrest Jesus is preceded by a difficult, variously-interpreted passage in which Jesus talks about his disciples arming themselves (Luke 22:36-38)
- The government is said to be God’s instrument for restraining evil, including by use of the sword (Romans 13:1-5)
This is not to say that the authors are entirely wrong in their concerns, but their approach to the Scripture is selective and incomplete. This makes me wonder if some of the history and statistics have been similarly oversimplified or misrepresented.
Another minor quibble that I have with the book is that the some of the information gets repeated over and over with very little variation in wording. I did read an eARC so maybe an editor will remove some of the redundancy and tighten things up before publication.
Overall, I appreciated the roundup of information and the challenge to think biblically (not just pragmatically) about the issue, but I do feel that there was some serious oversimplification going on here.
These authors contend that the US has both a heart problem and a gun problem. The book is loaded with history and disturbing statistics on gun sales, ownership, lobbying, laws, crime, self-defense, and suicide in the US (especially as compared to other industrialized nations). Furthermore, they point out Scripture passages where the prophets speak of a future without weapons or warfare (the title beating guns is a play on prophetic verses about “beating swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks� � Isaiah 2:4) and where Jesus speaks of non-violence and loving one’s enemies (e.g. the Sermon on the Mount � Matthew 5-7). While leaving some room for individual conscience as to what “commonsense gun laws� and responsible gun ownership might look like, they rightly challenge Christians to seriously reflect on how we as followers of Jesus Christ should relate to guns as far as ownership, admiration, advocacy, voting, etc.
Unfortunately, there is some serious “cherry picking� going on in their use of Scripture. They completely ignore passages that are in tension with their completely pacifist approach…passages that, if we take the Bible seriously, must be taken into account. For example:
- Most of the prophets who describe the coming world peace talk about it being preceded by violent judgment from God/Jesus rather than a utopia brought about purely by social reform (e.g. Revelation 19)
- Jesus� rebuke of Peter for attacking a member of the party who came to arrest Jesus is preceded by a difficult, variously-interpreted passage in which Jesus talks about his disciples arming themselves (Luke 22:36-38)
- The government is said to be God’s instrument for restraining evil, including by use of the sword (Romans 13:1-5)
This is not to say that the authors are entirely wrong in their concerns, but their approach to the Scripture is selective and incomplete. This makes me wonder if some of the history and statistics have been similarly oversimplified or misrepresented.
Another minor quibble that I have with the book is that the some of the information gets repeated over and over with very little variation in wording. I did read an eARC so maybe an editor will remove some of the redundancy and tighten things up before publication.
Overall, I appreciated the roundup of information and the challenge to think biblically (not just pragmatically) about the issue, but I do feel that there was some serious oversimplification going on here.
August 3, 2022
Heartbreaking, hopeful, and necessary. Part cultural analysis, part history, part pathway toward the future--Claiborne and Martin appreciate the complexity of the gun debate and do not aim for simple answers. They have feet on the ground, actively turning weapons into tools and pieces of art, and even as they examine the incredibly painful reality in which we find ourselves, they defiantly offer a revolutionary and creative vision for the future that is better than where we stand today.
June 16, 2020
The title of this book is Beating Guns: Hope for People Who Are Weary of Violence. The first half offers no hope, however. Much of it is a litany of all the terrible ways that guns have destroyed hope in this country. The facts are not unfamiliar, but they have an extraordinary weight when assembled in one place. For anyone who comes to this book already “weary of violence,� these chapters are preaching to the choir, but their value is that the facts provide an insistence that the reader not look away, not push the memories of mass shootings out of mind.
� Of all the children killed by guns in the industrialized world, 87% are in the United States.
� After the Sandy Hook killings of first-grade children, 90% of Americans favored new gun legislation, yet nothing happened in the onslaught of NRA power in Congress.
Those are the kinds of facts the authors won’t let us turn from.
Because it was unknown to me, perhaps the most interesting section of these early chapters followed the history of gun ownership. Soldiers were allowed to keep their guns after the Civil War, an extraordinary act seen at the time as one of benevolence toward these ragged and often poor men, sent home to begin life anew. Then the US government sold its excess guns, reaping profits for a time of rebuilding. Thus we became a country of well-armed citizenry. The gun manufacturers like Winchester and Colt needed a new market for a country at peace. The rest we know, and the authors repeat the facts, sometimes over and over.
Early on, the authors tell us that this book is for everyone, but once into the meat of the story, they constantly cite Biblical examples and text to support their arguments. They are evangelicals themselves. Shane Claiborne is a Christian activist and motivational speaker, and Michael Martin founded RAWtools.com, a company that turns donated weapons into gardening tools. They literally “beat swords into plowshares.�
The hope that the authors promise is founded on Christian principles, and they leave no doubt about where they are coming from. However, the ideas are from an ethic that anyone can embrace. The technique of defusing anger is central to their proposals. De-escalation is offered as a skill which can work wonders � not always, but often enough to know its value. They also suggest that gun legislation is most possible when people begin with the things that they can agree on, and they believe that the list is actually very long.
The book is printed like a handbook, with sidebars, highlighting, “paperclipped� photos in the margins. Most powerful are the side bars which list the names of people killed in various shootings. One is reminded of the activists who protest police violence: “Say their names!� The message is powerful: they must not be forgotten. For the most part, I liked the friendly style of the layout, although I found the pale gray print hard to read (I have poor vision.).
The book is repetitious, and I occasionally found that off-putting. The authors are to be praised for their excellent work in life and on paper.
� Of all the children killed by guns in the industrialized world, 87% are in the United States.
� After the Sandy Hook killings of first-grade children, 90% of Americans favored new gun legislation, yet nothing happened in the onslaught of NRA power in Congress.
Those are the kinds of facts the authors won’t let us turn from.
Because it was unknown to me, perhaps the most interesting section of these early chapters followed the history of gun ownership. Soldiers were allowed to keep their guns after the Civil War, an extraordinary act seen at the time as one of benevolence toward these ragged and often poor men, sent home to begin life anew. Then the US government sold its excess guns, reaping profits for a time of rebuilding. Thus we became a country of well-armed citizenry. The gun manufacturers like Winchester and Colt needed a new market for a country at peace. The rest we know, and the authors repeat the facts, sometimes over and over.
From a Bushmaster ad for an assault rifle: “Consider your man card reissued.�The authors take on the NRA with vigor, often with details to show how most gun owners do not agree with their radical positions. They also take on their real target audience � evangelical Christians who embrace a gun culture. They call out Jerry Falwell, who encourages his Liberty University students to take a free course that will allow them to earn a concealed carry permit. Liberty opened a new shooting range in 2018 during Easter week. The authors wryly note, “Nothing says ‘Christ is risen� like a gun range.�
Early on, the authors tell us that this book is for everyone, but once into the meat of the story, they constantly cite Biblical examples and text to support their arguments. They are evangelicals themselves. Shane Claiborne is a Christian activist and motivational speaker, and Michael Martin founded RAWtools.com, a company that turns donated weapons into gardening tools. They literally “beat swords into plowshares.�
The hope that the authors promise is founded on Christian principles, and they leave no doubt about where they are coming from. However, the ideas are from an ethic that anyone can embrace. The technique of defusing anger is central to their proposals. De-escalation is offered as a skill which can work wonders � not always, but often enough to know its value. They also suggest that gun legislation is most possible when people begin with the things that they can agree on, and they believe that the list is actually very long.
The book is printed like a handbook, with sidebars, highlighting, “paperclipped� photos in the margins. Most powerful are the side bars which list the names of people killed in various shootings. One is reminded of the activists who protest police violence: “Say their names!� The message is powerful: they must not be forgotten. For the most part, I liked the friendly style of the layout, although I found the pale gray print hard to read (I have poor vision.).
The book is repetitious, and I occasionally found that off-putting. The authors are to be praised for their excellent work in life and on paper.
May 24, 2022
I've wanted to read this book for awhile because I appreciate Shane's work.
Finally started it a week ago or so, after Buffalo, but as I finish it today there are reports of another mass shooting, this time with elementary-age students in the crosshairs.
America has a problem, and that problem is so much deeper than any of these mass shootings that earn a tear and little else, every few weeks. Through statistics and history, the authors discuss where we are and how we got here. Interspersed there are sobering memorials to those who have died and hopeful anecdotes about those who chose a different way.
Shane writes from a Christian perspective and some of his arguments are based on the life and teachings of Jesus; however, this book is worth reading, even if those parts won't resonate with you.
Finally started it a week ago or so, after Buffalo, but as I finish it today there are reports of another mass shooting, this time with elementary-age students in the crosshairs.
America has a problem, and that problem is so much deeper than any of these mass shootings that earn a tear and little else, every few weeks. Through statistics and history, the authors discuss where we are and how we got here. Interspersed there are sobering memorials to those who have died and hopeful anecdotes about those who chose a different way.
Shane writes from a Christian perspective and some of his arguments are based on the life and teachings of Jesus; however, this book is worth reading, even if those parts won't resonate with you.
August 7, 2020
The ideas here are incredible. Some of that stats and stories get reused between chapters but the core of the book is solid
July 11, 2024
So powerful. Everyone could learn from this.
November 8, 2022
Provocative, tragic, and hopeful. The prophetic lens through which the conversation is filtered well represents the radical third way of Jesus.
March 27, 2019
There's no question I'm part of the target audience for this book co-written by Shane Claiborne and Mike Martin. I'm a pacifist. I'm a Christian. I'm already a "fan," and that feels like a weird word with Claiborne, of Claiborne. I've been an activist in the area of domestic violence and sexual violence for many years and I identify with the sort of radical approach taken by Martin, who started RAWTools, and Claiborne, who started an intentional community called The Simple Way and has become rather well known as a writer/speaker/minister, etc.
"Beating Guns" looks at the issues around guns through a theological lens. While you may think the book preaches hardcore against guns - it actually doesn't. The book does look at guns, gun violence, and American history along with theological perspectives. There's no question that these two guys are determined to do something about the plethora of guns and the tone of the book is inescapable. While I suppose a non-Christian could embrace the book, there's simply no denying the majority of the book is grounded in Scripture.
Claiborne books are typically featuring of unique illustrations and a unique print style - this is no exception. There's also references throughout the book to an array of mass shootings over recent years. This may seem like a hardcore approach, but it's poignant and effective.
If you're not a Christian, you may feel like you're being reached at a bit. That's definitely not the intent, but these writers simply don't deny the framework in which they work.
Some of this material is a bit fundamental, which almost caused me to drop the rating a star. However, I think the book is ultimately successful at what it's going for and I enjoyed it from beginning to end and really appreciated the wealth of resources and well documented research that went into the book.
For Shane Claiborne fans, this is a "must read."
"Beating Guns" looks at the issues around guns through a theological lens. While you may think the book preaches hardcore against guns - it actually doesn't. The book does look at guns, gun violence, and American history along with theological perspectives. There's no question that these two guys are determined to do something about the plethora of guns and the tone of the book is inescapable. While I suppose a non-Christian could embrace the book, there's simply no denying the majority of the book is grounded in Scripture.
Claiborne books are typically featuring of unique illustrations and a unique print style - this is no exception. There's also references throughout the book to an array of mass shootings over recent years. This may seem like a hardcore approach, but it's poignant and effective.
If you're not a Christian, you may feel like you're being reached at a bit. That's definitely not the intent, but these writers simply don't deny the framework in which they work.
Some of this material is a bit fundamental, which almost caused me to drop the rating a star. However, I think the book is ultimately successful at what it's going for and I enjoyed it from beginning to end and really appreciated the wealth of resources and well documented research that went into the book.
For Shane Claiborne fans, this is a "must read."
March 30, 2019
Though a bit redundant and overly-reliant on "Christianese" in parts, the value of this book's insights cannot be overstated. I found myself shocked and saddened by many parts of this book, yet I came away with a greater understanding of why guns are so deeply embedded in American culture, and why the problems are so difficult to overcome. Even with that, though, it renewed my commitment to wanting to create a better world, and work to rid society of violence and reliance on guns to solve problems when in reality, they are the cause of so many.
As a non-religious person, I found myself bored in some parts by the chapters specifically focusing on religious ideas and feelings towards guns. Even so, I was extremely glad to have read the book although I did not agree with every sentiment and worldview presented by the authors. If I was religious, I likely would have given Beating Guns a five star review. Even as a non-religious person, the book's well-researched arguments and presentation of legitimate solutions lead my to give the book four stars. I definitely recommend this for people of all belief systems.
As a non-religious person, I found myself bored in some parts by the chapters specifically focusing on religious ideas and feelings towards guns. Even so, I was extremely glad to have read the book although I did not agree with every sentiment and worldview presented by the authors. If I was religious, I likely would have given Beating Guns a five star review. Even as a non-religious person, the book's well-researched arguments and presentation of legitimate solutions lead my to give the book four stars. I definitely recommend this for people of all belief systems.
March 7, 2019
While many of the books approaching this subject are highly politically charged, this book does a fantastic job at getting to the heart of the matter. Both Shane Claiborne and Mike Martin have talked and lived extensively in this space, it is overwhelming how much this book was informed by what seems like thousands of voices. There is story upon story of how gun violence affects us and who all is impacted. It is jammed with research, amazing thought-leadership and perspectives that I had not considered. This book paints a picture that the church and each member of the Kingdom of God need to take some time staring at.
May 10, 2019
This is a really worthwhile read. Drawing on the Old Testament prophets, Claiborne calls us to imagine a different way of interacting with guns, then to live out that imagination. The writing here gets a little repetitive, which keeps me from giving it a higher score. It would have been all the more powerful as a tighter book, maybe 50-75 pgs. shorter. But the ideas here, and the call to holy imagination, are invaluable.
July 17, 2020
This book was nothing less than breathtaking. Claiborne and Martin humbly and effectively lay out their case.
I do mean humbly, their rhetoric is gentle and clear. In the context of a debate that is typified by violent editorializing (from both sides), the authors don’t stood to their levels.
I also mean “effectively.� The authors diligently cite their sources, showing that they have done their research.
The authors are not shy about their faith, and some chapters are quite explicit about it. But this book as a whole is *more* than a Christian view of guns and violence. The book is driven by statistical analysis, historical evidence, and reasonable logic (none of which, by the way, are incompatible with Christianity).
There a a number of very moving “Memorials� that commemorate the lives lost in mass shootings in America (as this is a distinctly American problem) over the last few decades).
Share this book with anyone. If they are tired of gun violence and trying to find ways to help end it, this book is for them. If they are gun-nuts, this book is for them. If they are anywhere else or in between, this book is for them.
I do mean humbly, their rhetoric is gentle and clear. In the context of a debate that is typified by violent editorializing (from both sides), the authors don’t stood to their levels.
I also mean “effectively.� The authors diligently cite their sources, showing that they have done their research.
The authors are not shy about their faith, and some chapters are quite explicit about it. But this book as a whole is *more* than a Christian view of guns and violence. The book is driven by statistical analysis, historical evidence, and reasonable logic (none of which, by the way, are incompatible with Christianity).
There a a number of very moving “Memorials� that commemorate the lives lost in mass shootings in America (as this is a distinctly American problem) over the last few decades).
Share this book with anyone. If they are tired of gun violence and trying to find ways to help end it, this book is for them. If they are gun-nuts, this book is for them. If they are anywhere else or in between, this book is for them.
March 21, 2020
Written from a Christian point of view, this book is loaded with sobering facts about gun culture in America, and why we all should be concerned about the rights of gun owners encroaching on the rights of others to pursue life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness (e.g. mass shootings). The book goes into interesting detail of how our gun industry and culture evolved over the past two centuries, including the changing agenda and growing power of the NRA. Today we seem to be facing the same issue that James Madison, the author of the 2nd amendment, was afraid of when he said, "Liberty may be endangered by the abuse of liberty as well as by the abuses of power. The former rather than the latter is apparently most to be apprehended by the United States."
June 14, 2022
This book provides a comprehensive understanding of the gun culture in America. Why is the country so zealous about their rights to bear arms? What has contributed to the current state of gun violence nowadays? And what are some common sense changes that should take place? Shane and Michael approach the topic from a holistic point of view and helps readers see the need to change from a biblical point of view as well. A very well-done and important piece of literary work for better dialogues to happen, not just the usual “gun debates�.
November 20, 2021
I definitely recommend this book. It makes a lot of great points, especially for Christians who seek to love with a sacrificial love and to work towards restorative practices. The United States in particular has a gun problem that needs reforming in many ways, and this book offers practical ways to look at the Second Amendment debate. Our hearts are also in need of reform and renewing, and there is much wisdom on that as well.
February 18, 2023
I knew this book would be heavy - I have friends affected by gun violence and it’s hard for me. But it was the pick of my Christian Social Justice book club. So I got it on audiobook, so I would get it in small chunks. It was amazing. Kicked in the gut amazing, but after each half hour chunk of my commute I had more to think about. The history of the gun lobby in our country. How much violence has spilled into our everyday lives - even those dedicated to non-violence like myself. I’ve been trying to be more careful of my language and my thoughts. Guns are such a uniquely American problem. It doesn’t have to be that way. The audiobook version in particular was superb.
March 29, 2024
I’d give it more than 5 stars if I could. Honestly, if anyone is on the fence or suspicious of arguments for gun limitations and regulations, I doubt you could read this without coming away convinced. It’s CHOCK-FULL of stats and info that’s persuasive in every way. It’s written from a Christian perspective but I’d recommend it to anyone
July 30, 2019
Such an important read, I couldn’t put it down! Share this book with all your friends!
May 31, 2022
May we live into this vision for peace!
June 12, 2020
I loved this.
Jesus and violence are not compatible. I’m fairly certain there will be no automatic weapons in the Kingdom ofHeaven. This is both a heart and a policy issue. This book is another must read for professional Christians. I found this book to be a glass of cold water.
Read this in conjunction with “The Color of Compromise� and you’ll be encouraged � and just maybe changes.
Jesus and violence are not compatible. I’m fairly certain there will be no automatic weapons in the Kingdom ofHeaven. This is both a heart and a policy issue. This book is another must read for professional Christians. I found this book to be a glass of cold water.
Read this in conjunction with “The Color of Compromise� and you’ll be encouraged � and just maybe changes.
January 6, 2020
Provides a good general overview of the history and present reality of gun violence in America, backed up by good use of statistics where necessary, but comes across as very surface-level. The primary strength of this book is in its incredibly non-aggressive tone; I would be comfortable handing this book to an evangelical friend or family member who is suspicious of increased restrictions on guns, but probably wouldn't bother to recommend it to anyone who is already in favor.
October 23, 2019
This is the book about gun violence for Christians and responsible citizens who want to do the right thing. To their credit the authors do not demonize either side and discuss the problem in a civilized and intelligent manner. They respond to all the accusations and fears of gun lovers with powerful arguments. They remember the victims of gun violence but do not name those who caused the violence. They wisely compare the second amendment to the sermon on the mount, which is a comparison every church goer should have heard more than once, but few have. This is a hopeful book that does not dip into fear-mongering or name-calling. It's a refreshing look at the major health hazard caused by guns in our country.
April 22, 2020
We are weary of violence, and this gives an interesting perspective on the culture of guns.
January 19, 2022
SUMMARY: Some say it's a gun problem. Some say it's a heart problem. Authors
and
say it's both. Each day in the United States, 105 people die from gun violence. Once every 30 minutes, a person commits suicide with a gun. Eighty percent of all firearm deaths in developed countries occur in the United States, and eighty-seven percent of all child related gun deaths in the world's developed countries occur in the US. Despite the alarming statistics, Beating Guns was not penned to shock or shame. It's a call for Christians to prophetically stand against violence and lead the way toward gun reform.
"Not many people get argued into thinking differently, but experiences and stories move us," the authors write, "especially when we have the humility to listen and view the world from a different lens, from someone else's eyes."
So, where do we begin?
"The right place to begin seems to be deep lament. All is not well in the world, and we need to allow the blood that God hears crying out from the ground to affect us. We need to listen to that pain."
Part of lamenting involves admitting there is a problem with guns in America and that many in the church, and outside of the church, have made guns an idol.
"Idols are things we put our trust in. They are not God, but we treat them like they are," Claiborne and Martin write. "They take on a transcendent, magical character. We hold them with a sacred reverence that should only be given to God. We are willing to die for them and kill for them and sacrifice our children for them."
The first half of the book details the history of guns in the United States and the history and impact of the National Rifle Association (NRA) on American policies. It also details the effects of guns on kids, veterans, minorities, and women. Simply put - the more guns there are, the more deaths there are. Claiborne and Martin do not belittle or antagonize gun owners, but invite them to be part of a pro-life movement.
"This book is not about demonizing gun owners," the duo writes. "It is about saving lives and working with everyone who is committed to that...Stopping gun violence is a pro-life issue...Pro-life does not mean just anti-abortion. It means standing against death in all its ugly forms and becoming a champion of life consistently, across the board."
Part ofClaiborne and Martin's pro-life strategy is literally beating guns into tools, instruments, and art through their company . Throughout the book, the process of refining, hammering, and reshaping metal is used as a metaphor for reshaping our hearts and minds towards guns and gun violence. It is a prophetic call for a third way - a call to hope and use our imaginations to save lives.
This alternative view of gun and gun violence comprises the second half of the book. Suggestions range from cutting funds of gun manufacturers to using technology to make safer guns. But the main focus is on common sense gun laws, which, despite popular assumption, most people agree on:
- Eighty-nine percent of Americans favor preventing the mentally ill from purchasing guns.
- Eighty-four percent support background checks for private sales at guns shows.
- Seventy-one percent support creating a federal database to track gun sales.
- Sixty-eight percent favor banning assault style weapons.
- Sixty-five percent would like to ban high-capacity magazines.
These regulations are a start, and Christians can lead the way on reforms by advocating for these laws through who they vote for in local and national elections in addition to advocating for policy changes.
"It is not politicians who lead the way to peace; it is the people of God, who lead the politicians to peace. Peace begins with the people of God, who refuse to kill and who insist on beating their weapons into farm tools."
"The gun and the cross offer use two very different versions of what power looks like. One is willing to kill. And one is willing to die."
KEY QUOTE: "Our fundamental starting point, with guns and everything else, is this: What policies help us live well together? What's best for the most? What's good for the common good? What policies are vital for humans to thrive? We are not just thinking individualistically but as "polis," as a people -- less about "I" and "me" and more about "we" and "us." There is something that unites us that is deeper and more profound than all the stuff that divides us. Something unites us across party lines and blows all the labels and categories out of the water: our shared humanity."
MORE: Visit where we curate topics for a disillusioned church.
"Not many people get argued into thinking differently, but experiences and stories move us," the authors write, "especially when we have the humility to listen and view the world from a different lens, from someone else's eyes."
So, where do we begin?
"The right place to begin seems to be deep lament. All is not well in the world, and we need to allow the blood that God hears crying out from the ground to affect us. We need to listen to that pain."
Part of lamenting involves admitting there is a problem with guns in America and that many in the church, and outside of the church, have made guns an idol.
"Idols are things we put our trust in. They are not God, but we treat them like they are," Claiborne and Martin write. "They take on a transcendent, magical character. We hold them with a sacred reverence that should only be given to God. We are willing to die for them and kill for them and sacrifice our children for them."
The first half of the book details the history of guns in the United States and the history and impact of the National Rifle Association (NRA) on American policies. It also details the effects of guns on kids, veterans, minorities, and women. Simply put - the more guns there are, the more deaths there are. Claiborne and Martin do not belittle or antagonize gun owners, but invite them to be part of a pro-life movement.
"This book is not about demonizing gun owners," the duo writes. "It is about saving lives and working with everyone who is committed to that...Stopping gun violence is a pro-life issue...Pro-life does not mean just anti-abortion. It means standing against death in all its ugly forms and becoming a champion of life consistently, across the board."
Part ofClaiborne and Martin's pro-life strategy is literally beating guns into tools, instruments, and art through their company . Throughout the book, the process of refining, hammering, and reshaping metal is used as a metaphor for reshaping our hearts and minds towards guns and gun violence. It is a prophetic call for a third way - a call to hope and use our imaginations to save lives.
This alternative view of gun and gun violence comprises the second half of the book. Suggestions range from cutting funds of gun manufacturers to using technology to make safer guns. But the main focus is on common sense gun laws, which, despite popular assumption, most people agree on:
- Eighty-nine percent of Americans favor preventing the mentally ill from purchasing guns.
- Eighty-four percent support background checks for private sales at guns shows.
- Seventy-one percent support creating a federal database to track gun sales.
- Sixty-eight percent favor banning assault style weapons.
- Sixty-five percent would like to ban high-capacity magazines.
These regulations are a start, and Christians can lead the way on reforms by advocating for these laws through who they vote for in local and national elections in addition to advocating for policy changes.
"It is not politicians who lead the way to peace; it is the people of God, who lead the politicians to peace. Peace begins with the people of God, who refuse to kill and who insist on beating their weapons into farm tools."
"The gun and the cross offer use two very different versions of what power looks like. One is willing to kill. And one is willing to die."
KEY QUOTE: "Our fundamental starting point, with guns and everything else, is this: What policies help us live well together? What's best for the most? What's good for the common good? What policies are vital for humans to thrive? We are not just thinking individualistically but as "polis," as a people -- less about "I" and "me" and more about "we" and "us." There is something that unites us that is deeper and more profound than all the stuff that divides us. Something unites us across party lines and blows all the labels and categories out of the water: our shared humanity."
MORE: Visit where we curate topics for a disillusioned church.
May 10, 2019
Beating Guns: Hope for People Who Are Weary of Violence by Shane Claiborne and Michael Martin
4.5/5
"In days to come
the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be raised up above the hills.
Peoples shall stream to it,
and many nations shall come and say:
'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.'
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between many peoples,
and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away;
they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more;
but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees,
and no one shall make them afraid;
for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken" (Micah 4:1-4; Duplicated in Isaiah 2:3-5)
The 8th century prophets Micah and Isaiah envisioned an end to violence. In some future day, all of the world's people would stream to Mount Zion, convert their instruments of war into tools of agriculture, quit war altogether, and sit under their own vines and fig trees.
The 21st century prophets Shane Claiborne and Michael Martin share this vision. Martin lives out the vision literally: his RAWtools Inc. organization repurposes guns into shovels, trowels, rakes, and other farm implements. Martin joins Shane Claiborne (author of Irresistible Revolution, Jesus for President, Becoming the Answers to Our Own Prayers among others) in this comprehensive response to gun violence.
Claiborne and Martin seem to cover just about every aspect of the gun debate: the history of guns, the rise of the gun empire in America, guns and race, the NRA, the 2nd Amendment, the theology of non-violence, and practical responses to violence. The book is written with a tone of urgency and gravity but also humor and levity.
The thing that I love about Claiborne is that he says really radical things but does so in such a way that it can appeal to people on both sides of the political divide. Politically he would probably be labeled as "liberal," though I think that he would claim that he belongs to the third way of Jesus. Theologically, he would probably be labeled "conservative," but there are some issues with that as well. He writes with a respectful tone to people of all stripes while also challenging them.
Whoever does Claiborne's graphic design for his books is a genius. This book is just beautifully done (it reminds me of ): glossy pages, photos, charts, graphs, illustrations, etc.
The only reason that I didn't give the book a perfect 5 out of 5 is that so much of the book is a rehash of Claiborne's previous work. He uses many of the exact same anecdotes, arguments, and even direct quotes from his previous books.
4.5/5
"In days to come
the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be raised up above the hills.
Peoples shall stream to it,
and many nations shall come and say:
'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.'
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between many peoples,
and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away;
they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more;
but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees,
and no one shall make them afraid;
for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken" (Micah 4:1-4; Duplicated in Isaiah 2:3-5)
The 8th century prophets Micah and Isaiah envisioned an end to violence. In some future day, all of the world's people would stream to Mount Zion, convert their instruments of war into tools of agriculture, quit war altogether, and sit under their own vines and fig trees.
The 21st century prophets Shane Claiborne and Michael Martin share this vision. Martin lives out the vision literally: his RAWtools Inc. organization repurposes guns into shovels, trowels, rakes, and other farm implements. Martin joins Shane Claiborne (author of Irresistible Revolution, Jesus for President, Becoming the Answers to Our Own Prayers among others) in this comprehensive response to gun violence.
Claiborne and Martin seem to cover just about every aspect of the gun debate: the history of guns, the rise of the gun empire in America, guns and race, the NRA, the 2nd Amendment, the theology of non-violence, and practical responses to violence. The book is written with a tone of urgency and gravity but also humor and levity.
The thing that I love about Claiborne is that he says really radical things but does so in such a way that it can appeal to people on both sides of the political divide. Politically he would probably be labeled as "liberal," though I think that he would claim that he belongs to the third way of Jesus. Theologically, he would probably be labeled "conservative," but there are some issues with that as well. He writes with a respectful tone to people of all stripes while also challenging them.
Whoever does Claiborne's graphic design for his books is a genius. This book is just beautifully done (it reminds me of ): glossy pages, photos, charts, graphs, illustrations, etc.
The only reason that I didn't give the book a perfect 5 out of 5 is that so much of the book is a rehash of Claiborne's previous work. He uses many of the exact same anecdotes, arguments, and even direct quotes from his previous books.
February 24, 2019
Note: I received an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review of the following book.
First off, I have been a fan of Shane Claiborne’s writings for a long time. I may not agree with every theological point that he has made during his ministry but I have an extreme level of respect for him. Shane takes a truly pro life approach to social issues. This book is no different. I had been made aware of Michael Martin’s RAWtools organization through some of Shane’s social media postings. It was great to read a book filled with theological, and Biblical arguments as well as personal stories that argue that we, as Americans have BOTH a gun problem AND a heart problem. This was refreshing to hear in our polarized world that pushes us to choose one or the other.
RAW tools exists as an organization that is literally beating guns into garden tools. While there is a strong focus on destroying assault rifles, they seem to take a non violent approach as they turn all sorts of weapons into tools of peace. They are actually putting Isaiah 2:4 into practice: “Then they will beat their swords into iron plows and their spears into pruning tools.�
One idea that is posed by the authors is the idea that guns and our “rights� have become idols. “Imagine if every Christian in America took their commitment to Jesus as seriously as gun owners take their commitment to the Second Amendment. We wouldn’t be in the mess we’re in. Can we really carry a cross and a gun? When Jesus said to love your enemies, isn’t it safe to assume he meant that we shouldn’t kill them?�
I admit that I have always been torn on the gun issue. But when we think of a Savior that laid down His “rights� while loving His enemies enough to die for them, it is hard to think of any other way except a life of non violence.
Another idea that is heavily examined in the book is the idea of fear. As humans we are so fearful. We are trained by the media to fear certain people. The gun industry thrives on selling a solution to fearful people. We simply cannot but into it.
I would like to ask any critic who would make assumptions of this book to please read it before commenting. The authors are in no way advocating for a full on government driven ban on guns. They are simply asking if there might be a better way and maybe that the Christian Church be the ones who lead the way.
First off, I have been a fan of Shane Claiborne’s writings for a long time. I may not agree with every theological point that he has made during his ministry but I have an extreme level of respect for him. Shane takes a truly pro life approach to social issues. This book is no different. I had been made aware of Michael Martin’s RAWtools organization through some of Shane’s social media postings. It was great to read a book filled with theological, and Biblical arguments as well as personal stories that argue that we, as Americans have BOTH a gun problem AND a heart problem. This was refreshing to hear in our polarized world that pushes us to choose one or the other.
RAW tools exists as an organization that is literally beating guns into garden tools. While there is a strong focus on destroying assault rifles, they seem to take a non violent approach as they turn all sorts of weapons into tools of peace. They are actually putting Isaiah 2:4 into practice: “Then they will beat their swords into iron plows and their spears into pruning tools.�
One idea that is posed by the authors is the idea that guns and our “rights� have become idols. “Imagine if every Christian in America took their commitment to Jesus as seriously as gun owners take their commitment to the Second Amendment. We wouldn’t be in the mess we’re in. Can we really carry a cross and a gun? When Jesus said to love your enemies, isn’t it safe to assume he meant that we shouldn’t kill them?�
I admit that I have always been torn on the gun issue. But when we think of a Savior that laid down His “rights� while loving His enemies enough to die for them, it is hard to think of any other way except a life of non violence.
Another idea that is heavily examined in the book is the idea of fear. As humans we are so fearful. We are trained by the media to fear certain people. The gun industry thrives on selling a solution to fearful people. We simply cannot but into it.
I would like to ask any critic who would make assumptions of this book to please read it before commenting. The authors are in no way advocating for a full on government driven ban on guns. They are simply asking if there might be a better way and maybe that the Christian Church be the ones who lead the way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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