April 8, 2024 | Dr. Michael W. Austin
“It’s polarizing, but as the Church, we’ve got to start setting an example here and in all these controversial issues that we can talk to one another in ways that, even if we have different views, we’re standing shoulder to shoulder in love, trying to figure out what’s true. Not face to face, ‘I want to win the argument.’ And if we can do that here and in another places, we could see a lot of good things happen.”
Dr. Michael Austin—Foundation professor of Philosophy at Eastern Kentucky University, Bonhoeffer senior fellow of the Miller Center for Interreligious Learning and Leadership at Hebrew College, and president of the Evangelical Philosophical Society—discusses the complex issue of guns and gun violence, emphasizing the importance of a peacemaking approach to reducing gun violence while also respecting individual rights. Dr. Austin advocates for a more nuanced approach and a Biblical, non-pacifist perspective that promotes empathy and understanding across relational divides.
"The reason I have hope is that. . . it is not just up to us. It's our efforts, in partnership withGod and the Holy Spirit. . . amazing things have happened in history whenChristians band together and work with God to try to make… Share on X "As Christians we should be able to talk about anything; otherwise it's a warning about idolatry." Dr. Michael W. Austin, Engage360 Episode 136 | Navigating the Complexities of Guns and Gun Violence Share on X "As the Church, if we've got to start setting an example here and in [other] controversial issues that we can talk to one another in ways that, even if we have different views, we're standing shoulder to shoulder in love, trying to… Share on X "We want to fight suffering without making that the whole story, because there's so much good as well on the planet." Dr. Michael W. Austin, Engage360 Episode 136 | Navigating the Complexities of Guns and Gun Violence Share on X "One of the things I appreciate about what the Gospel Initiative is doing is that it's taking some of these difficult issues. . . and providing a forum where people can discuss it in a way that is Christlike." Dr. Michael W. Austin,… Share on X