"The myth of redemptive violence"

The Associated Baptist Press has published my guest commentary "The myth of redemptive violence," adapted from a forthcoming post for the ABPnews Blog. The tag line and lead paragraph appear below; click on hyperlink for the full commentary at ABP News.

The myth of redemptive violence

America’s love affair with guns stems from a deeper assumption that it is possible to fight violence with violence.

By Steve Harmon

The Aug. 5 shooting at the Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wis., has set off spirited debate over the merits of gun-control legislation. As a theologian who thinks that a lively debate within a contested tradition can be a sign of its health -- and who thinks this is ultimately a theological issue -- I will jump in.... (Read the full commentary at ABP News)