What price conscience? Abigail Disney's directorial debut, THE ARMOR OF LIGHT, follows the journey of an Evangelical minister trying to find the courage to preach about the growing toll of gun violence in America. The film tracks Reverend Rob Schenck, anti-abortion activist and fixture on the political far right, who breaks with orthodoxy by questioning whether being pro-gun is consistent with being pro-life. Reverend Schenck is shocked and perplexed by the reactions of his long-time friends and colleagues who warn him away from this complex, politically explosive issue. Along the way, Rev. Schenck meets Lucy McBath, the mother of Jordan Davis, an unarmed teenager who was murdered in Florida and whose story has cast a spotlight on "Stand Your Ground" laws. McBath, also a Christian, decides to work with Schenck even though she is pro-choice. Lucy is on a difficult journey of her own, trying to make sense of her devastating loss while using her grief to effect some kind of viable and effective political action-where so many before her have failed. ARMOR follows these unlikely allies through their trials of conscience, heartbreak and rejection, as they bravely attempt to make others consider America's gun culture through a moral lens. The film is also a courageous look at our fractured political culture, and an assertion that it is, indeed, possible for people to come together across deep party lines to find common ground.

See reviews from Roger Ebert and Christian Science Monitor.

Read Patheos.com interview with directory Abigail Disney.

Watch Trailer

Questions for Discussion

1. How has Rob’s Jewish background informed his thinking about spiritual issues?
   
   
2. Rob believes the most important questions around guns are theological, not political or legal. Do you agree?
   
   
3. In what way do you see this film as an attempt at peacemaking?
   
   
4. Have you ever changed your mind about an important issue and made your new view known? What happened?
   
   
5. Was Rob and Lucy’s coming together a predictable outcome? Why or why not?
   
   
6. Although we have less gun violence and no ‘right to bear arms’, how can we identify with the struggles Americans face concerning guns and their faith?
   
   
7. In an interview with director Abigail Disney, she talks about a friendship growing between Rob and her despite their political differences. Why do you think this is happening?
   
   
8. How can we talk wisely with someone with strong views that we believe are misguided or even dangerous?
   
   
9. How do you respond to Lucy’s comment on the question of whether she’s afraid her life might be in danger: “…then that’s my life… I’ll die doing what I know I’m supposed to be doing.”
   
   

“Miraculous things can happen when people put aside their differences and choose to inhabit the spaces they share. Those spaces tend to be way above politics…And I think we have all been changed for the better.” - Abigail Disney