Eugene, OR (June 17, 2014) – It was the day after 9/11 2001 that Ben Peters, a 20 year old new evangelical Christian, signed up for the U.S. Marines with a desire to do something about the devastation of terrorism. He returned home with first hand experience of the ambiguities of war and a lot of faith-testing questions about the violence, empire and his own culpability for the destruction in which he participated. Today, as many of the US military gains in Iraq are unraveling, veterans and others are wondering as well: Was I justified in Iraq? Is there meaning in violence?
For some, the answer comes easily. For others, one question leads to many—the answers seen through all the plain. Benjamin John Peters invites you to accompany him on his harrowing journey through Marine Corps Recruit Training, a violence-riddled Iraq, the questions and doubts of seminary, and the pursuit of reparations in Cambodia. Retold in poignant detail, Through All the Plain chronicles the difficulties of war, of coming home, and of searching for meaning in violence. Peters approaches this topic with sensitivity, respect and vulnerability in a book that is sure to provoke questions about the nature of faith, violence, and justice in a complex world.
Through all the Plain tells a story that will engross a diverse audience. Readers are drawn into the power of Peter’s gripping account of a life being formed by the oppositional forces of violence and reconciling love. Like the gospel he seeks to live, Peters does not offer easy solutions to the conundrum of faithful living within a violent world. He simply offers himself. Veterans, peacemaking organizations, churches and students will find in Through all the Plain’s theologically astute content but plainly spoken stylea catalyst for discussion and reflection.
Benjamin John Peters is a former United States Marine and two-time veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is currently a doctoral candidate in Religious Studies at the University of Denver/Iliff School of Theology Joint PhD Program. He is a husband, father, and writer. You can follow him at www.benjaminjohnpeters.com.
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