Uploaded October 2022 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
Christianity, like all religions, contains multitudes--be it peace or violence. Contemporary Christian nationalism, however, has fully embraced a rhetoric of violence and control, and this ideology has spread to incorporate a sacralization of guns. Advertisements, religious sects, religious imagery--the idea of an AR-15 as a holy weapon--bleed into the championing of gun violence itself as a tool of holy war, from TikTok to sermons. Looking at a handful of contemporary American examples, we will explore the problem of Christian nationalism and gun violence in America.
Thomas Lecaque is an Associate Professor of History at Grand View University. Trained as a medieval historian, he works on the intersection of apocalyptic Christianity and political violence from the medieval to contemporary world. He has written for The Washington Post, The Bulwark, Religion Dispatches, and other venues.
Becoming a supporter of the Secular Student Alliance! The SSA is a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit that relies on the generous support of individuals. With your help, we help empower nonreligious students across the country and ensure a more secular future. Go to secularstudents.org/donate for more information on how you can help secular students.
Christianity, like all religions, contains multitudes--be it peace or violence. Contemporary Christian nationalism, however, has fully embraced a rhetoric of violence and control, and this ideology has spread to incorporate a sacralization of guns. Advertisements, religious sects, religious imagery--the idea of an AR-15 as a holy weapon--bleed into the championing of gun violence itself as a tool of holy war, from TikTok to sermons. Looking at a handful of contemporary American examples, we will explore the problem of Christian nationalism and gun violence in America.
Thomas Lecaque is an Associate Professor of History at Grand View University. Trained as a medieval historian, he works on the intersection of apocalyptic Christianity and political violence from the medieval to contemporary world. He has written for The Washington Post, The Bulwark, Religion Dispatches, and other venues.
Becoming a supporter of the Secular Student Alliance! The SSA is a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit that relies on the generous support of individuals. With your help, we help empower nonreligious students across the country and ensure a more secular future. Go to secularstudents.org/donate for more information on how you can help secular students.
