Date of Award

Spring 2019

Thesis Type

Rollins Access Only

Degree Name

Honors Bachelor of Arts

Sponsor

Dr. Todd French

Committee Member

Dr. Eren Tatari

Committee Member

Dr. Margaret McLaren

Abstract

Protestant Christianity is pervasive within southern society and culture. Gun owners, additionally, seem to be congregated in rural, southern areas. At first glance, the relationship between Christianity and firearm is not a connection that one might immediately draw. However, as I will argue in this paper, the presence and prominence of masculinity served to reimagine Christian and southern identity and create what I call masculine Christianity. Masculine Christianity allows and supports the ownership and usage of firearms in such a way that guns became a touchstone for masculine Christian ideals. In this way, masculine Christianity represents the overlap and reconciliation of guns and Christianity. This thesis will explore the relationship between Christianity and firearms, paying particularly close attention to the role of masculinity in connecting them. In examining this relationship, I seek to explain how it arose, how it developed, and its modern implications.

Rights Holder

Frances Asbury

Download

Share

COinS