When Christian Nationalism Makes Violence Holy
Sanctifying violence in the name of faith and nation
Gun violence in the United States continues at a rate unmatched among peer nations (Commonwealth Fund, 2024). While Charlie Kirk was not the only person to be killed by gun violence (even within the same week), his tragic death has captured the nation’s attention. Yet the focus around Mr. Kirk’s death has not included renewed calls to stem the uniquely American scourge of gun violence. What allows this violence to continue?
One might reasonably expect those who are most public about their Christian faith, to be strongly in favor of all efforts to curtail such violence. Yet, it is a puzzling fact that over half of self-described Christians oppose stricter gun laws and favor nearly unfettered access to firearms, a pattern Obery Hendricks (2021) traces to the entanglement of evangelical politics and gun ideology. Empirical research confirms this dynamic: Christian nationalism is one of the strongest predictors of opposition to federal gun reform, even more than religiosity or education (Whitehead, Schnabel, & Perry, 2018).
The larger culture has become inured to violence, such that shootings—or mass shootings, Mr. Kirk excepted-rarely sustain national attention. Indeed, among mainstream media and government officials, there has been very little coverage of or expressions of outrage about, other recent shootings, such as the August 27th mass shooting of Catholic school children in Minneapolis.
While it may seem puzzling that many self-described Christians prioritize the protection of guns, for those who do, the motivation seems clear. In their 2020 study, Vegter and Kelley find the motivation of Christian gun ownership stems from a deep sense of duty to protect and defend. We may simply assume this means protecting one’s family and possessions; however, Christians posit it as something greater. The rhetoric suggests they must protect themselves from a menacing “other,” the embodiment of evil, an existential threat to their life, liberty, economic well-being, faith and way of life. Therefore, having a gun to protect one’s family is a sanctified action.
The transcendence of potential threats changes the conversation for Christian nationalists. No longer are disagreements about differing opinions. No longer can one “reach across the aisle” to find a common ground with someone who believes differently. No longer can concession be made. When someone who has different opinions from you is seen as evil, there is no debate. No longer is the other your neighbor—as mandated in the New Testament, the other is your enemy.
What then is the result? The result, as we have seen, is a belief that Christian nationalists are divinely ordained to do God’s work on earth, and particularly in the United States. This means going to whatever extreme is necessary to eradicate evil. The options are to remove the menacing other through deportation, decrease the other’s influence through gerrymandering, or destroy the other through the “war” rhetoric as voiced recently in some corners of the Christian right. Such violence is Divinely sanctioned. It is the way to save the self or the republic. Thus, violence becomes salvific in the manner of, well, Jesus’ death on the cross, or Holy Wars where the divine justification for such violence is permissive. Thus, violence becomes salvific, in the manner of Holy Wars, where bloodshed is recast as sacrifice and redemption (Gorski & Perry, 2022; Armaly, Buckley, & Enders, 2022).
Even the tragic death of Mr. Kirk is being transformed into a salvific moment. Take for instance an image that has been circulating on social media. An image circulating widely on social media placed him alongside Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., and Jesus—men remembered as assassinated for words judged too radical in their time. The caption read “All Because of Words.” Among those amplifying it was Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL, 13th District), who pinned the image on her personal X account and posted it on her official Congressional account. Her single post drew more than 10.9 million views, a measure of how quickly the martyr narrative spread far beyond its original source.
Positioning Kirk as a martyr for his cause gives further weight to his words. On September 13th, CNN reported that his social media has gained millions of followers since his shooting. In an address following days after Kirk’s death, Erika Kirk, his widow, encouraged his death to be just the start of his wisdom and voice being spread. The sentiment shared by others, reinforced by the above image, is not just that his death was not in vain, but that his death was necessary so that his message can reach even more people. Two great travesties are evident here—the travesty of sanctifying some of Mr. Kirk’s divisive words, and the other is the violence of his death is glorified, rather than condemned as a violent act that should never have occurred and need never occur.
The tragic case of Mr. Kirk illustrates one aspect of this permission structure for violence. Prevailing ideological commitments (in this case, 2nd amendment rhetoric) prevent consideration of the negative consequences of such ideology. Illustratively, Congress has resisted federal funding for research into gun violence, and the DOJ website has removed their own study on the prevalence of right-wing political violence—far exceeding that of left-wing violence. Secondly, the theological center of gravity for Christian nationalism, veneration of the cross, allows for some violent acts to be transformed into an avenue for redemption or salvation. Refusal to recognize the causes and correlates of violence, and a reticence to address them, decouples the consequences of violence from the meaning one can make of violent acts. Violence, when perpetuated by or against Christian nationalists, may continue to be seen and interpreted as holy and salvific, rather than simply tragic, preventing discussion of consequences and any policies changes to quell the growing prevalence of all gun violence. The tragic case of Mr. Kirk shows how, in Christian nationalist hands, even bloodshed may become salvific—and why America’s cycle of gun violence endures.
Dr. Tess Starman is a sociologist who studies the relationship between religion, power, and politics.
Dr. Ronald Hopson is a psychologist and theologian whose work engages religion, sexuality, psychotherapy, and the Black church.
Further Reading & Sources
For readers who want to explore the data and debates behind this essay, here is a mix of survey research, peer-reviewed scholarship, and recent reporting. Together, these sources trace the intersection of Christian nationalism, gun culture, and the politics of violence.
Armaly, M. T., Buckley, D. T., & Enders, A. M. (2022). Christian nationalism and political violence: Victimhood, racial identity, conspiracy, and support for the Capitol attacks. Political Behavior, 44(3), 937–960. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11109-021-09758-y
CNN. (2025, September 13). Charlie Kirk’s social media soars days after death. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/13/media/charlie-kirk-erika-social-media-tpusa-followers
Gorski, P. S., & Perry, S. L. (2022). The flag and the cross: White Christian nationalism and the threat to American democracy. Oxford University Press. https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-flag-and-the-cross-9780197618684
Hendricks, O. M., Jr. (2021). Christians against Christianity: How right-wing evangelicals are destroying our nation and our faith. Beacon Press. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/659573/christians-against-christianity-by-obery-m-hendricks-jr/
NBC News. (2025, September 21). Trump says ‘I hate my opponents’ at Charlie Kirk’s memorial [Video]. YouTube.
PBS NewsHour. (2025, September 13). Watch: Erika Kirk delivers first public remarks after fatal shooting of her husband Charlie Kirk. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-erika-kirk-delivers-first-public-remarks-after-fatal-shooting-of-her-husband-charlie-kirk
Public Religion Research Institute. (2025, June 18). Prophecy, Trump, and the justification of political violence. PRRI. https://prri.org/spotlight/prophecy-trump-and-the-justification-of-political-violence/
The Hill. (2025, September 17). DOJ removes far-right extremism study. The Hill. https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5507682-doj-removes-far-right-extremism-study/
Vegter, A. R., & Kelley, M. (2020). The Protestant ethic and the spirit of gun ownership. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 59(3), 526–540. https://doi.org/10.1111/jssr.12672
Whitehead, A. L., Schnabel, L., & Perry, S. L. (2018). Gun control in the crosshairs: Christian nationalism and opposition to stricter gun laws. Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World, 4, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/2378023118790189
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This article demonstrates the deception that has spread to call evil good and good evil. Yes I am insinuating the author of this article is deceived by powers of darkness, by the principalities, rulers, and authorities in the heavenly places.
Note this article did not mention the horrific response of tens of thousands of people that celebrated Charlie Kirks death? This includes late night talk show hosts lying about the shooter to cover up the truth and deceive many, and demonstrating a complete lack of respect to support those who are also so callous to the tragedy of gunning down an innocent man, father, and husband. The author tried to paint Kirk as a hateful man, when in actuallity he demonstrated a love for the lost to lay down his own life for the very person who killed him. The author failed to mention the hateful rhetoric towards Kirk from the main stream media which plays a role in gun violence.
The author also downplayed the impact Charlie Kirk had on the world. Millions of people were touched by his words to give them hope and direction in their lives. This was evident in the huge rallies honoring him around the world and filling a footbal stadium to the max, with thousands listening in outside.
Charlie Kirk was not simply a great man. He is a martyr, who died because of his faith in Christ and for speaking the truth. God is using this man, even after his death to establish God's Kingdom. Only those deceived by the evil can not see it.