The Martyrs of Columbine: Faith and the Politics of Tragedy [Hardcover]

Justin Watson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 9, 2002

On April 20, 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed 12 fellow students and one teacher at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. Two of the victims of the Columbine massacre, Cassie Bernall and Rachel Scott, reportedly were asked by the gunmen if they believed in God. Both allegedly answered “Yes” and were killed. Within days of their death, Cassie and Rachel were hailed as modern-day Christian martyrs, and became useful symbols for those seeking to advance a conservative political agenda. According to police investigators, however, Cassie and Rachel may never have been asked by their killers about God; they simply may have been victims of a senseless crime rather than martyrs to a cause. As the religious and political use of Cassie and Rachel continues, The Martyrs of Columbine provides a careful examination of the available evidence and attempts to discover what really occurred.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The book is useful as an in-depth journalistic account of the tragedy and its aftermath..."--P. Kivisto, Choice
“ . . . Watson has also told a riveting and quintessentially American tale of intrigue and mythmaking, tragedy and exploitation.”--Randall Balmer, Barnard College, Columbia University
“This is a fascinating exploration of the lives and posthumous careers of two of the teenagers killed at Columbine High School in 1999. After their deaths, Cassie Bernall and, to a lesser extent, Rachel Scott became at once role models for America's evangelical subculture and rhetorical weapons in the country's ongoing culture wars. By showing us who the girls were and how the story of their supposed martyrdom was created, disseminated, and interpreted, Justin Watson has provided invaluable insight into the ways American culture transforms local tragedies into political morality tales for the nation as a whole.”--Mark Silk, Director, The Leonard E. Greenberg Center for the Study of Religion in Public Life, Trinity College, Hartford, CT
". . . meticulously documents this enduring use of martyrdom for political purposes...with a fair but skeptical eye."--Salon.com

About the Author

Justin Watson is the author of The Christian Coalition: Dreams of Restoration, Demands for Recognition and lives in Easton, Pennsylvania.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan; 1 edition (November 9, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312239572
• ISBN-13: 978-0312239572
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,966,564 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book That Looks Into The Controversies Of Columbine, January 15, 2003

By 

J "jeffm791610" (NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Martyrs of Columbine: Faith and the Politics of Tragedy (Hardcover)

I read this book not too long ago and I think that it's a great book that looks into some of the controversies of Columbine(i.e. whether Rachel Scott was mentioned in the "Basement Tapes" or not, whether Cassie Bernall was asked whether she believed in God or wehther it was another person[who survived]).

From all I've learned about what happened, I'm very skeptical that the Rachel and Cassie stories are true.

I think that it's a rush to judgement to say that certain stroies are true(especially when there is evidence that suggest otherwise)and I think that the main lesson of this book is that "don't take things at face value".

13 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Big disapointment, July 3, 2004

By 

M. Haas (Michigan,USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Martyrs of Columbine: Faith and the Politics of Tragedy (Hardcover)

I was very disapointed in the book.Basicly the writer took bits and pieces from books written by others,twisted their words and put his own spin on it.It repeats itself over and over being so repetative I had to put it down.There are good books out there written by people who were there.I suggest you take a look at those.I read many good one's but this book wasnt in that catagory.

6 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Telling Book, January 3, 2006

By 

Princetonian "A. K. Haj" (Princeton, New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Martyrs of Columbine: Faith and the Politics of Tragedy (Hardcover)

I read this book after reading "She Said Yes," by the Bernall family. I simply cannot see how the public will accept much of the information that the Bernall family provides for Cassie's death. What I feel is that a religious community has entangled this issue with a social agenda. Justin Watson flatly disproves or casts doubt on claims that the media takes for granted. For that, you should read his book.

As a book, Martyrs of Columbine is very readable and thorough. Although at times, Justin Watson seems to insert his personal opinion (especially in a chapter about the media's treatment of the event), his commentary is logical and is usually quite revealing of the politics in the American religious movement.