The Martyrs of Columbine

'...meticulous research...' - Union -Tribune, San Diego 'Author Justin Watson sifts through the cinders carefully [and] concludes that evangelicals over-reached...' - San Diego Union-Tribune 'The book is useful as an in-depth journalistic account of the tragedy and its aftermath.' - P. Kivisto, Choice '. . . meticulously documents this enduring use of martyrdom for political purposes...with a fair but skeptical eye'. - Salon.com '...the main focus of this excellent, brief study is on the way the contrasting interpretations of the killings have been offered by the political left and evangelical right in America.' - Paul Richardson, Church of England Newspaper ' . . . 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

JUSTIN WATSON is the author of The Christian Coalition: Dreams of Restoration, Demands for Recognition. He is currently visiting assistant professor at Lafayette College.

Introduction: 'It Pierced the Soul of America' Martyrdom: The Blood of the Martyrs Is Seed Cassie Bernall: 'Feeding the World with One Word' Rachel Scott: 'Starting a Chain Reaction' The Politics of Martyrdom: 'I Will Heal Their Land' Defenders and Debunkers: 'What Really Happened?' Conclusion: 'When the Legend Becomes Fact, Print the Legend'