Cowboy Apocalypse
Religion and the Myth of the Vigilante Messiah
Published on 25. February 2025
Book
Hardback
320 pages
978-1-4798-3162-3 (ISBN)
Description
Charts the myth of the "good guy with a gun," connecting America's frontier beginnings with visions of the end of the world
In the midst of widespread mass shootings in America, a common motif stands out: the perpetrators of these attacks often view themselves as vigilante saviors, whose job it is to regulate society in a way that exterminates their enemies.
In this fascinating critique, Rachel Wagner makes the case that this unfortunate phenomenon is best understood through the idea of the cowboy apocalypse. She shows that across much US media, from video games and blockbuster movies to novels and TV, a story arc has been created that provides a complete myth about the end of the world and the future after that. In these stories, the cowboy messiah is envisioned as a good guy with a gun. But he doesn't save the world. He just saves his world: he protects his family and others he deems worthy while embracing the chance to wipe the global slate clean and start fresh, with survivors testing their mettle on a new frontier.
Wagner illuminates the links between Christian apocalypticism, American gun culture, and the romanticization of the white male-dominated American frontier, showing how the vigilante has come to be regarded as a new savior figure, out to protect the world for white supremacy and patriarchy. She also offers ways to respond with other powerful cultural myths, making use of media to tell other stories. Cowboy Apocalypse offers a new means of making sense of how guns profoundly shape American life, and how we might engage with them otherwise.
In the midst of widespread mass shootings in America, a common motif stands out: the perpetrators of these attacks often view themselves as vigilante saviors, whose job it is to regulate society in a way that exterminates their enemies.
In this fascinating critique, Rachel Wagner makes the case that this unfortunate phenomenon is best understood through the idea of the cowboy apocalypse. She shows that across much US media, from video games and blockbuster movies to novels and TV, a story arc has been created that provides a complete myth about the end of the world and the future after that. In these stories, the cowboy messiah is envisioned as a good guy with a gun. But he doesn't save the world. He just saves his world: he protects his family and others he deems worthy while embracing the chance to wipe the global slate clean and start fresh, with survivors testing their mettle on a new frontier.
Wagner illuminates the links between Christian apocalypticism, American gun culture, and the romanticization of the white male-dominated American frontier, showing how the vigilante has come to be regarded as a new savior figure, out to protect the world for white supremacy and patriarchy. She also offers ways to respond with other powerful cultural myths, making use of media to tell other stories. Cowboy Apocalypse offers a new means of making sense of how guns profoundly shape American life, and how we might engage with them otherwise.
Reviews / Votes
"Ambitious and wide-ranging, this is a thought-provoking dissection of one of America's founding stories and its lingering effects." (Publishers Weekly) "A compelling exploration and analysis of guns and apocalyptic thinking in media." (Library Journal) "Wagner fluently combines analyses of media, material culture, and political and social history to demonstrate how the myth of the righteous gunman has developed into a basis for a violent, white supremacist ideology. She also maps out an alternative vision based on inclusivity and nonviolence, to show that there are better stories that we can choose to live by. Her arguments are persuasive and powerful, and we need to hear them." - John Lyden, author of Film as Religion: Myths, Morals, and Rituals. "Rachel Wagner's Cowboy Apocalypse packs a wallop. It is a rowdy and illuminating look at a profoundly vibrant mythology in America centered around guns, cowboys, and the end of the world. Part of its achievement is the way it ties this mythology to popular cultures, religious sensibilities, and political realities. Wagner expertly delivers an insightful, highly readable study of what is truly a frightening fixture in the American imagination." - Gary Laderman, author of Don't Think About Death: A Memoir on Mortality "Sorting through history, theology, literature, video games, and the movies, Cowboy Apocalypse unveils the cultural mythologies behind the gun-soaked environment of the United States. From Buffalo Bill to John Wayne to The Walking Dead, Wagner points toward a quasi-religious understanding of cowboys and guns." - SB Rodriguez-Plate, author of Religion and Film: Cinema and the Re-Creation of the WorldMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Product notice
Trade binding
Illustrations
1 b/w image
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 22 mm
Weight
629 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4798-3162-3 (9781479831623)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Rachel Wagner is Professor of Religious Studies and Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religion at Ithaca College. She is the author of Godwired: Religion, Ritual and Virtual Reality.