Abstract:

The 1993 Branch Davidian tragedy in Waco, Texas is a disquieting event in American history because it violates the metanarratives of tolerance and pluralism. My analysis of the secondary literature on Waco illuminates the conditions that made the Branch Davidians targets for regulation: the presumed tolerance of American society towards religious differences and the basic 'good' of authentic religion. The Branch Davidians could not be tolerated because of their weapons stockpile, alleged sexual and corporeal abuse of children and practice of polygamy. I argue that these actions contributed to a rescue narrative that justified the government's intervention, but the significance of how mainstream sexual and gender conventions influence expectations for authentic religion has been overlooked in the secondary literature. I argue that by incorporating themes of sexuality and gender into the study of religion and conflict and American ideas of religious authenticity, a more comprehensive view of American culture emerges.