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Chapter 6

The Davidian TraditionBill Pitts

The Davidians are a small religious group whose message is firmly anchoredin millennialist thought. For decades hardly anyone paid this movement anyattention. The ATP siege in February 1993, and the Branch Davidianresponse produced deaths on both sides and began an exhausting standoffwhich received extended media coverage in the United States and aroundthe world. David Koresh's success in defying the government for weeks,compounded with the tragic holocaust at Mt. Carmel, made the BranchDavidians and David Koresh household names. I t would not be surprisingto find reference to this episode in history texts generations from now. Theevent has far-reaching implications for American religion and society andprovides occasion for reflection on several significant issues. What, forexample, should the church and its biblical interpreters do with apocalypticmaterials? How does a religious leader acquire power over others and whydo they concede the direction of their lives to someone else? How muchpower should the state exercise over religious groups and how free areAmericans? How has the event affected people's views of religion? Willthe Davidian movement survive?

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