Big Jesus : Christian tourism and far-right influence in the Arkansas Ozarks
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The following contains the masters thesis, "Big Jesus: Christian Tourism and Far-Right Influence in the Arkansas Ozarks," by Kaylee Cook. The title refers to Christ of the Ozarks, an imposing, stark-white Jesus statue built atop Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Gerald L.K. Smith, after decades of fringe, far-right political activity, built it in 1966 before constructing additional, adjacent shrines, including a largescale production of the Passion Play, a religious performance depicting Jesus Christ's last week on earth. The first two chapters explore Eureka Springs' history, Smith's controversial career, his eventual delve into Christian tourism in the Ozarks region, and his complicated relationship with residents there. Smith's projects revitalized Eureka Springs' economy, but residents, including a growing influx of countercultural back-to-the-landers, faced the dilemma of being associated with the notorious extremist, anti-Semite, and political outcast. The town eventually displayed a seemingly contradictory embrace of Smith. This thesis explores how these outwardly progressive Americans decided to engage with, or at least tolerate, a far-right figure to stimulate their struggling local economy, and how Christians similarly overlooked or even endorsed his harmful beliefs to advance their religious cause. The concluding segments utilize Gerald L.K. Smith and Eureka Springs as a case study on compromised values in the search for economic or religious gain.
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M.A.