The relationship between man and fire has always been precarious. History has cast fire in various roles: heat, tool, ceremony, weapon and metaphor. The history of fire is a history of man. The mechanical utility and the symbolic imagery of fire transcend historical, geographical and cultural divisions. From Prometheus to Lucifer, fire has found regular employment in allegorical social admonition. Arson continues to be utilized by the revolutionary avant-garde despite centuries of technical and political refinement. Insomuch as fire frightens us it fascinates us; this essay attempts to excavate a subjective appreciation for what it means to brandish fire for political gain.
This study employs contemporary case studies to examine the continued use of arson in fringe political movements-guerrilla politics. The first study contextualizes the use of arson as subversive politics in reviewing the 1933 Reichstag fire in pre-War Nazi Germany. The final case study explores the transition to arson as terrorism. The 1990s witnessed the emergence of a church arson 'epidemic' in the American Deep South that revived memories of the racial symbolism employed by the Ku Klux Klan. Each case of arson while loosely connected soon fell subject to the same familiar political rhetoric.
While widely condemned, the social outcries over perceived arson threats are generally short-lived. Every 'epidemic' is met with conveniently amorphous definitions easily recast by 'moral entrepreneurs' awaiting infamy. The utility of arson paradoxically becomes less a function of the arsonists seeking change, rather benefiting the very structures it seeks to destroy. Conceived out of resistance, arson is easily coopted by whoever commands the larger audience, to which chemistry happily obliges.
","abstract_html":"<p>The relationship between man and fire has always been precarious. History has cast fire in various roles: heat, tool, ceremony, weapon and metaphor. The history of fire is a history of man. The mechanical utility and the symbolic imagery of fire transcend historical, geographical and cultural divisions. From Prometheus to Lucifer, fire has found regular employment in allegorical social admonition. Arson continues to be utilized by the revolutionary avant-garde despite centuries of technical and political refinement. Insomuch as fire frightens us it fascinates us; this essay attempts to excavate a subjective appreciation for what it means to brandish fire for political gain. </p> <p>This study employs contemporary case studies to examine the continued use of arson in fringe political movements-guerrilla politics. The first study contextualizes the use of arson as subversive politics in reviewing the 1933 Reichstag fire in pre-War Nazi Germany. The final case study explores the transition to arson as terrorism. The 1990s witnessed the emergence of a church arson 'epidemic' in the American Deep South that revived memories of the racial symbolism employed by the Ku Klux Klan. Each case of arson while loosely connected soon fell subject to the same familiar political rhetoric. </p> <p>While widely condemned, the social outcries over perceived arson threats are generally short-lived. Every 'epidemic' is met with conveniently amorphous definitions easily recast by 'moral entrepreneurs' awaiting infamy. The utility of arson paradoxically becomes less a function of the arsonists seeking change, rather benefiting the very structures it seeks to destroy. Conceived out of resistance, arson is easily coopted by whoever commands the larger audience, to which chemistry happily obliges. </p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Hinds-Aldrich, Matthew"],"institution":"Eastern Kentucky University","degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Master's","degree_discipline":"Justice Studies","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2006,"date_issued":"2006-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2006-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:15:13Z","subjects":["arson","fire prevention","terrorism","Criminology and Criminal Justice"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright 2006 Matthew Hinds-Aldrich"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/92","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Hinds-Aldrich, Matthew"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Encompass Digital Archive, Eastern Kentucky University"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Master Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Justice Studies"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Master's"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Eastern Kentucky University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["arson","fire prevention","terrorism","Criminology and Criminal Justice"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright 2006 Matthew Hinds-Aldrich"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/92"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The relationship between man and fire has always been precarious. History has cast fire in various roles: heat, tool, ceremony, weapon and metaphor. The history of fire is a history of man. The mechanical utility and the symbolic imagery of fire transcend historical, geographical and cultural divisions. From Prometheus to Lucifer, fire has found regular employment in allegorical social admonition. Arson continues to be utilized by the revolutionary avant-garde despite centuries of technical and political refinement. Insomuch as fire frightens us it fascinates us; this essay attempts to excavate a subjective appreciation for what it means to brandish fire for political gain.
This study employs contemporary case studies to examine the continued use of arson in fringe political movements-guerrilla politics. The first study contextualizes the use of arson as subversive politics in reviewing the 1933 Reichstag fire in pre-War Nazi Germany. The final case study explores the transition to arson as terrorism. The 1990s witnessed the emergence of a church arson 'epidemic' in the American Deep South that revived memories of the racial symbolism employed by the Ku Klux Klan. Each case of arson while loosely connected soon fell subject to the same familiar political rhetoric.
While widely condemned, the social outcries over perceived arson threats are generally short-lived. Every 'epidemic' is met with conveniently amorphous definitions easily recast by 'moral entrepreneurs' awaiting infamy. The utility of arson paradoxically becomes less a function of the arsonists seeking change, rather benefiting the very structures it seeks to destroy. Conceived out of resistance, arson is easily coopted by whoever commands the larger audience, to which chemistry happily obliges.
"]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:source","label":"Dc Source","values":["Encompass Digital Archive: Online Theses and Dissertations"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Burning Construction: From a pathogenic etiology to a terrorist ideology, the social construction of arson"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Hinds-Aldrich, Matthew"],"dc:description.abstract":["The relationship between man and fire has always been precarious. History has cast fire in various roles: heat, tool, ceremony, weapon and metaphor. The history of fire is a history of man. The mechanical utility and the symbolic imagery of fire transcend historical, geographical and cultural divisions. From Prometheus to Lucifer, fire has found regular employment in allegorical social admonition. Arson continues to be utilized by the revolutionary avant-garde despite centuries of technical and political refinement. Insomuch as fire frightens us it fascinates us; this essay attempts to excavate a subjective appreciation for what it means to brandish fire for political gain.
This study employs contemporary case studies to examine the continued use of arson in fringe political movements-guerrilla politics. The first study contextualizes the use of arson as subversive politics in reviewing the 1933 Reichstag fire in pre-War Nazi Germany. The final case study explores the transition to arson as terrorism. The 1990s witnessed the emergence of a church arson 'epidemic' in the American Deep South that revived memories of the racial symbolism employed by the Ku Klux Klan. Each case of arson while loosely connected soon fell subject to the same familiar political rhetoric.
While widely condemned, the social outcries over perceived arson threats are generally short-lived. Every 'epidemic' is met with conveniently amorphous definitions easily recast by 'moral entrepreneurs' awaiting infamy. The utility of arson paradoxically becomes less a function of the arsonists seeking change, rather benefiting the very structures it seeks to destroy. Conceived out of resistance, arson is easily coopted by whoever commands the larger audience, to which chemistry happily obliges.
"],"dc:format":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier":["https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/92"],"dc:publisher":["Encompass Digital Archive, Eastern Kentucky University"],"dc:rights":["Copyright 2006 Matthew Hinds-Aldrich"],"dc:source":["Encompass Digital Archive: Online Theses and Dissertations"],"dc:subject":["arson","fire prevention","terrorism","Criminology and Criminal Justice"],"dc:title":["Burning Construction: From a pathogenic etiology to a terrorist ideology, the social construction of arson"],"dc:type":["Master Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Justice Studies"],"thesis:degree_level":["Master's"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"],"thesis:institution_name":["Eastern Kentucky University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:15:13Z"}