Faith on the Frontier and the Silver Screen

This blog is influenced by my dad. He pretty much raised me on westerns, because they were so popular in his day. Saturday afternoons meant cowboys riding the range, cattle drives pushing through dust storms, and lawmen staring down outlaws. But alongside the shootouts and saloons, there was always something else—values. Justice. Integrity. Courage. And often, faith. My dad loved those stories. And I have no doubt he’s singing hymns with Gene Autry even now.

What many don’t realize is that faith was not just a Hollywood theme. The real cowboys, cattlemen, and lawmen of the Old West often carried a Bible alongside their six-shooter. And later, the actors who played them on the silver screen often shared the same hope. Their stories remind us that even in the dust and danger of the frontier, God’s grace was close at hand.

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Part One: Cattlemen of Faith

Charles Goodnight (1836–1929) was one of the greatest cattlemen in American history. He co-founded the Goodnight-Loving Trail, pushing herds through hostile terrain and dangerous weather. Yet he was not just a trailblazer—he was also a man of faith. Goodnight helped establish Presbyterian churches and supported Christian schools in Texas, believing that no frontier community was complete without the Word of God shaping it.¹ In James 1:22 we are told to “be doers of the word, and not hearers only.” Goodnight embodied that, not just hearing the Word but investing in places where it could be preached and lived.

His partner, Oliver Loving (1812–1867), carried a similar reputation. Known for his integrity, Loving was respected as a God-fearing man whose honesty earned him admiration across the frontier. Even after his death from wounds received in a Comanche attack, Loving was remembered not only for his cattle-driving skills but for his upright character.

John Chisum (1824–1884), the “Cattle King of the Pecos,” controlled immense ranching lands in New Mexico. While he is often remembered for his role in the Lincoln County War, Chisum also supported churches in the towns under his influence. He understood that the physical well-being of a community depended on more than cattle; it needed the moral and spiritual guidance that came through worship.

Henry Tunstall (1850–1878), a young English rancher who partnered with Chisum, is remembered for fairness and integrity in his dealings. Tunstall treated his ranch hands with respect, offered them schooling, and opposed corrupt business practices in Lincoln County.² His murder in 1878 set off the bloody conflict that made Billy the Kid infamous, but even his enemies acknowledged Tunstall’s decency and moral standards.

Charles Siringo (1855–1928) began life as a cowboy and later became a Pinkerton detective. His memoirs paint a vivid picture of trail life, including references to the Bible and the respect cowboys had for preaching when they could get it.³ Even in saloons and around campfires, cowboys knew faith was a part of the rhythm of life on the trail.

And then there was William “Buffalo Bill” Cody (1846–1917). Cody dazzled the world with his Wild West shows, but behind the celebrity stood a man who supported churches and Christian reform efforts in Nebraska later in life.⁴ The man who made the cowboy a global figure also believed the frontier needed more than entertainment—it needed faith.

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Part Two: Lawmen, Outlaws, and Redemption

The Old West is often remembered for its lawlessness, but its greatest lawmen often combined grit with moral conviction.

Bass Reeves (1838–1910) may be the most remarkable of them all. Born into slavery, Reeves escaped during the Civil War and eventually became the first Black deputy U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi. Over a 30-year career, he arrested more than 3,000 felons. Yet Reeves was known not only for his skill with a gun but also for his integrity and faith. He carried a Bible, sometimes tied up prisoners on the trail, and then preached to them as they rode to jail.⁵ Luke 19:10 says that the Son of Man came “to seek and to save the lost.” Reeves lived that truth in his work, showing that even criminals needed more than chains—they needed the hope of redemption.

Pat Garrett (1850–1908), famous as the sheriff who killed Billy the Kid, was both a rancher and lawman. Though not outspoken about faith like Reeves, Garrett embodied the Christian ethic of law and order, often defending his actions by appealing to justice and community responsibility.⁶ His partnership with men like Chisum and Tunstall shows how law, order, and morality were closely tied in the frontier.

On the other side of the law stood John Wesley Hardin (1853–1895), one of the most feared outlaws of the West. Hardin killed more than twenty men before he was captured and imprisoned. Yet in prison he studied law and the Bible, and some believe he experienced a genuine conversion.⁷ Upon release, he became an attorney in El Paso and was known for quoting Scripture. Hardin’s life is a sobering reminder that even the most hardened outlaw can encounter grace.

Bat Masterson (1853–1921) was another larger-than-life figure. From buffalo hunter to lawman to New York sportswriter, Masterson wore many hats. Raised in a Catholic family, he retained ties to the church throughout his life and was buried with Catholic rites.⁸ His life may not have been outwardly pious, but it was framed by the rhythms of faith.

Wild Bill Hickok (1837–1876) embodied the gunfighter mystique. He was a scout, gambler, and lawman, but in his later days, he was baptized into the Methodist church. His wife gave him a Bible, which he was said to have read in his final days in Deadwood. He died with that Scripture close at hand.⁹ Hickok’s story reminds us of the thief on the cross—grace can find us even at the end.

And towering above them all in terms of public influence was Sam Houston (1793–1863), hero of San Jacinto and president of the Republic of Texas. Houston’s life was one of battles, politics, and scandal. But in 1854, he was dramatically converted to Christianity. He was baptized in Little Rocky Creek, and afterward he supported mission work, funded churches, and spoke openly of his faith.¹⁰ “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation,” says 2 Corinthians 5:17. Houston lived that reality.

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Part Three: Teachers and Frontier Faith

The frontier was not just cattle and guns—it was also classrooms and pulpits.

Rev. Melvin Mills (1811–1883) was a Methodist minister and educator in New Mexico who helped establish schools and churches. His work reminds us of Proverbs 22:6: “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Mills lived this out by planting both education and faith in frontier soil.

Lew Wallace (1827–1905), governor of New Mexico during the Lincoln County War, was no cowboy but knew frontier violence firsthand. Out of that context, he wrote Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, one of the greatest Christian novels ever written. Wallace himself admitted that the book was part of his journey back to faith.¹¹ John 20:31 says the gospel accounts were written “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” Wallace’s novel echoed that gospel invitation for millions.

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Part Four: Cowboys on the Silver Screen

When the West moved from history to Hollywood, the thread of faith remained.

Roy Rogers (1911–1998), the “King of the Cowboys,” and his wife Dale Evans were outspoken Christians. Evans’s book Angel Unaware, written after the death of their daughter Robin, shared their hope in Christ with millions.¹² Their testimony is a living out of Matthew 5:16: “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Gene Autry (1907–1998), the “Singing Cowboy,” lived his faith more quietly but consistently. His music often drew on gospel influences, and his personal life reflected the decency and humility of his screen persona.

Stuart Hamblen (1908–1989), once a hard-living cowboy singer and actor, experienced a dramatic conversion under Billy Graham. He left behind gambling and drinking and became one of the first Hollywood celebrities to openly proclaim Christ.

Ken Curtis (1916–1991), beloved as Festus on Gunsmoke, also sang gospel music and openly affirmed his Christian faith.

And Tom Mix (1880–1940), the first great cowboy movie star, was known for supporting Christian gatherings and lending his celebrity to church events. Even the silent screen carried echoes of faith.

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Conclusion

The cowboy legend is usually told in terms of grit, dust, and danger. But if you look closely, you’ll see another story woven through it: faith.

Charles Goodnight building churches. Oliver Loving remembered for honesty. Henry Tunstall standing for fairness. Bass Reeves preaching to his prisoners. John Wesley Hardin quoting Scripture after years as an outlaw. Sam Houston stepping into the waters of baptism. Pat Garrett standing for law and order. Rev. Melvin Mills teaching children on the frontier. Lew Wallace writing Ben-Hur. Roy Rogers and Dale Evans singing gospel hymns.

The West was never just about cattle and gun smoke. It was also about Bibles in saddlebags, hymns sung under starlight, and redemption breaking into even the hardest lives.

Faith was never far from the frontier. And maybe that’s why those old westerns still resonate. They echo something deeper—the truth that no matter how rough the trail, God’s grace rides with us. As Psalm 23 says, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.”

The cowboys, cattlemen, and even the outlaws of the Old West remind us that the Good Shepherd was with them on the trail. And He rides with us still.

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Footnotes

1. J. Evetts Haley, Charles Goodnight: Cowman and Plainsman (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1949).
2. Robert M. Utley, High Noon in Lincoln: Violence on the Western Frontier (Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1987).
3. Charles A. Siringo, A Texas Cowboy (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1989).
4. Don Russell, The Lives and Legends of Buffalo Bill (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1960).
5. Art T. Burton, Black Gun, Silver Star: The Life and Legend of Frontier Marshal Bass Reeves (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2006).
6. Leon Metz, Pat Garrett: The Story of a Western Lawman (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1973).
7. Leon Metz, John Wesley Hardin: Dark Angel of Texas (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1996).
8. Robert K. DeArment, Bat Masterson: The Man and the Legend (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1979).
9. Joseph G. Rosa, They Called Him Wild Bill (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1964).
10. William Seale, Sam Houston’s Wife: A Biography of Margaret Lea Houston (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1970).
11. Lew Wallace, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1880).
12. Dale Evans Rogers, Angel Unaware (New York: Revell, 1953).