Almost half of Gen-Z and Millennial Americans have tattoos, and among these are many young Christians who have embraced the increasingly popular craze of getting images of religious and personal significance permanently engraved on themselves.

Several students at The King’s College offered their thoughts in regard to their tattoos and the controversy that exists within the Christian community.

The Meaning Behind the Tattoos

“‘Paz’ means ‘peace’ in Spanish… I really wanted to get a tattoo of it just as a reminder because I’m an anxious person and I’m always in need of peace,” said Lexie Ludlam, a senior in the House of Sojourner Truth. “I was a missionary kid in the Dominican Republic, which is why I wanted it to be in Spanish– to represent that part of my life.”

As for the feather, Ludlam described its connection to Psalm 91:4, which states that “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”

Ludlam also chose to add the feather in order to remember a family friend named Angie Walker. The only casualty after a tornado strike in 2018, Walker was a long-time supporter of the Ludlam family’s work in the Dominican Republic.

“She had the feather for Psalm 91:4,” Ludlam said. “She was just a wonderful person, and I wanted to honor her for everything she did for my family.”

“I got my tattoos because it allows me to openly express my faith,” said Jonathan ‘Jonny’ Allen, a junior in the House of C.S. Lewis.. “All my tattoos are tied to some Biblical concept.”

His first tattoo is “Psalm 68:5” written out in Roman numerals. The passage states, “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.”

This tattoo serves as a personal reminder for Allen.

“My dad left when I was born. Jesus did not leave when I was born. You do the math,” he explained.

Allen’s most recently finished work, a crown of thorns surrounded by roses is his most notable tattoo.

“It symbolizes Jesus giving us new life and salvation,” Allen said. “The cross provided the perfect atoning sacrifice for the sin of all humanity, and the crown of thorns was our King’s extra bearing of our sin. Every time I’m wearing 5-inch inseam shorts and I look down, I’m reminded I’m loved and forgiven.”

In addition to the Biblical illustrations, a nod to the House system can be found adjacent to the cross. Allen serves the House of Lewis as Helmsman and is serious about his role in the community.

“I have a C.S. Lewis tattoo on my body because my body is in the house of C.S. Lewis,” Allen said.

Reed Barrett, a junior in the House of Lewis, got his first tattoo in 2021 during a gap year program with the organization World Race.

“It’s Greek for ‘under grace’ and comes from Romans 6:14,” Barrett said.

That passage states, “For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.”

“I got it because I had been spending a lot of time with the Lord and even teaching about what grace meant in regards to my performance… Ultimately, grace does not rely on my performance,” Barrett said.

Barrett also has a House-related tattoo, which he got done with his fellow exec member Allen.

“Me and Jonny got them together,” Allen said. “It symbolizes our eternal commitment to the House of C.S. Lewis. We’re Lewis born and Lewis bred, and when we die we’ll be Lewis dead.”

Greta Williams, a sophomore in the House of Clara Barton, has had several tattoos done over the last few years. All of them are rooted in her Christian faith.

“My tattoos are all representative of my testimony,” Williams said. “The olive branch with ‘maranatha’ inside the branch is a reminder of God's promise to return and restore. The olive branch represents shalom, and maranatha roughly translates to “come O Lord.”

Her thigh tattoo says “sufficient grace.”

“I got this because of 2 Corinthians 12 – a reminder to be content in weakness because Christ’s power is perfected in weakness,” Williams said.

“Hallelujah” is one of Williams’ most significant tattoos, which reminds her to “never stray from worshiping God” in everything she does.

Nick Rommel, a junior in the House of Winston Churchill, completed his striking forearm piece in the spring of 2022.

“The tattoo was inspired by Ephesians 6, which discusses the whole armor of God… it talks about the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God,” Rommel said.

Rommel incorporated some Hebraic language into the piece. He explained that the writing on the blade translates to “into the sword.”

“It's very symbolic of how I try to incorporate God’s Word into my life and into the different battles I may face as a Christian,” Rommel added.

Like many who decide to get inked, Iggy Lueck, a junior in the House of Susan B. Anthony’s tattoos are easily covered.

Not every tattoo is completed by a professional artist. Sometimes, people take matters into their own hands.

“I had this stick-and-poke of a smiley face on my hip because one of my friends used to draw it on me every Saturday at church,” Lueck said.“I thought it would be fun to have it and I haven’t regretted it– that was when I was 17 and I’m almost 23 so it’s been a while.”

“The second one is the star because I used to doodle that a lot last year. The third one is a car seat headrest because of the band Car Seat Headrest,” Lueck said.

The tattoos were done by Noelle Dankert, an alumna who used to live across the hall from Lueck at Devos, with a small at-home tattoo gun.

“I gave myself two stick-and-poke tattoos in February of my junior year,” said Grace Henry, a freshman in the House of Corrie Ten Boom. “I was bored and my boyfriend at the time was recovering from an ACL injury so I wanted to entertain him.”

Henry used India ink, a sewing needle attached to a pencil and some thread.

“I have a heart tattoo on my hip and I tried to give myself a sternum tattoo but I stopped,” Henry said. “I decided I was doing it for the wrong reasons.”

Opposition towards Tattoos

Not everyone at King’s has or approves of tattoos. Several students discussed why they oppose tattoos and will never get inked.

“I would say that upbringing has definitely informed me and raised me in a sense that we are to live our lives unblemished before the Lord,” said Colton Taussig, a freshman in the House of Ronald Reagan. “We don’t want to bring anything besides ourselves before God and not any remnant of the material world.”

Taussig said that these are the reasons why he has never supported tattoos. While he does not condemn Christians with tattoos for participating in “something that isn’t explicitly stated within Scripture,” he does believe that the verses in Leviticus oppose tattoos.

“From a young age, everyone said that it was not right to get tattoos, especially in a Jewish private school. They just said ‘no’. One of the popular reasons why is because if you get one you’re not allowed to be buried in a Jewish cemetery,” said Steven Nasar, a freshman in the House of Churchill.

Nasar explained that the Jewish belief is that people should exit the world in the same condition that they entered.

“You shouldn’t blemish your body in any way,” Nasar said.

Addressing the Tattoo Controversy in the Church

Ludlam acknowledged that the Christian community can vary when it comes to what is or isn’t acceptable, but stated that “As a Christian, I don’t feel guilty about having a tattoo.”

Barret noted that the morality behind tattoos revolves around heart posture. “Also, your tattoos should be sick if you’re a Christian,” he added. “Stop making Christians look lame with lame tattoos.”

On the other hand, Williams warned that Christians should be careful when it comes to community stigmas, saying, “I feel like oftentimes disapproval is delivered very much out of contempt rather than love.”

“Being aware as to the intent of the tattoos and the purpose of the artwork is essential to the decision-making process of getting a tattoo,” Rommel explained.

When it comes to negative stigma within Christian spheres, Luek noted, “I have seen a lot of backlash about tattoos in the Christian community, but at the same time I’ve seen a lot of Christians who like to get religious tattoos,” Luek continued, “They like to judge the content of them, and I don’t know if I necessarily agree with that.”

“I think the stigmatism about having tattoos and being sinful or evil is very legalistic. Your appearance doesn’t define your salvation or spirituality,” Henry said. “I think it is very possible to glorify God in your tattoos.”

There are a variety of perspectives within the Christian community about whether “marking your body” is right or wrong. While Leviticus 19:28 is cited by many as a clear commandment to avoid getting inked, others claim the New Covenant does not label tattoos as evil.

Although tattoos in America were once highly stigmatized, and even banned in New York City until 1997, that trend has drastically reversed. Now, almost a third of Americans have permanently inked works somewhere on their body.

Younger generations of Christians continue to engage in the increasingly popular trend of getting tattoos. This increase suggests a newfound desire for tattoos to be rebranded and embraced as an art form with the intent of glorifying God.

“Tattoos, especially for me, allow me to express my faith openly so if you want to call that controversial then maybe you’re the one that needs reevaluating,” Allen said.

Julia Jensen is a sophomore studying Politics, Philosophy, and Economics. She is also the President of TKC Students for Life.

Tattoos of King’s: The Meaning and Controversy Behind the Ink

The Meaning Behind the Tattoos

Opposition towards Tattoos

Addressing the Tattoo Controversy in the Church