Righteous Armies, Holy Causes

the long version

"A recurring theme for American myth-makers, particularly in times of crisis or national self-doubt, has been the Apocalypse. Nowhere is this pattern more evident than in cultural responses to the Civil War.". "The war, according to many Christians, must have been sent from God; either God was punishing the nation for allowing slavery to exist or he was reproving worldly humanists for destroying a divine institution. But slavery was not the only issue. Individuals who attempted to explain the war's horrors looked inside themselves and saw moral blights that needed removal. Or they looked at their opponents and saw political corruption.". "Terrie Aamodt's writing is followed by an appendix with numerous primary documents, including selections by E.P. Worth, Herman Melville, James R. Randall, Julia Ward Howe, and Harry Flash. Aamodt clearly demonstrates the significance of religious belief in the minds and hearts of those who lived during the Civil War."--BOOK JACKET.