Monday, February 6, 2012

Upon the Altar of the Nation by Harry Stout




Past and present views of the Wilderness Church on the Chancellorsville battleground.
I just finished reading Upon the Altar of the Nation by Harry Stout, a scholarly book that examines the morality of the Civil War and particularly the role of evangelical Christianity.  Since my story line in Hiram's Honor dealt with the differences between soldiers and their views of the Bible and God, I was looking for evidence that religion was a major factor in the lives of Civil War soldiers.  As Stout so adroitly presents, discussions of faith played not only a major role in the lives of individuals but also in the general prosecution of the war, on both sides.  I recommend this book to anyone wishing to more on this topic.