God's Almost Chosen Peoples: A Religious History of the American Civil War (Littlefield History of the Civil War Era) [Hardcover]

George C. Rable (Author)

Book Description

Release date: November 25, 2010 | Series: Littlefield History of the Civil War Era

Throughout the Civil War, soldiers and civilians on both sides of the conflict saw the hand of God in the terrible events of the day, but the standard narratives of the period pay scant attention to religion. Now, in God's Almost Chosen Peoples, Lincoln Prize-winning historian George C. Rable offers a groundbreaking account of how Americans of all political and religious persuasions used faith to interpret the course of the war.

Examining a wide range of published and unpublished documents--including sermons, official statements from various churches, denominational papers and periodicals, and letters, diaries, and newspaper articles--Rable illuminates the broad role of religion during the Civil War, giving attention to often-neglected groups such as Mormons, Catholics, blacks, and people from the Trans-Mississippi region. The book underscores religion's presence in the everyday lives of Americans north and south struggling to understand the meaning of the conflict, from the tragedy of individual death to victory and defeat in battle and even the ultimate outcome of the war. Rable shows that themes of providence, sin, and judgment pervaded both public and private writings about the conflict. Perhaps most important, this volume--the only comprehensive religious history of the war--highlights the resilience of religious faith in the face of political and military storms the likes of which Americans had never before endured.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Apart from Charles Regan Wilson's classic Baptized in the Blood: The Religion of the Lost Cause, 1865–1920, Civil War historians have often neglected the story of religion in their chronicles of America's sectarian conflict. In this brilliant and groundbreaking book, University of Alabama historian Rable draws upon newspapers, sermons, diaries, letters, and journals to show that many people on both sides of the conflict turned to faith to help explain the war's causes, course, and consequences. Rable demonstrates that both Northerners and Southerners tried to make sense of the brutal war by thumbing through their Bibles, listening to their preachers, and interpreting battles as a fulfillment of a divine plan. Thus, Stephen Alexander Hodgman, a Northerner who had lived in the South for 32 years before the war, declared that God had not just sealed the doom of slavery, but that the war had helped prepare the way for the reign of Christ. Because of its thorough research and its chronicle of the lives of ordinary people, Rable's engrossing study of the role of religion in the Civil War will stand as the definitive religious history of America's most divisive conflict. (Nov.)
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Review

"A thorough history of religion in that seminal conflict that scholars of both American religion and the Civil War should read."
-Alabama Review

"The reader of this book is left with many insights, many things to reconsider through the lens of religion."
-Georgia Historical Quarterly

"This work harbors an inner virtue worthy of its subjects. . . . Rable has recorded [religion's] voice with both particular singularity and universal resonance, providing a full soundtrack to the largely silent film that has been Civil War religious history."
-Southern Historian

"God's Almost Chosen Peoples is one of the most significant books published in recent years on a Civil War subject. Impeccably researched and gracefully written, it fills a significant void in the historiography of the conflict….God's Almost Chosen Peoples should stand for years as the definitive work on religion and the Civil War. The author's research is meticulous, his narrative flowing, and his judgments sound. Dr. Rable's important book is recommended without reservation."
-Blue and Gray Magazine

"Deeply researched and written with subtlety and skill. . . . Rable's book will become a classic."
-Christian Century

"Rable handles these topics with skill. His book sets a high standard for historians who might want to delve deeper into the relationship between war and religion. . . .Important, pathbreaking book. Highly recommended. Most levels/libraries."
-Choice

"Rable taps into the extensive scholarly literature on Civil War chaplains."
-The North Carolina Historical Review

"The most comprehensive and deeply researched account of the role of religion in the American Civil War to date. . . . No other study has canvassed such a collection of source materials on the topic. . . . God's Almost Chosen Peoples should become the starting point for any future studies of religion and the Civil War."
-Civil War Book Review

"Rable's characteristically superb research unearthed more than 280 manuscript collections bearing on this topic."--
-America's Civil War

"Until George C. Rable's God's Almost Chosen Peoples . . . an exploration of the role of religion has been strangely absent from the standard histories of the sectional conflict."
-Foreword Magazine

"An excellent analysis. . . . Stands out for its accessibility and thorough research. . . . Highly recommended for readers of Civil War history or American religious history."
-Library Journal

"A comprehensive look at America's religious feelings....A fair balanced inclusive presentation."
-TOCWOC: A Civil War Blog

"Research [this] estimable warrants delighted admiration, even were it presented without any special éclat--as so often is the case. But Rable's prose breaks the mold and makes God's Almost Chosen Peoples gratifying reading, accessible to any audience. . . . Interesting and important."
-America's Civil War

"Masterful . . . . By successfully synthesizing recent scholarship and plowing new ground as well, this book takes its place as the best volume published thus far in the Littlefield History of the Civil War Era."
-American Historical Review

"Rable's sweeping book synthesizes a massive amount of primary source material and provides a narrative that unfolds as intensely as the war it chronicles."
-Journal of American History

"A groundbreaking account. . . . Examining a wide range of published and unpublished documents . . . Rable illuminates the broad role of religion during the Civil War. . . . The only comprehensive religious history of the war. . . . Will make an important addition to your Civil War library. . . . Excellent."
-Lone Star Book Review

"Rable's sweeping synthesis invites reflection on the growing body of work on religion in the Civil War and on the meaning of 'a religious history' of the war."
-Arkansas Historical Quarterly

"Brilliant and groundbreaking. . . . Rable's engrossing study of the role of religion in the Civil War will stand as the definitive religious history of America's most divisive conflict."
-Publishers Weekly starred review

"Impressively researched and well written, this book will appeal especially to specialists in the areas of the nineteenth-century United States, American church history, and the Civil War. . . . Scholars for many years to come will turn to Rable for a definitive synthesis of a subject too long neglected."
-Indiana Magazine of History

"Religion in the Civil War has been an understudied subject, but Rable's thorough study goes a long way toward rectifying the neglect. . . . A heroic feat of research."
-James M. McPherson, The New York Review of Books

"No short review can do justice to the depth of research and the command of subject that distinguish Rable's book."
-Church History

"Encompasses a wide range of religious expression in the United States at the time. . . . Contains many anecdotes that illustrate how religion played an essential part in the war."
-University of Alabama News

"Rable's work attests that historians cannot understand the Civil War without including the role of religion and that those who ignore it misapprehend how those who lived during the war saw the conflict."
-Utah Historical Quarterly

"The kind of in-depth study of the role of religion in American wars that will appeal to a wide range of scholars of American history."
-Journal of Southern Religion

"An expansive narrative that includes a wide range of voices across half a decade."
-Journal of Illinois History

"Award-winning historian George Rable offers the most expansive and thorough take on the subject to date . . . . The most complex and detailed analysis of religion and the Civil War yet written."
-Methodist History

"There are precious few religious histories of the [Civil] war. . . . God's Almost Chosen Peoples is less judgmental and more expansive."
-Sociology of Religion

"I lamented the end of this book. Rable's recounting was so gripping and moving that one simply wanted more. Rable is a historian's historian, one who has sifted an enormous mound of evidence, dealt fairly with it, made good sense of it, and spun a captivating tale."
-Mid-America Journal of Theology

"This long overdue book will interest those who care about American religious history, the Civil War, and church history in general."
-Mid-America Journal of Theology

"George C. Rable is one of the greatest American historians working, and this new book cements that reputation."
-Journal of Southern History

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 624 pages
• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press (November 25, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807834262
• ISBN-13: 978-0807834268
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 1.6 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #651,844 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Religion, Civil War & America February 25, 2011

By James W. Durney TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

At the time of the Civil War America was a Christian Protestant nation. Public religion is both accepted and expected at all levels. While religious freedom is the law, religious tolerance is not public policy. Catholics suffer from the idea that their allegiance is to the Pope not to America. There are very few Jews but they are subject to the standard discrimination against them. The physical attacks Mormons suffered drove them out of the United States. Westward expansion brought America and the Saints back into contact creating a series of problems for both sides. If you were not a religious person privately, publicly you accepted religion and were respectful of it. This was not a problem for the majority. If you were not a church member, you were a believer. God was a participant in the life of people and of the nation. The public request His guidance and seeks His blessing on all undertakings. While people might fail to be good Christians, the majority is aware of their failings and worry about their soul. These attitudes are common to both sides and carried by both sides into the war.
This is not "Church History" although the actions of churches are very important to the story. This is not a history of the revivals that swept the armies and the nation, although these revivals are important to the story. This is a comprehensive look at American's religious feelings. This book looks at how these feelings impact people's views on slavery, secession and the war's causalities. Religion sustained the both sides. They see victory as evidence of God's favor and defeat as a reason to pray for victory. Death is God's will and the dead are martyrs to the cause residing with God in Haven. National days of pray are common and the churches support the cause and war to the bitter end. Most of have never been involved in a nation fight for survival, this book looks at the role of religion in this type of war.
I have read several books on religion during the Civil War. This is without a doubt the most comprehensive. While well written and readable, this is not an easy read. The subject can be dry and controversial. I suspect that many people will find reasons to be upset with the author's presentation and conclusions. The religious may find an undercurrent of skepticism while others will feel the author excuses the churches. I feel the author made a real effort to present a fair balanced inclusive presentation. This is a very informative book and needs to be read by everyone interest in the subject.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Thorough, Well-researched, & Interesting December 30, 2010

By John A. Bird

Format:Hardcover

George C. Rable says that during the American Civil War, "Loyalty to the nation could not be separated from loyalty to God." This was the case regardless of which "nation" one was part of. Both sides believed they were doing the Lord's work. A lack of patriotism equaled a lack of faith, or even atheism. "One could be a good citizen without being a Christian, an Indiana Baptist association conceded, but one could not be a Christian without being a good citizen." At the same time, in his address to the Georgia General Assembly, Confederate preacher Benjamin Palmer said: "Our cause is preeminently the cause of God himself, and every blow struck by us in defense of his supremacy."

During church services, it was common to "confess" the sins of the nation, though these sins were mostly attributed to the other side. While the North pointed to slavery and rebellion as the cause of God's wrath, the South blamed it on the Yankee's "atheism" and oppression:

"Lincoln, like the Egyptian Pharaoh, had hardened his heart against eleven states that sought to leave the house of bondage."

Preachers throughout the Union and Confederacy found no shortage of Old Testament stories to represent their plight: the Exodus, the division of the twelve tribes (used skillfully by both sides), Israel's battles with the Philistines, the Southern David fighting the Northern Goliath (less popular after Union victories), and so on.

Rable shows how religion was even used to justify slavery. In a sermon preached in Savannah, Stephen Elliott called slavery a "divinely guarded system, planted by God, protected by God, and arranged for his own wise purposes." Calls for abolition were clear displays of the godlessness of the North.

This assurance on the part of both sides that theirs was the righteous cause helped justify hatred. One Alabama preacher claimed a "deep Christian and inextinguishable hatred toward the demons of the north....it is doing God service to kill the diabolical wretches on the battlefield." Horace Bushnell, a Congregationalist Minister from Connecticut, asked a soldier whom he met on the road, "Killed anybody yet?" When the officer was not sure, Bushnell replied, "Time you had, that's what you went out for."

Though Rable records a lot of rhetoric and hypocrisy, he also gives plenty evidence of true religion, both on the battlefield and at home. There were some ministers who refused to be political and continued to preach nothing but the Gospel, while their congregations served in whatever way they could. Some, such as the Catholic Sisters of Mercy, tirelessly rendered aid and showed love to soldiers from either side. And though the war hardened some, it had a sanctifying affect on others. One soldier wrote:

"There is something irresistible in the appeal which the Almighty makes, when He strikes from your side, in the twinkling of an eye, your friend and comrade."

As mentioned above, others found the war not so sanctifying. When upbraided for swearing, one Baptist minister turned captain replied: "The Lord has given me a furlough until this damn war is over."

Most, however, were never Christians to begin with. Rable says estimates suggest that no more than 25% of Union armies and around 1/3 of the Confederate forces were Christians. But who can number the faithful? One thing is sure: there was enough drinking, gambling, cursing, and dancing on both sides to keep the tract presses running and the missionaries praying.

Rable examines every aspect of religion during the Civil War, showing both the good and bad without apparent bias. And if his book lacks in any area, it's not in the research; there are almost two hundred pages of bibliography and footnotes. This is a work that would be difficult to dispute, as we hear directly from those who were involved. Rable quotes letters, diaries, sermons, and speeches from soldiers, mothers, preachers, and nuns.

Whatever Rable's religious background, he shows an excellent understanding of church history, theology, and denominational distinctions. He also displays a thorough familiarity with the Bible. We can trust that he knows what he's talking about.

My difficulty with this otherwise great work is the repetition. Though there is a loose chronological progression, the writing is mostly made up of short anecdotes and quotes that, after a while, sound the same. In the first chapter we learn that both sides believed God was on their side, both saw their victories as favor and their defeats as judgment, both twisted Scripture to justify their cause, both looked for providence in every blink of a gnat. And, though illustrated in different ways each time, we hear the same themes throughout each chapter. But Rable throws in enough new material and interesting quotes to keep us reading; in the end we're glad that we did.

God's Almost Chosen Peoples will be most enjoyable to history lovers, and is essential for those who have an interest in the American Civil War. But it will also be valuable to students of religion, as it provides an in-depth look at the state of religion during the most difficult period in American history.

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from The University of North Carolina Press.

19 of 24 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Religious History of the American Civil War December 27, 2010

By Robin Friedman HALL OF FAMETOP 50 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

The title of George Rable's new book on the Civil War, "God's Almost Chosen Peoples" (2010) derives from a speech that Lincoln gave on February 21, 1861 to the New Jersey Senate en route to his inaugaration in Washington, D.C. Lincoln said: "I shall be a humble instrument in the hands of the Almighty and of this, his almost chosen people."
During the Civil War, religious Americans, North and South, had a strong sense of divine providence. They read the same Bible and prayed to the same God. They tended to think that God had a special providence for the United States which they analogized loosely to the ancient Israelites of the Old Testament.

Rable's book examines how people of faith tried to understand the Civil War in the years leading up to and including the conflict. He offers a complex, detailed, and thoughtful account of a subject that his received relatively little sustained attention in Civil War studies. Rable holds the Charles Summersell Chair in Southern History at the University of Alabama. He is best-known for his book, "Fredericksburg, Fredericksburg!" which was awarded the Lincoln Prize. His new book on Civil War religious history is dense and difficult. He offers important theological background for examining how people of faith viewed religion during the Civil War era. Rable has read an extraordinary range of original source material and religious texts, including sermons, denominational papers and statements, religious newsletters, diaries, among other sources. The bibliography and the end notes are massive. Rable examines both the Union and the Confederacy. He considers a variety of religious denominations, even though his focus is on American evangelical Protestantism. He considers the writings of ministers and theologians, of religious lay individuals, and of the soldiers in the field who fought the War.

As Rable points, out, the story of religion in the Civil War has many "zig-zags" and resists easy summarization. His study has the virtue of exploring the many divergent viewpoints that surfaced in both North and South. But much of the book concerns America's "Civil Religion", a term Rable might have considered more thoroughly. Religious Americans saw themselves within God's providence. They tended to read the Bible literally and as a blue print of sorts for the extremities in which they found themselves. Although they understood that American government (and the Confederate government as well) separated Church and State, many Americans tended to view their history and the Civil War in Biblically religious terms. The pervasiveness of religion was large but should not be over-estimated. Rable points out that between one American in six or seven was a church member during the Civil War Era, although the number of people who attended church with some regularity was considerably larger.

The book begins with a consideration of how various religious denominations responded to slavery prior to the outbreak of the War. Some individuals thought formal religion should take no position in an essentially political matter but focus instead on questions of personal salvation. Other people used religous beliefs to support strong committments to slavery or anti-slavery positions. This particular question about the role of religion in civil life remains, of course, much with us. Then Rable considers responses to Lincoln's election and shows a broad spectrum of religious views in both North and South, with some voices in both sections advocating conciliation. With the firing on Fort Sumter, religious views in both North and South hardened as denominational leaders on both sides urged the conflict forward and perhaps conflated patriotism with religious belief.

The larger portion of this lengthy book examines religion in the camps -- where there were a minority of strong religious believers even taking account of religious revivalism -- and on the political and on the home front. Religious leaders in both North and South seemed to move too quickly to the conclusion that God was on their side. Leaders in both sections proclaimed numerous fast days and days of Thanksgiving. Religious providential interpretations varied as respective battles were won or lost. Ultimately, many but not all religious leaders in the North became strong supporters of Emancipation as a religious end of the Union's war efforts. As the war dragged on and bloodshed increased alarmingly, the urgings of people of faith probably became increasingly important in keeping the commitment of both sides to battle to the last.

In the last chapter of the book, Rable examines closely Lincoln's Second Inaugural address which spoke in a more nuanced, complex manner than did the learned clergymen on either side of the difficulties of the conflict and of the ambiguities of providence. Over the years, Lincoln's Second Inaugural has become a primary text of what many scholars see as an American secular civil religion. Rable also examines the many responses of religious people to Lincoln's assassination.

Although it sometimes gets mired down in detail, Rable's book examines reflectively how many Americans in the mid-nineteeth Century understood religion together with the many different impacts of religion and religious believers on the Civil War.

Robin Friedman