A Holy Baptism of Fire and Blood

Starred review from January 1, 2021

Having searched published and unpublished Civil War-era sermons and letters for biblical references, Byrd offers a chronological treatment of the Civil War as seen through the eyes of those who believed that the Bible had something to say about that conflict. He argues that, while both the North and the South may have read the same Bible, they each read it differently, and their understanding of what it revealed about God's purpose changed with the circumstances of the war. Byrd (religion, Vanderbilt Univ. Divinity School; Sacred Scripture, Sacred War) argues convincingly that the war over slavery was a war over the Bible's teaching on slavery. Referencing Bible passages, the work reflects on what the Bible has to say about war, conflict, pacifism, and redemption. Complementing nicely Elizabeth L. Jemison's Christian Citizens, which deals with how formerly enslaved people and their former enslavers read the Bible, Boyd's work offers a microcosm of the mid-19th century world of politics and religion. VERDICT This study of the use of the Bible at a critical time in the history of the United States can shed light on our own times, when the Bible is often used in a political tug-of-war.--Augustine J. Curley, Newark Abbey, NJ

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2021
A fresh exploration of the Bible's role in the Civil War. Byrd, a professor of American religious history at Vanderbilt Divinity School, provides a useful, original contribution to the vast library of Civil War history, focusing not merely on faith or religion in the context of the war, but on the Bible itself. Given the depth of religious fervor and level of biblical literacy that marked American society during the war years, the author is able to tap into a deep well of cultural riches and historical insights. "The American Civil War was not primarily a war over the Bible," writes Byrd in the epilogue, "but for many Americans it was a biblical war," and he points out several times that Lincoln once noted how both the North and the South "read the same Bible." Both sides did indeed read the same Scriptures, and while both believed the Scriptures supported their views, they offered wildly differing interpretations. Byrd also shows how the Bible was a central point of reference for nearly everyone in Civil War society, from enlisted men to officers, abolitionists to proponents of slavery, politicians to, of course, clergy. Old Testament references, many of which are obscure today, were used widely by both sides of the conflict to interpret the contemporary events and find the direction of God's favor. The Bible was used to prove, understand, or explain everything, from White supremacy to the reasons for specific military defeats to the assassination of Lincoln. As the war carried on, the language of sacrifice found throughout the Bible saturated Americans' understanding of the conflict. "We misunderstand the Bible's role in the war...if we devalue the biblical images of sacrifice," writes the author, whose eye-opening analysis shows how, through sacrifice and atonement, Americans from both sides found meaning in the carnage of war. Civil War buffs and Scripture enthusiasts alike will find this book to be a uniquely worthwhile reading experience.

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