A Holy Baptism of Fire and Blood: The Bible and the American Civil War by James P. Byrd, and: Millenarian Dreams and Racial Nightmares: The American Civil War as an Apocalyptic Conflict by John H. Matsui

Abstract

Reviewed by: A Holy Baptism of Fire and Blood: The Bible and the American Civil War by James P. Byrd, and: Millenarian Dreams and Racial Nightmares: The American Civil War as an Apocalyptic Conflict by John H. Matsui C. David Dalton A Holy Baptism of Fire and Blood: The Bible and the American Civil War. By James P. Byrd. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2021. Pp. [x], 376. $34.95, ISBN 978-0-19-090279-7.) Millenarian Dreams and Racial Nightmares: The American Civil War as an Apocalyptic Conflict. By John H. Matsui. Conflicting Worlds: New Dimensions of the American Civil War. (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2021. Pp. x, 295. $50.00, ISBN 978-0-8071-7482-1.) Over the past several decades religion, specifically evangelical Protestantism, has become a focal point of Civil War–era scholarship. The denominational schisms, the influence of clerical sermons, and the interactions between religion, slavery, and politics have been extensively examined in studies by historians from C. C. Goen, David B. Chesebrough, and Richard J. Carwardine to Steven E. Woodworth, Mark A. Noll, Timothy L. Wesley, and George C. Rable. Two recent works by James P. Byrd and John H. Matsui make significant contributions to this area of study. Byrd, an associate professor of American religious history at Vanderbilt University Divinity School, previously authored Sacred Scripture, Sacred War: The Bible and the American Revolution (New York, 2013). He carries his work into the mid-nineteenth century with A Holy Baptism of Fire and Blood: The Bible and the American Civil War. Byrd argues that most Americans had a copy of the King James Bible, and that many looked to the book for guidance during the nation’s bloodiest conflict. Chaplains told soldiers to place their faith in God, whose divine guidance could be most easily discerned through a close reading of scripture. Both armies viewed victories on the battlefield as God’s will and defeats as tests of devotion—calls to rededication rather than signs of the Almighty’s eventual judgment. After all, the Bible revealed that God’s people had disobeyed His Word and had been punished in many ways, from being enslaved in Egypt to wandering in the wilderness for years. With its exhaustive analysis of references from thousands of sources, including sermons, diaries, letters, and newspapers, Byrd’s work is the most in-depth examination of the Bible’s presence and importance during the Civil War. The appendix includes a ranking of the most cited verses across these sources, revealing striking differences between how Confederates and Federals viewed the Bible. Northerners cited the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans— in which he condemns those who rebel against their rulers (Romans 13)—to defend the Union and its government, describing the United States as “God’s chosen nation” (p. 13). Abolitionists frequently invoked Acts 17:26, where Paul declares that God “hath made of one blood all nations of men,” to justify [End Page 363] their call for freedom and equality for slaves (p. 190). Confederate clergy countered with the Genesis story of the curse of Ham, asserting that even if God had created all people from one blood, the Almighty also had favored some races and cursed others. And as battlefield casualties mounted, and eventual defeat began to seem inevitable, Confederates continued to turn to the Bible for solace, comparing their plight to the trials of Job and reminding themselves that their ultimate reward was not of this earth. Byrd chronicles the pronouncements of both well-known and relatively obscure clergy, detailing their views on slavery, secession, and war. The author includes enough political and military detail, interspersed with biographical stories, writings, and sermons, to make for a smooth-flowing narrative. Some of these men of God were anything but blessed peacemakers, advocating for war while believing that God was on their side. They encouraged both their congregations at home and the companies they served on the battlefield to trust in the Lord, just as their revolutionary predecessors had done in 1776. But the slaughter often stirred mixed emotions among lay soldiers, especially those who put great emphasis on Christ’s injunction, from the Sermon on the Mount...