The Civil War as a Theological Crisis

Book Description

The Civil War was a major turning point in American religious thought, argues Mark A. Noll. Although Christian believers agreed with one another that the Bible was authoritative and that it should be interpreted through commonsense principles, there was rampant disagreement about what Scripture taught about slavery. Furthermore, most Americans continued to believe that God ruled over the affairs of people and nations, but they were radically divided in their interpretations of what God was doing in and through the war.

In addition to examining what white and black Americans wrote about slavery and race, Noll surveys commentary from foreign observers. Protestants and Catholics in Europe and Canada saw clearly that no matter how much the voluntary reliance on scriptural authority had contributed to the construction of national civilization, if there were no higher religious authority than personal interpretation regarding an issue as contentious as slavery, the resulting public deadlock would amount to a full-blown theological crisis. By highlighting this theological conflict, Noll adds to our understanding of not only the origins but also the intensity of the Civil War.

Customer Reviews:

An important contribution to historical scholarship on the Civil War.......2007-09-30

This book shows how the beliefs and assumptions held by American Christians in 1860 precluded any kind of critical reflection on the Civil War. If you've read Nathan Hatch's Democratization of American Christianity, this serves as an excellent second installment in the saga. Many of the ideals whose development Hatch chronicles played important roles in paving the way for the Civil War ethos. This book is also a nice supplement to Harry S. Stout's Upon the Altar of the Nation. Stout beautifully chronicles Americans' moral ambivalence, but doesn't really go into the root causes to the extent that Noll does. Nor does Stout explore foreign commentary on the war. Noll's exploration of foreign commentary, in fact, was one of the most fascinating aspects of the book. Foreigners seem to have seen fairly clearly what nobody in America could see.

If you're looking for a rousing or moving narrative, this isn't the book for you. But if you'd like to understand why American theology was paralyzed in the face of the slavery crisis, this little book is ideal.

That it's a "little" book is also nice. Noll says a whole lot in only about 160 pages.

must read book from a must read author.......2007-06-09

M. Noll simply is one of the best writers i am currently enamored with, both for his research ability, his writing clarity but most importantly the topics and ideas he writes about. I really could do no better than to return the mountain of partially read library books on my desk, just buy everything he wrote and read it in chronological order. He is that good, important and significant.

I've had an interest, inherited from my mom, concerning the American Civil War. Not so much the battles but the meaning of it all. Not the generals but the theologians of the war, why do men fight? why do they kill brothers? why is there such passion about this most UnCivil War? Since i spent a year working on and delivering a Sunday School class on the History of American Presbyterianism i have been aware of the overarching significance of the Civil War in the history of ideas. It marks the end of one world and the birth of another, the one we live in now. And M. Noll and this short book go a long ways towards filling in some of the blank spots and questions i have about it.

in several important ways it is a continuation of:
chapter 18 "The 'Bible Alone' and a Reformed, Literal Hermeneutic", and
chapter 19 "The Bible and Slavery"
from his _America's God_

there is more both historical and theological work to be done on the issues. as a reviewer wrote earlier the issue at heart is the perspicuity of Scripture.

Helpful focus on rarely discussed dimensions of the Civil War.......2007-01-10

Noll makes an important and accessible contribution to studies on the religious dimensions of the Civil War. Noll demonstrates how views of Biblical interpretation fueled the intensity with which both sides engaged each other over the slavery question. Especially helpful is Noll's analysis on Roman Catholics' views of the War. All around, the book was a great read.

An appenidix.......2006-09-19

This is an outflow of a predominent theme of Noll's work: the invention of an American religion. This is a off shoot of Harold Bloom's book The American religion: The Emergence of the Post-Christian Nation. Since reading his "Is the Reformation Over?" I have found his ideas more in tune with a liberal philosophy as underpinning. The primary thought expressed intially is the rejection of perspicuity of the Bible. It is a hypothesis that the problem of interpretation could not be solved by the Bible alone is not a Protestant idea, but a Catholic one.
The views of the Civil War from abroad as being included and their highlighted relevance seems irrelevant for lots of reasons. I think some of those reasons apply to the current controversy of whether the Supreme Court should reference court decisions and law international in their rulings.
That somehow a mix or confusion of the doctrine of Providence was a problem in being able to sort out the question of slavery is dubious. Providence that God is working in all things has been and will be cited into infinity. Why may not one look at the use of Providence as sited generally by Jefferson and many leaders of our history until the present for undertakings? Or who can leave out the current rage in evangelical circles seeing God's hand divining current trends as forecast in the Tim LaHaye series?
If this was a theological crisis, whose theology? The author does not define these terms or take a stand for a particular theological view. If there is a declension of "theology", what points. Surely, it is not the dumb contention of Providence being misused by both sides. It is the resurgence of a works religion unfolding.
The author does indicate that enlightenment priniciples, their acceptance in hermeneutics and interpretation of scripture, had a affect in confusing orthodox beliefs in strict propagation of the gospel with that of a socialized political gospel. To this day the two are still emeshed with each other to Christianity's detriment. We are still doing God's work in Iraq etc, etc. and whatever else may come down the pike.

Fills a much needed hole in Civil War literature.......2006-09-05

This book covers a much needed gap in the history of Religion during the American Civil War. While focusing on the narrow subject of the theological debates raging during the war (both nationally and internationally), this book is a valued companion to the growing collection of works treating Religion during America's most dividing conflict. (Most notably Harry Stout and Elizabeth Fox-Genovese) While numerous historians have explored the economic, social and racial justifications of slavery, few have explored the surprisingly sophisticated arguments put forth by the Southern theologians. Although modern readers unquestionable find fault in using the Bible to justify slavery, one may be surprised at the intellectual nuance of the arguments given by Southern thinkers. By understanding the ideological mindset of both sides, one gets a fuller insight into this period of our past. And that is what history is all about.

Another novel aspect of the work is that it dives into European sources in search of Continental reactions to the war from European religious thinkers. This aspect helps readers to understand that the problem of race and slavery was not unique to American clergy alone but something that leaders in all corners of Christendom had to deal with. This book is highly recommended for four readers: 1) Someone looking for a highly specialized book on the theological battles that took place during the Civil War 2) Someone who is interested in the history of Christian responses to violence and/or war 3) Someone interested in the connections between slavery and Christianity and 4) The armchair historian who reads everything about the Civil War and is looking for a fresh angle on their favorite subject.

Happy Reading.

America's God: From Jonathan Edwards to Abraham Lincoln

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Great value for such a wonderfully informative piece of scholarship
Excellent
Good survey of Christian Theological Development in the USA
Sophisticated But Flawed Argument for Reformed Theology
cultural and political confluence with religious thinking

America's God: From Jonathan Edwards to Abraham Lincoln
Mark A. Noll
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
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Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0195151119

Book Description

Religious life in early America is often equated with the fire-and-brimstone Puritanism best embodied by the theology of Cotton Mather. Yet, by the nineteenth century, American theology had shifted dramatically away from the severe European traditions directly descended from the Protestant Reformation, of which Puritanism was in the United States the most influential. In its place arose a singularly American set of beliefs. In America's God, Mark Noll has written a biography of this new American ethos. In the 125 years preceding the outbreak of the Civil War, theology played an extraordinarily important role in American public and private life. Its evolution had a profound impact on America's self-definition. The changes taking place in American theology during this period were marked by heightened spiritual inwardness, a new confidence in individual reason, and an attentiveness to the economic and market realities of Western life. Vividly set in the social and political events of the age, America's God is replete with the figures who made up the early American intellectual landscape, from theologians such as Jonathan Edwards, Nathaniel W. Taylor, William Ellery Channing, and Charles Hodge and religiously inspired writers such as Harriet Beecher Stowe and Catherine Stowe to dominant political leaders of the day like Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln. The contributions of these thinkers combined with the religious revival of the 1740s, colonial warfare with France, the consuming struggle for independence, and the rise of evangelical Protestantism to form a common intellectual coinage based on a rising republicanism and commonsense principles. As this Christian republicanism affirmed itself, it imbued in dedicated Christians a conviction that the Bible supported their beliefs over those of all others. Tragically, this sense of religious purpose set the stage for the Civil War, as the conviction of Christians both North and South that God was on their side served to deepen a schism that would soon rend the young nation asunder. Mark Noll has given us the definitive history of Christian theology in America from the time of Jonathan Edwards to the presidency of Abraham Lincoln. It is a story of a flexible and creative theological energy that over time forged a guiding national ideology the legacies of which remain with us to this day.

Customer Reviews:

Great value for such a wonderfully informative piece of scholarship .......2007-09-18

I knew what I wanted in this book and that was primarily as a reference.It is not bedtime reading but with charts and tables of the relevant historical events it is ideal to turn to in order to fill in the blanks in my knowledge and understanding. I was a bit disappointed that my copy arrived without the dustcover shown in the display.However well worth the $11.00. Noll is a trusted historian.Any chance of a dust cover?

Excellent.......2007-03-25

This very ambitious and enlightening book is an effort to write a "social history of theology" for American religion between the mid-18th century and the Civil War. Noll chose this starting point and this terminus quite logically. The mid-18th century sees the work of the last and greatest of Puritan theologians, the tremendous Jonathan Edwards, while the Civil War was caused by and ushered in forces that produced a real discontinuity in American life. This book is primarily an effort at synthesis. While Noll has read deeply and productively in a large range of primary sources, it draws even more on a large and impressive array of secondary work in American political, social, intellectual, and religious history. Indeed, some of the pleasures of this book are the excellent footnotes and superb bibliography.
Noll's goal is to set the development of American theology in the broad context of the development of American society in this period. This is far from intelleuctual history construed narrowly. Noll argues convincingly that this historical study of theology will be broadly informative about the ways Americans thought about religion and American life in general. He begins with a nice summary of Puritan thought and other aspects of American Protestant theology, particularly the work of Edwards, as a the background to a century of enormous change. The discussion of Edwards himself is enlightening, particularly as Noll shows the ways in which this essentially backward looking intellectual unexpectedly opened routes to major changes in American theology and religious practice.
Noll then moves on the Revolutionary period and its aftermath. The intellectual and social forces causing and unleashed by the Revolution produce a major change in the nature of American Protestant theology. In contrast to the hierarchial and integralist Reformed thinking dominated by ideas of human sinfullness, American theologians incorporate ideas of republicanism, the Whig dissenting tradition, increased valuation of human moral capacity, and emerging democratic values inspired by the success of the American Revolution. Many, if not all of these ideas come from outside the Reformed tradition, primarily from the dissident Republican tradition of English Whiggery and the Scottish Enlightenment, particularly the writings of the 'Commonsense' school of Scottish thought. By the early Republican period, what emerges is a new and distinctively American theological approach that stresses attachment to republicanism, increased faith in human moral capacity, emphasis on individual experience of holiness, intense emphasis on literal (and 'commonsense') interpretations of scripture, and a sense of Americans as being involved in a new religious and moral experiment.
While the intellectual traffic Noll describes is largely one-way, he is careful not to describe American theologians and religious leaders as passive recipients of new ideas. Quite the opposite, Noll argues very well that during the initial decades of the 19th century, the emergence of a distinctly American form of theology and religious practices played a very large role in the development of a common American identity. For Noll, and this is a very convincing argument, this style of religion was crucial for the development of an American nation. As he points out, the first half of the 19th century was the apogee of American piety and this was accompanied by a strong sense of America as a uniquely religious society, as American institutions as divinely inspired, and Americans as a chosen people.
Noll concludes with an examination of how this consensus faced the great problem of slavery and sectional conflict in the decades prior to the Civil War. Not very successfully is Noll's answer. The emphasis on Biblical literalism in particular confronted many with a choice between condoning slavery or rejecting biblicism as a source of ultimate values. A few radicals, like the abolitionist Garrison, were willing to reject biblicism, but it appears that many more were driven into defense of slavery (particularly Southern theologians) and others (mainly Northern theologians) seem to have suffered a form of intellectual paralysis. Noll asserts as well that the 'commonsense' epistemology that was part of the religious consensus prevented a critical examination the pervasive racism that underlay the debates on slavery and the status of African-Americans. In Noll's view, the 19th century religious consensus did not equip American theologians with the intellectual tools to make sense of the problem. At the same time, the identification of America with the Christian mission and the insistence of both sides that their positions were based on divine sanction increased the intransigence of both sides.
Noll also argues that the early 19th century concensus prepared American theologians poorly to confront the religious and moral implications of the Civil War and by implication, prepared them equally poorly for the intellectual (the impact of Darwin, for example) and social challenges (urbanization, non-Protestant immigrants) that would come with and after the war. Noll describes this accurately as a "theological tragedy."

Good survey of Christian Theological Development in the USA.......2006-07-19

Mark Noll wrote this book with the goal of describing how Christian theology gradually became more comfortable using the catchwords and ideas of the American political scene (liberty, freedom, virtue, rights, common sense, reason). Noll shows that even though Calvinist and Arminian and Wesleyan thought may not have radically changed because of American republicanism, the way they were packaged and presented were.

In this book, we begin with the traditional Reformed ideas of Jonathan Edwards. We see how Calvinists in America were quick to side with the colonies in the years leading up to the Revolutionary War. We see how even George Whitefield was somewhat sympathetic toward the colonial cause, though he tended to shy away from preaching politics.

We read of John Wesley's opposition to the American form of government, as he reveals that he has not met one republican who was a good Christian.

We see how Thomas Paine's writings were very influential in promoting reason and common sense, and how this influenced preachers of the faith, such as Timothy Dwight, the new President of Yale, who rumor has it spend six months in 1795 challenging his students to a debate on whether or not the Bible was the Word of God.

We see how Charles Finney incorporated populist American jargon into his revival sermons. We also see his ardent opposition to the American slavery system.

Speaking of slavery, the last 100 pages of the book deals with how people of differings theological persuasions dealt with this divisive issue. Noll seems sorry to report that the pro slavery people did a better job of supporting their view from scripture than the abolitionists did.

Noll also seems ready to blame the Reformed Literal Method of interpreting scripture for influencing people to support the institution of slavery.

There is also an interesting discussion about the theological reflections of Abraham Lincoln. Noll notes that the 16th President of the United States was no evangelical and that he wasn't an active member of any organized church.

In fact, Noll contends that none of the notable founding fathers of the United States were evangelicals.

I recommend this book to history students and those who are interested in the history of Christianity in America. This book is a nice complement to Noll's earlier "History of Christianity in the US and Canada."

But the reason why I give this book 4 stars instead of five is that most of the time, it makes for tedious reading. The sections on the development of Holiness theology after Asbury was engaging, and the section about slavery held my attention as well.

But the bulk of the book is tough, academic reading. You may want to read instead Noll's more accessible book "The Rise of Evangelicalism."

Rev. Marc Axelrod

Sophisticated But Flawed Argument for Reformed Theology.......2005-02-09

Noll argues that American Protestantism developed a unique religious perspective due to the combining of three historical idea forces: 1) the theology of the Protestant Reformation, 2) the philosophy of republicanism that arose from and was animated by the American revolution, and 3) the thought of the Scottish common-sense Enlightenment.

Protestantism's ability or willingness to speak the language of these three strands of thought made it the religion of choice and influence in the early republic, as its apologetic and evangelistic discourse echoed contemporary political assumptions and commitments.

But, Noll argues, there was a down-side to this success. The theology of Protestantism was itself changed by the use of this republican and common-sense language. These changes led to a literalistic, individualistic Biblical hermeneutic that made American Protestantism unable to speak definitively on the issue of slavery. North and South used the American Protestant hermeneutic to come to radically different conclusions on the morality of slavery.

This intractability ended in the civil war, which was not just a political crisis, but a theological one as well. The failure of the American Protestant synthesis to resolve the great moral issue of slavery, Noll argues, caused it to lose its social force, and opened the way for the modern era.

Noll's argument is almost overwhelming. He lays an exhaustive groundwork of 18th century religious/philosophical/political thought, moves into early 19th century theological evolution of Calvinism and Methodism, and then builds to a civil-war-era climax of heated, yet impotent, theological dispute. Each section is so rich and deep that challenging Noll on his intermediate conclusions is a daunting task. Yet, Noll's ultimate conclusion is so breathtaking in its implications for non-Calvinist theologies, that a closer look is warranted. A few key observations can be made.

Noll has a tendency to so broadly define his key terms that their essential meaning becomes vague, obscure and highly malleable. The most obvious example of this is his use of the word "republicanism," which Noll uses to cover concepts such as virtu (common good), anti-aristocracy, rule of law, proper use of power, separation of powers, representative government, and most largely, the belief in the reciprocity of personal morality and social-well being. (55-57).

He later adds to this mélange of meaning by distinguishing between civic-humanism republicanism, which was concerned with the public good and order, and liberal republicanism, which emphasized individual self-determination and, according to Noll, economic rights. (210-211). Noll himself acknowledges that "republicanism" was a "multivalent, plastic and often extraordinarily imprecise term." (447) Yet he frequently cites historical writers and speakers in support of his "republicanism" thesis, without attempting to determine which particular meaning of republicanism the historical thinker had in mind.

Noll is also guilty of this in dealing with the "common-sense" Enlightenment. Every reference to human reason, intuition, insight or other source of knowledge other than scripture becomes an example of common sense philosophy, whether the reference is before or after Hutcheson and Reid. The great flexibility of terms is significant, as it gives Noll enormous latitude in his argument to sweep in or out thinkers, ideas and theologies, depending on how they relate to his main thesis.
Perhaps the single most important argument against Noll's larger thesis is Methodism. Pre-revolutionary Methodism had the literalistic, individualistic hermeneutic, along with the "reasonable" view of God, sinners and salvation that Calvinism only moved towards as it was tempered by post-revolution republicanism and common-sense philosophy. (333-334).

To his credit, Noll himself acknowledges the "sting" of the Methodist argument, agreeing that Methodism contained the elements of "American Protestantism" before it actually came to America. (334, 340-41).

But acknowledging the sting is one thing; removing it is another. Noll does not do this, nor really try to. Methodism does seem to raise an unanswered challenge to the charge that it was the "corruptions" of republicanism and common-sense thought that caused Protestant America to turn literalistic, individualistic, and arminian, and to be unable to cope with slavery. Methodism was all these things without republican and common-sense reasoning, and it was, at least initially, forcefully anti-slavery.

Thus, an alternate interpretation to Noll's is that: Biblical protestant Christianity contained the seeds of individuality, freedom and common-sense echoed in republicanism and common-sense thinking, that the intractable nature of the slavery dispute had to do with flawed constitutional rather than theological compromises, and that Southern religious' views were shaped more by the commercial impulses of their founding than by faithfulness to a Biblically-derived hermeneutic. This view is supported, at least in part, by Noll's tracing of the process of theological development: the insights of general revelation (general human experience) interact with, clarify, and even modify, understandings of special revelation (Biblical interpretation), and vice versa.

But further discussion of this would lengthen an already over-long review. Suffice it to say that the majority of American Christian's today would claim allegiance not to Edward's God, or Lincoln's God, or Noll's God-but to the Bible's God, as they read about and understand Him in the Bible for themselves. Which is not a bad legacy for a "permanently damaged" theology. (445).

Noll's comprehensive, even magisterial work, is clearly going to be required reading for everyone on both sides of almost any discussion of religion in the early republic.

cultural and political confluence with religious thinking.......2004-01-03

I came to the book at a result of reading _Jonathan Edwards: A life_ by Marsden. M.Noll like G.Marsden has made my short list of i-must-read-them authors. This is perhaps my 5th book by him i've run across and looked at during my year's study of the issues in the creation-evolution-design(CED) debate. It is, to me, a rather important book for it puts together several issues i have been thinking about but had not related, in particular slavery and evolution being, in the conservative Christian community, similiar issues revolving around the interpretation of Scripture, i intend to follow up this idea. Furthermore, the very systematic way he goes about building a case for the influences of republican ideals on Reformed theology interests me as a very concrete example of the way the cultural matrix determines religious thought. Noll doesn't use the term "American captivity of the Christian Church" but the critical ideas are presented to make such a case.

It's a rather long (450pages) book, with a complex structure and at times detailed arguments, so i find myself wondering to whom to recommend it. Because of it's historical nature and subject material, simply reading the chapters that most interest you is not as good an option as it would be in reading a collection of essays. So if you simply want to get a taste of the book i would read the first 20 or so pages which are the introduction to both the book, how Noll approaches his subject and what he intends to show with this scholarly research. I found chapters 18 and 19 the most interesting: chapter 18 "The 'Bible Alone' and a Reformed, Literal Hermeneutic", and
chapter 19 "The Bible and Slavery", i have several long quotes from these chapters on my extended review at: www.livejournal.com/users/rmwilliamsjr/84610.html
. I think if someone is adequately motivated that the book is accessible to anyone with an interest in history but if your knowledge of the time period or of the theologies discussed is inadequate you will wonder what the fuss is all about, perhaps many secular people will wonder that in any case.

The theme of the book is not hard to summarize. It is that forces of the political life of the US, in particular, republicanism, Whiggery, the demand for equality, had a very important influence on the evolution of each American Christian theology. So too did several cultural influences in the philosophic sphere: common sense moral reasoning via the Scottish enlightenment, an anti-authoritarianism that reached out to all authorities-kings, priests, intellectuals, elites, these too influenced the evolving theology. But the influence was not just a one-way street, but rather in the search for converts the churches became a dominant influence in the culture, not just themselves but the myriad voluntary organizations they gave rise to. So by the Civil War we have a voluntary church, disestablished where those in Europe were not, filled with republicans, certain that their common sense will rightly interpret the Bible, and their morality derived thusly will support a glorious city-on-the-hill that they envisioned for the US. But the devil is in the details, and this is where the book gets really interesting. How do these forces relate? How does theology evolve, why and who is doing what thinking and writing? All done with a scholarly professor's mind, tying together the years of research with a joy and exuberance that is catching. Thanks M. Noll for another most excellent read.......

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As this book shows, Lincoln was a great man (get over it!).

The Dust of Lincoln

The Dust of Lincoln

Very Fine Little Study

Required reading?

Character Counts: Leadership Qualities in Washington, Wilberforce, Lincoln, and Solzhenitsyn

Manufacturer: Baker Books
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ASIN: 0801058244
Release Date: 1999-03-01

Book Description

The inspiring stories of four public figures who displayed strength of character in the face of adversity, enabling them to change the world.

Customer Reviews:

As this book shows, Lincoln was a great man (get over it!)........2003-12-05

I'm dismayed to see the severely outdated political agenda of the Allens of North Carolina overshadow their opinions and reviews of Dr. Guinness' excellent book. I really doubt that the Oxford-educated Dr. Guinness should be "ashamed" of himself for his "lack of scholarship" in any area he chooses to write. Nor do I believe he is simply parroting the "Yankee propaganda," (referred to in another Allen "review") which is an entirely laughable concept.

As for the book:
A person's actions stem from their beliefs, which form their character. We have all seen examples -- at the corporate, political, and personal levels -- of those in leadership exhibiting less-than-ideal character, which corrupted their actions. This wonderful book provides a pleasant contrast to some of our contemporary leaders by examining the lives, actions, and beliefs of some truly amazing people; especially and including Abraham Lincoln, a wartime president who took extraordinary strides and went through unbelievable hardships to preserve our country.

I'm currently reading my 4th book by Dr. Guinness, and have come to admire the author as a very strong Christian thinker and writer. As others have noted, he writes in the tradition of C.S. Lewis, and it is not hard to imagine him speaking to you personally as he guides you through his observations and reasoning.

I also recommend "Fit Bodies, Fat Minds" and "Prophetic Untimeliness," as well as "The Call."

The Dust of Lincoln.......2003-04-11

In a time when our nation (United States) no longer produces true statesmen with character such as Washington, Mason, Henry, Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, I'm saddened that Abraham Lincoln is seen by the editor as a man of character. It would seem, if one is to be a thinking evangelical, that the horrors that Lincoln permitted in the South would un-nerve the most honest of scholars. Here, Os Guines has done a serious disservice to the orthodox Christian community. Abraham Lincoln rejected the Virginia Peace (which included former president John Tyler) accord and Sen. Critendem's compromise for peace. Surely had Lincoln accepted these plans for peace, thousands of lives could have been saved. But most of all, the total war theory Lincoln allowed is the most offensive and repugnate to any thinking Christian. Women and children were implemented in Lincoln's so called war to save the Union. He jailed opponents of his position, threatened the Supreme Court justice Roger Taney with arrest for writing against his war plan. Lincoln usurped the Constitution of the United States by declaring War against seceded states in violation of Article I sec. 8 (this is solely congress's domain). A nation birthed in secession hardly has the right to chastise those who operated from the same principle i.e. the right to govern themselves and self-determination. Os, you should be ashamed of yourself for lack of scholarship in this arena. Particularly over such a sensitive subject as the American War Between the States (Civil War). A man (Lincoln) who waged an offensive war against those who defended their rights and family against an unjust invasion has no place in a book where character matters. Maybe Robert E. Lee or Joshua Chamberlain could have saved you the embarassment. And no, Lincoln's war was not over slavery. Men do not take bullets so 10 % can own slaves. Character counts, so does scholarship.

The Dust of Lincoln.......2002-09-27

Very Fine Little Study.......2001-03-17

Did the reviewer who found this "dull" read the same book as I did??? This is a very well-crafted, nicely written, penetrating look at some important topics. I greatly enjoyed it.

Required reading?.......2000-08-27

My school, George Fox University, recommends ("hint": requires) that all students read this book upon enrollment. This book might have been a valuable contribution to the public's outlook on character in public figures, but is incredibly dry and dull in presentation. These historical figures were real people who deserve a bit...well...a life. This book was written for a great purpose, but will never achieve a lasting impact on many people due to the poor judgment of the author in his choice of style of presentation.

Book Description

Read the same devotional Lincoln read during his presidency and the Civil War, along with fascinating details about Lincoln's life and faith.

Customer Reviews:

Not exactly what I thought it would be.......2005-02-17

This book, "Abraham Lincoln's Daily Treasure; Moments of Faith with America's Favorite President" edited by Thomas Freiling was definitely not what I thought it would be. In the Amazon editorial review it is stated that the devotional book "The Believers Daily Treasure" was given to Lincoln in 1847 and he read from it daily. According to the introduction of Freling's book, Carl Sandburg had guessed that Abraham Lincoln had possessed this devotional based on these circumstances--Lincoln was seen to be reading from what many thought was a small Bible each day,and a copy of "Believers Daily Treasure" was found after his death in an old library with Lincoln's own signature. If that is really all the evidence we have that this is the daily devotional reading of Abraham Lincoln that is pretty sketchy evidence. Maybe someone else can clue me in on where the 1847 gift anecdote comes from. Freiling's book itself has some great quotes from Abraham Lincoln and some nice commentary by the editor on those quotes. But let's face it Abraham Lincoln was a most incredible person. Just imagine someone with virtually no education , becoming not only the great leader of a very large ,growing, trouble-filled country, but just his literary production and pithy, wise , and down-to-earth well crafted quotations rank him as one of the most well-respected literary figures of all-time. So whatever Tom Freiling quotes of this great person will have considerable value, and the commentary should and does come quite easy. And another observation on this book--The quotations from "The Believers Daily Treasure" appear at the top of each daily inclusion, and the anecdote and quotation from Abraham Lincoln are included underneath the 1847 devotional verse and hymn words that appeared for each day in the devotional.There seems to be little or no correlation between the Bible verse and the anecdote from Abraham Lincoln. To me this seems to be pretty shoddy craftsmanship on the part of the writer-editor. Would I recommend this book for another reader? Probably not! I am not positively sure I would say that this is a dishonest production but I am sure that there really was not a whole lot of hard work and honest effort put into this book. As an alternative, I recommend William Lee Miller's "Abraham Lincoln's virtues; an Ethical Biography". That is a book that honestly gives you a great look into the development of this most admirable of American heroes.

A Valley of Betrayal (Chronicles of the Spanish Civil War, Book 1)

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Marvelous Must Read!
A winning story of a war-torn country
First Book In Tricia's New Series
Historical ficion at it's best
A Valley You Won't Soon Forget

A Valley of Betrayal (Chronicles of the Spanish Civil War, Book 1)
Tricia Goyer
Manufacturer: Moody Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0802467679

Book Description

For reasons beyond her control, Sophie fi nds herself alone in the wartorn Spanish countryside. What was once a thriving paradise has become

Customer Reviews:

Marvelous Must Read!.......2007-09-09

Tricia Goyer has a way of weaving a host of intriguing characters and chronicling the Spanish Civil War and tying it all together within a "page-turning book". I love the romance, the history, the story of Sophie who is caught up in the drama showing both sides of the heartache of war. And who along the way discovers that it's her passion that holds the key to so much!

A winning story of a war-torn country.......2007-06-21

The first novel in a new series about the Spanish Civil War, A Valley of Betrayal unfolds with a distinctively Goyer-esque feel to it. In this book, author Tricia Goyer does another brilliant job bringing history to life with vivid characters searching for their meaning in the midst of conflict, each wanting to contribute their utmost for their cause.

In this time and place in history, it's the middle of the Spanish Civil War. The Nazi's are exerting their influence from one side, strong-arming Fascism over the country. At the same time, Russia is enticing the area with the idealistic vision of Communism. Spain is divided between the two political perspectives, and the resulting battleground ravages the country in the process.

The most serious fighting isn't found on the front lines, though, but in the internal struggle of every individual who must decide who they are and what they truly believe in. Some of the characters are natives of Spain; others from different countries who are drawn to the area for their own reasons. Some come to fight, and some to serve, but they all discover themselves in the process. Each naturally feels that their side has the most righteous cause, and all are willing to risk everything in the effort to win the war.

Goyer tries to communicate the struggle of a people searching for themselves amidst the rubble of their ideals. It's not an easy struggle, nor an easy story to read considering the cost of the war. But despite the fact that no one seems to emerge on top in this bloody battle, the novel itself is a winner. I highly recommend A Valley of Betrayal by author Tricia Goyer, and eagerly look forward to the next installment in the series.

First Book In Tricia's New Series.......2007-06-14

I just finished reading Valley of Betrayal and it is very moving. Tricia writes in such a way that it makes you feel like you're in a war zone yourself. I would be reading along and realize that my heart was hammering as if there were bombs dropping outside. This is a very stirring novel. If you like historical Christian fiction then definitely check this one out.

Historical ficion at it's best.......2007-04-13

The Spanish Civil War pitted the Spanish Republicans and their allies, the Soviet Union and the International Brigade, including many Americans against Franco and his fascist military troups, machinery and weapons supplied by Hitler and Mussolini. As in other wars, there were no clear lines between good and evil. It destroyed lives and tore Spain apart.

Sophia Grace traveled to Spain to be with Michael, her fiance, an international correspondent. She had no idea what she was getting into and war turned out to be a lot more personal than she expected.
Phillip Stanford, a member of the American track team became involved in the war because he refused to leave a friend. And Ritter Agler wanted to win the heart of Isanna, knowing she admired heroes. These three and others became entangled in a war that both intrigued and repelled them. although Tricia Goyer writes about war, she never loses sight of the people involved. Her characters are living, breathing individuals the reader will remember long after the book is finished. A fascinating, complex story about a little known time in world history.

A Valley You Won't Soon Forget.......2007-04-05

The Spanish Civil War, often ignored, is a prelude of sorts to World War II. Yet, it deserves to be more than a prelude, and Tricia Goyer gives it the attention it deserves through this new series of historical fiction, The Chronicles of the Spanish Civil War. In this war, the lines between the "good guys" and the "bad guys" are blurred. Fascism and Communism, neither of which seems desirable, are the two sides dividing the people of Spain who long for personal, religious, and political freedom.

Other people from other countries come alongside the Spanish people to fight for and with them. Disillusioned Deion, a black man from Chicago who wants to escape from the racism of the American South. Artist Sophie, who traveled from Boston to Spain for love, but instead finding her life's purpose in war-torn Spain. German pilot Ritter, flying for the cause he believes in so strongly. Philip, accompanying his friend but finding his own desire to fight along the way. So many others, whose stories tug at our heartstrings as we read this complex story.

To this reader who spent her adolescence at the end of the Cold War, reading about a time when Russians and Communism were seen as preferable by some, and not as enemies of the United States, seems a bit disconcerting. Knowing through hindsight that Communism in practice doesn't work as well as its ideals claim seems to add a fatalistic air around these characters laboring under its illusions and ideals.

The stories here are compelling. The characters are well-rounded and sympathetic on both sides of this civil conflict. Tricia Goyer does a fantastic job of making sure we readers are not able to choose a side, and this ability to make the characters sympathetic accentuates the brutality and incongruity of this war.

If you like the fiction of Bodie and Brock Thoene, you will enjoy this novel.

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Another great Political Thinker.
Quotes; from Abraham Lincoln
A Great Thinker - Honest Abe
A Great Little Nugget

Abraham Lincoln Wisdom and Wit
Abraham Lincoln , and Louise Bachelder
Manufacturer: Peter Pauper Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 088088066X

Customer Reviews:

Another great Political Thinker........2006-12-17

This book is rare, has alot of Lincolns good quotes and has photo's and what not, I say if your intelligent and want to read good, get this.

Quotes; from Abraham Lincoln.......2001-09-04

“Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth upon this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal...” if your memory just went into overdrive, bombarded by visions of a tall, lanky gentlemen with distinct, chiseled features that border on freakish and a familiarity about him, when in profile... associated with integrity, cherry trees and the Civil War, then you might be intrigued by this little book from Peter Pauper Press. ....

Abraham Lincoln: Wisdom & Wit, a petite volume of 61 pages from Peter Pauper Press, is filled with intriguing & exemplary morsels spoken by Lincoln during his lifetime... it is a book of, indeed, Wisdom & Wit, with quotable insights & prudent statements left behind from a great philosopher’s lifetime. ....

This miniature publication, a lean and compact, emerald-green book, with rectangular [as Lincoln’s features] illustration of Lincoln’s silhouette on the cover jacket, is chock-full of philosophical and enlightening insights from “Honest Abe”, who was recognized to be one of our history’s great thinkers. Created in the image of an exclusive gift book, the first page provides its purchaser with a “For” [insert gift recipient here] encircled by a decorative double border.

Abraham Lincoln: Wisdom & Wit [ISBN: 0-88088-359-6] edited by Louise Bachelder and illustrated by Jeff Hill, is Copyright (C) 1965 by Peter Pauper Press... If you know someone who admires Lincoln, a history buff or quote enthusiast, you might consider this addition to their book collection. It’s a quick and interesting read that offers substantial perspectives from one of our country’s great minds.

A Great Thinker - Honest Abe.......2001-09-01

ýFourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth upon this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal...ý if your memory just went into overdrive, bombarded by visions of a tall, lanky gentlemen with distinct, chiseled features that border on freakish and a familiarity about him, when in profile... associated with integrity, cherry trees and the Civil War, then you might be intrigued by this little book from Peter Pauper Press.

A Whig turned Republican, Abraham Lincoln, [born on February 12th, 1809 - buried on May 4th, 1865], became the 16th president of the United States on November 6th, 1860. The beginning of his famed speech, the Gettysburg Address, that Iýve implemented as the introductory sentence for this review, was enunciated on November 19th, 1863 when Lincoln dedicated the Gettysburg battlefield to the Civil War soldiers who had died there.

April 11th, 1865, two days after General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant, indicating the close of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln addressed the public outside of the White House, indicating that he would support the voting rights of blacks... racist and Southern sympathizer, John Wilkes Booth, was in the audience. On April 14th, 1865, hating everything Lincoln stood for, Booth entered Fordýs Theatre, where the President, accompanied by his family, was watching a play ... he then shot the president in the back of the head, finishing Abraham Lincolnýs strikingly successful existence and completing the first Presidential assassination in our history.

ýWriting, the art of communicating thoughts to the mind through the eye, is the greatest invention of the world. Its utility may be conceived by the reflection that to it we owe everything which distinguishes us from savages. Take it from us, and the Bible, all history, all science, all government, all commerce, and nearly all social intercourse, go with it.ý - Abraham Lincoln

This miniature publication, a lean and compact, emerald-green book, with rectangular [as Lincolnýs features] illustration of Lincolnýs silhouette on the cover jacket, is chock-full of philosophical and enlightening insights from ýHonest Abeý, who was recognized to be one of our historyýs great thinkers. Created in the image of an exclusive gift book, the first page provides its purchaser with a ýForý [insert gift recipient here] encircled by a decorative double border.

Abraham Lincoln: Wisdom & Wit [ISBN: 0-88088-359-6] edited by Louise Bachelder and illustrated by Jeff Hill, is Copyright (C) 1965 by Peter Pauper Press... I bought this little book for my husband, who has always appreciated anything relating to Abraham Lincoln. If you know someone who admires Lincoln, a history buff or quote enthusiast, you might consider this addition to their book collection. Itýs a quick and interesting read that offers substantial perspectives from one of our countryýs great minds.

A Great Little Nugget.......2000-02-02

Abraham Lincoln - Wisdom and Wit is a great little book from the Peter Pauper Press Pocket Gift Edition, "Wisdom and Wit" series. The book contains Lincoln quotes under the categories of, 'Lincoln, The Man','Lincoln, The Philosopher', 'Lincoln, The Wit', and 'Excerpts from Lincoln's Speeches'. Here's a great quote from 'Lincoln, The Wit': [Lincoln had been called a two-faced man by Douglas] "I leave it to my audience, -- if I had another face to wear, do you think I would wear this one?"

Abraham Lincoln: Great American Leader (Young Reader's Christian Library)

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Abraham Lincoln: Great American Leader (Young Reader's Christian Library)
Sam Wellman
Manufacturer: Barbour Publishing, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Abraham Lincoln led a divided nation back to wholeness--see how God prepared the one man the United States desperately needed in order to survive.

Rare Personal Accounts of Abraham Lincoln

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Accounts about Lincoln and Civil War officers you are unlikely to find anywhere else
personal look at Lincoln

Rare Personal Accounts of Abraham Lincoln

Manufacturer: Rail Splitter Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Presidents & Heads of State | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0977267202

Book Description

Author John E. Boos spent decades collecting the stories and signatures of people that had personal encounters with Abraham Lincoln. RailSplitter is publishing many of the rare personal accounts of Abraham Lincoln for the first time.

These handwritten accounts give the reader insight into the personal life of Lincoln and include the Lincoln-Douglas debates, the Farewell to Springfield speech, the Lincoln family train ride to Washington D.C., the failed assassination attempt, the White House years and conclude with the assassination and 21-day funeral procession to Springfield, IL.

The personal accounts speak to Lincoln's oratorical ability, the quality of his character and the influence he had on people's lives. These narratives provide considerable detail about Lincoln, even down to the mud on his boots. Historical facts are also corroborated with a remarkable degree of objectivity and expressed in tones often lacking in writings by some historians who have attempted to explain history from the perspective of their own era.

Some accounts may also shed new light on the Lincoln assassination and other important historical events. It is this uniqueness that makes reading Rare Personal Accounts of Abraham Lincoln a wonderful experience for the casual reader and historian alike. These newly published writings of John Boos and personal accounts of Lincoln are written by historically unknown figures as well as Union military officials, well known politicians, academics and many others.

Customer Reviews:

Accounts about Lincoln and Civil War officers you are unlikely to find anywhere else.......2007-05-21

One of the satisfactions of being so involved in reading and reviewing books is that I get to meet some fascinating people with some truly wonderful books. Sure, there is some dross, too. However, because of what I like to read and review I avoid most of the stuff I would hate. This is a very special book that we came amazingly close to never having at all.

By a very unlikely set of circumstances I happened to meet one of the editors of this book. We fell into a conversation about reading history and he told me about this book. It turns out that his brother was an avid collector of historical memorabilia, some of it amazingly valuable. As he was caring for his brother's estate there was a flood in the basement where this manuscript was stored. They were busy throwing away a lot of stuff that was ruined and material that seemed to have no value. Something told him to take a closer look at the books that were the manuscript of this book. He soon realized what a treasure it is.

The manuscript was put together in the first couple of decades of the Twentieth Century when some of those who had seen Lincoln were still alive. John E. Boos was an avid autograph collector, a devotee of Abraham Lincoln and the soldiers who fought in the Civil War. His text for the book does not give a complete transcript of each item he collected, but does talk about the items and provides some context for the items. Some get more extensive treatment than others. The Boos manuscript is NOT a finished or even polished text, but that isn't at all important. What is important is that the editors have not only included the Boos text, but PHOTOCOPIES of the original documents. We can see the handwritten documents and glean all kinds of interesting information from them.

For example, there are many accounts of the Lincoln-Douglass debates from people who attended one or the other of them. I learned that Lincoln was dressed more casually than Douglass. Lincoln wore Kentucky jeans and could have used a haircut in at least one of the debates. Another recounts Lincoln wearing a long duster coat. Douglass is remembered by one has having worn a blue swallowtail coat with a shirtfront stained with tobacco juice. He noted that Douglass liked to drink and looked like he had come to the debate looking as if it were the morning after the night before. Another fascinating detail was how Lincoln would bend his knees and the quickly rise to his full height to emphasize a point.

There are also many accounts of soldiers and officers who served in the Civil War. Getting information on the battles in which they fought, their wounds, and their lives after the war is all quite interesting. It seems to me that the material in this book would be of interest to historians and history buffs interested in Lincoln and the Civil War. If there is any new nugget of information provided in this manuscript it could be quite valuable to our understanding in reconstructing various events. Given the attention any new scrap of information about Lincoln gets, the accounts presented in this book would seem to me to deserve careful examination.

Granted these folks were all aged when they gave these accounts. Everything they say should be checked for plausibility, but it sure reads as if it were true. One person admits being unsure if one of their memories is something he experienced or something he read about or from a photograph he had seen. This is always the problem with accounts taken decades after the events. I do think that going through these accounts is more like looking at a site of possible gemstones rather than panning for gold. John Boos has done all the collection. Some might be quartz, others might be glass, but there just might be a diamond or two that can really help our understanding of events. In any case, they are all interesting. Even just looking at the handwriting from a century ago is fascinating. Some historian should not only look this over in book form, but contact the editors and make sure that these manuscripts and original documents are properly preserved for future generations.

Of course, I am strongly recommending this book.

personal look at Lincoln.......2007-03-13

This was a very intersting book! It contains letters that invidivuals have written about Abraham Lincoln that met or knew him personally. If only someone would build a time machine!

Abraham Lincoln (Young Reader's Christian Library)

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Abraham Lincoln (Young Reader's Christian Library)
Sam Wellman
Manufacturer: Barbour Publishing, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Historical Fiction | History & Historical Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Abe Lincoln, "the gentle giant," was a man for his times, a man for alltime but most of all, a man of God

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Abraham Lincoln the Christian

Manufacturer: Eaton & Mains/ Jennings & Graham
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000I732N2

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