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This engaging work treats a surprisingly neglected aspect of Civil War history--the role of religious belief. The war called upon soldiers on both sides to die for "God and country," making the conflict, at least to some extent, a religious crusade. This book investigates that premise, providing a concise but comprehensive overview of the ways in which religious belief impacted the war--and the ways in which the war reshaped America's religious landscape.

The study covers all the major faiths in Civil War America and explores the intersection of race and religious belief. It looks at religion's influence on the coming of war and traces the changing nature of faith over the course of the war. The book shows how soldiers from both sides used religion to justify the brutality of war and explain their willingness to fight. It also examines the role of evangelicals, North and South, and sheds light on the "revivals" that became ubiquitous in both armies. The religious lives of the U.S. Colored Troops and contraband laborers are examined, as are the roles of religious minorities during the war, including Jews, pacifists, and Quakers.