ipl-logo

Summary Of The Civil War As A Theological Crisis By Mark A Noll

1193 Words5 Pages

In the monograph The Civil War as a Theological Crisis, Mark A. Noll is arguing that the American Civil War was not just a political and cultural issue, as is commonly argued, but also a theological crisis. Noll successfully attests that the Civil War was also a theological safe haven per se before it was even fought. Noll points out that the United States shifted from a theological safe haven to one with a theological crisis during the Civil War. Noll is able to write a successful monograph and explain how the Civil War affected the theology of the day. Noll constantly compares different religious arguments but only focuses on the sole issue of slavery in the south.
Noll is able to show how there was a theological safe haven before the Civil …show more content…

This crisis revolved around slavery in the south. Noll shows both sides of the argument. one whether or not slavery was theologically correct according to the Bible, but Noll focuses more on defending the theological argument for slavery. Noll starts off his book with giving an example on how the two views thought of slavery, one said it is the “cause of national sin” while the other states it is “good and merciful.” These two points start off Noll in an unbiased direction in that he points out that the North cannot view the south as heathenistic for they are all part of the same nation and cannot use the Mosaic Law against them. Noll points out that the South is still at some fault for its treatment of slaves were not treated completely as human, but still the slaves are human. These help Noll’s point in that there was a crisis. Both the North and the South had their own ideas. This is compounded in that Northern and Southern Protestant churches both believed the Bible is true and that their interpretation of the Bible is correct. This is feeding in to the conflict during the Civil War. If both sides thought they were scripturally correct as Noll suggest, they are not just fighting a physical war, but a spiritual battle over theology and which interpretation if correct and which one is …show more content…

An important example Noll points out is for Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. Jackson has been pointed out to have given credit to God for the victories of the Confederates. Noll points out that when Jackson died, it was thought by some that it was because of some sin. This is important towards Noll’s point because the thought for slavery was not simply that they are justified in the Bible but that sense they are justified they will win the war. Noll uses the words of James M. Pendleton, a big defender of biblical inerrancy, as it caused him to write that “slavery is not of necessity sinful” and that he then has a hard time refuting the slave laws in Kentucky according to the Bible, Mosaic Law and Abrahamic tradition. Pendleton reluctantly supports Noll’s point in Biblical justification for slavery. This helps Noll tremendously because he is able to give a very real and honest opinion into his list of sources. Pendleton is honest because he was bound by his strong willed defense of the inerrancy of the Bible and would then not try to make some doctrine up just to fit his

Show More
Related
338 Words | 2 Pages

The Civil War. Louis P. Masur’s book, The civil War: a Concise History, Is a book that gives an overview of the civil war from 18 to 1800, Providing multiple causes an consequences that emerged from the war. The book begins by reviewing the origins of the war. Chapter one covers the issues between northern and southern states and the tension over right and slave possession. The tension created a conflict that raised a number of political, social, and military events that then proceeded into a battle to abolish slavery from the colonies.

Read More
134 Words | 1 Pages

He does not agree with Mrs. Auld teaching Douglass these new things, because he felt the education ruined slaves and ultimately would make them unhappy and unruly. Although Mr. Auld’s word were quite harsh, Douglass took it as words of enlightenment and vowed to win his freedom

Read More
493 Words | 2 Pages

The book I read this month was titled Voices from the Civil War by Milton Meltzer. When the United States defeated Mexico we gained California, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and Colorado(Pg.1). In 1850 the Fugitive Slave Law came to power. It stated that all slave found in the North where to be returned to there owner.

Read More
236 Words | 1 Pages

In his Second Inaugural Address speech by Abraham Lincoln, incorporates biblical references and compares the North and South in order to bring them together and unite the country. Lincoln indirectly questions the ethics behind owning slaves by referring to the bible and reveals the South using God as an excuse for racism. Quoting the bible, Lincoln concludes that “He now wills to remove” implying that God wishes to abolish slavery. The former president convoys God to have “his own purposes” suggesting to leave the war in God's hands.

Read More
1104 Words | 5 Pages

Originally, as a new nation emerging, the United States was focused on building and stabilizing itself in order to seem powerful to foreign countries. However, as time went on, the North and the South disagreed over various issues and were eventually divided. Many events arose which worsened the split between the North and South after the Antebellum Era, resulting in the South seceding from the Union. The reason why Southern states seceded from the Union in 1860 and 1861 was the controversy over slavery between the North and the South. One main event that contributed to the controversy over slavery and the South’s secession was Abraham Lincoln’s election.

Read More
1128 Words | 5 Pages

Many years after the Government abolished the international slave trade, a great unrest period developed. For a decade the question of slavery was swept underneath the rug. The issue of slavery was not fully exploited until 1861, when the civil war broke out. The author, Joseph Ellis, from the book Founding Brothers, presents the founding brothers as worried about slavery and wanting to maintain the peace of the fledgling nation. Joseph Ellis suggests an inquiry that slavery split the country so extremely that it became unresolveable every time the argument was pushed further into the future.

Read More
2925 Words | 12 Pages

During the era before Civil War, there were different serious problems that lied under the surface of the society, which caused the gap between the North and the South to expand throughout time. Within the United States of America, both sides disagreed on each other’s economic resources, political ideas, and perspectives about the issues among slavery. Due to these disagreements, many compromises and negotiations were introduced in order to unite the North and the South, and to prohibit them from becoming more segregated. Despite the effort of these compromises, none of the issues was being correctly and completely solved either by the federal government or by the current president of that time.

Read More
869 Words | 4 Pages

On September 2nd, 1862, Abraham Lincoln famously signed the Emancipation Proclamation. After that, there’s been much debate on whether Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation truly played a role in freeing the slaves with many arguments opposing or favoring this issue. In Vincent Harding’s essay, The Blood-red Ironies of God, Harding argues in his thesis that Lincoln did not help to emancipate the slaves but that rather the slaves “self-emancipated” themselves through the war. On the opposition, Allen C Guelzo ’s essay, Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation: The End of Slavery in America, argues in favor of the Emancipation Proclamation and Guelzo acknowledges Lincoln for the abolishment of slavery through the Emancipation Proclamation.

Read More
617 Words | 3 Pages

Prolific for its apocalyptic portrayal of President Abraham Lincoln’s election, Senator Robert Toombs’ speech to the Georgia state legislature reveals how Southerners were concerned about the longevity of their lifestyle. Utilizing passionate rhetoric, The South Must Strike while There Is Yet Time illustrates how the future of the Union has become unpredictable and warrants action from legislators. An address of vigorous pathos, Toombs details how the security of Southern values remains paramount to the decision of secession. Moreover, the discourse over secession often features slavery and emphasizes its role in Southern identity, deeming it essential to the preservation of their way of life. The perception of Lincoln as a radical abolitionist

Read More
490 Words | 2 Pages

The Civil War was a national devastation that had a deep impact on American society. In 1863, Lincoln proposed the Emancipation Proclamation declaring the slaves would be free, though it was limited only to the rebellious states. By careful preparation of the document, Lincoln ensured that it would offer a positive impact on the Union efforts and to redefine the purpose of the civil war. The results of the emancipation continued to have an abrupt and profound effect of equality and social justice (Roark, 402).

Read More
585 Words | 3 Pages

An intense religious movement called, The Great Awakening, occurred in the 1730’s and 1740’s. This movement started in Colonial America, which originally came from a town named Northampton located in Massachusetts. Two preachers whose name’s are, Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield both called Northampton home. Between these two men and their belief that the only thing that could save us humans, from the eternal fires of hell, was The Lord’s mercy. This had a massive affect on the colonists of America, due to there spiritual beliefs coming to end for the past century.

Read More
736 Words | 3 Pages

James Oakes writes this book through two filters, one through Frederick Douglas, and one through Abraham Lincoln. Both fighting for the same thing, just with different motives. Throughout the book he writes an account of the transformation of these two great american leaders, and how they play off each others moves. The background of this metaphorical chess game would be the civil war over the debate of slavery in the mid-19th century America. Oakes paints both of these leaders in their own beautiful strokes: Douglass with his reforms; and Lincoln with his republican coalition.

Read More
439 Words | 2 Pages

The civil war redefined what it meant to be an American because the nation was divided. The civil war redefined to be an American because it changed laws and american’s were also divided over slavery. Nobody ever helped Sojourner Truth get into carriages,over mud puddles or even gives her any best place. Frederick Douglass told others that they would be free when you are twenty-one during the civil war, but he said that he is a slave for life. Paul Revere quotes said On a shadowy something far away,where the river widens to meet the bay,a line of black,that bends and floats on the rising tide,like a bridge of boats so it basically has something to do with the civil war or the fact that he feels bad for the people who are slaves and need help.

Read More
1796 Words | 8 Pages

It is here that Dailey makes her point that we as Americans overlook religion in history as being “archaic” and not of bold importance to modern American history. This statement can be one of monumental implications. The importance of consignation in the civil rights movement, which as Dailey described time and time again was tied to religious beliefs at the foundation of the struggle, could parallel many other historical events where religious thought is overlook as a motive or point of structure. Ultimately, it is of this readers analysis, that Dailey is showing us an example of how the dogma of religion and history should be embraced so as to get accurate representation of a time and

Read More
927 Words | 4 Pages

Religion and its relationship to slavery is a contradictive subject, whether it was forced upon slaves or was a form of hope and freedom is still commonly debated about to this day. However, these individuals were devoted Christians in the abolitionist movement who all

Read More

More about Summary Of The Civil War As A Theological Crisis By Mark A Noll

Related Topics

Open Document