LINCOLN STUDY FORUM
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Righteous Strife: How Warring Religious Nationalists Forged Lincoln's Union
By Richard J. Carwardine
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This is the first major account of the American Civil War to give full weight to the central role played by religion, reframing the conflict through Abraham Lincoln’s contentious appeals to faith-based nationalism
How did slavery figure in God’s plan? Was it the providential role of government to abolish this sin and build a righteous nation? Or did such a mission amount to “religious tyranny” and “pulpit politics,” in an effort to strip the southern states of their God-given rights? In 1861, in an already fracturing nation, the tensions surrounding this moral quandary cracked the United States in half, and even formed rifts within the North itself, where antislavery religious nationalists butted heads with conservative religious nationalists over their visions for America’s future.
At the center of this melee stood Abraham Lincoln, who would turn to his own faith for guidance, proclaiming more days of national fasting and thanksgiving than any other president before or since. These pauses for spiritual reflection provided the inspirational rhetoric and ideological fuel that sustained the war.
In Righteous Strife, Richard Carwardine gives renewed attention to this crucible of contending religious nationalisms, out of which were forged emancipation, Lincoln’s reelection, and his second inaugural address. No understanding of the American Civil War is complete without accounting for this complex dance between church and state—one that continues to define our nation.
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All members of the Lincoln Group are welcome to participate in this study and discussion group. The Study Forum meets once a month on a Saturday from 10 a.m. until noon, eastern time. Most often, we learn from a recently published book about Lincoln or his era. Members submit questions to a facilitator who organizes the meeting format for maximum engagement.
You are welcome to join at any time regardless of your personal knowledge level. We are all learning together to better appreciate the leadership and legacy of Abraham Lincoln. We ask that you do the reading and participate in the conversation. While we have met in person at the Ford's Theatre Learning Center, we are currently Zoomers, meeting from the comfort of our homes.
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Current Discussion Righteous Strife: How Warring Religious Nationalists Forged Lincoln's Union
By Richard J. Carwardine
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