The sixteen essays in this volume; all previously unpublished; address the little considered question of the role played by religion in the American Civil War. The authors show that religion; understood in its broadest context as a culture and community of faith; was found wherever the war was found. Comprising essays by such scholars as Elizabeth Fox-Genovese; Drew Gilpin Faust; Mark Noll; Reid Mitchell; Harry Stout; and Bertram Wyatt-Brown; and featuring an afterword by James McPherson; this collection marks the first step towards uncovering this crucial yet neglected aspect of American history.
#98817 in Books Nancy MacLean 1995-07-13Ingredients: Example IngredientsOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 5.32 x .62 x 8.00l; .94 #File Name: 0195098366336 pagesBehind the mask of chivalry
Review
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. A Must ReadBy Wendell F. WentzEvery Southerner should have this book sitting beside their Bible. Nancy MacLean has written a most excellent book about the KKK; and this should be a text book in colleges and universities in the Sociology Department. Every minister and all church people will benefit from this book.18 of 20 people found the following review helpful. An in Depth Look At The Second Ku Klux KlanBy Lionel S. TaylorThis book looks at the activities of the Clarke County;Georgia Klan in the 1920's. The reason this Klan organization is chosen is due to the many public records and archives that are available and ;according to the author; this chapter was typical of small town Klan chapters in the South. The author argues that the Klan represented a movement of " reactionary populism" among middle class whites during this time as they tried to deal with pressures from larger businesses that were putting competitive pressure on the middling farmer and businessman as well as the threat of labor unrest from the lower classes as various union movements tried to get established. There was also a reaction against the change of the family structure and the role of women. While the Klan was without a doubt a racist terrorist organization; the author also explores other aspects of their ideology such as the enforcements of gender roles and the hostility of organized labor and Catholicism. By looking at the other aspects of the Klan's ideology the author firmly places within the realm of extreme right wing American politics. What I found especially interesting was how the author place the Klan in the context of other far right movements in the 1920's especially the Fascist movements in Italy and Germany during this period. While there are definitely some parallels between them there is also the biggest difference in that the Klan did not take off but began to decline after 1926. Why was this? The author asserts that the changing economic forces in the United States ( and the Klan leaderships blatant corruption) did not allow it to continue to be a mass movement like its German and Italian cousins. This is something all Americans should be very grateful for.This is a very good book that looks at the day to day activities of the Klan on a local level as well as what its appeal was and what type of people it attracted. As the title implies; the author does a good job of going beyond the image of the hooded night rider to the conditions in society that would allow this terrorist organization to flourish in the first place.5 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Read This BookBy Rabbit the ReaderPainful reading. Know your bigots.
