A Holy Baptism of Fire and Blood: The Bible and the American Civil War
A Holy Baptism of Fire and Blood: The Bible and the American Civil War
Overview
Description
Editorial Reviews
An eye-opening work for anyone wishing to truly understand the era...Essential. --
CHOICE
It will no doubt contribute richly to a wealth of new studies at this intersection for years to come. -- Devin Singh, Dartmouth College,
Chuch History
Thorough and evocative. --
Church History
A Holy Baptism of Fire and Blood provides the most thorough discussion to date of the Bible's role in the Civil War. -- David B. Parker, Kennesaw State University,
Reading religion
All told -- and there is much in James Byrd's insightful narrative --
A Holy Baptism of Fire & Blood is a unique and powerful first-hand recounting of the Civil War's ebb and flow through the elastic prism of the book most familiar to nineteenth-century Americans. -- Bruce T. Gourley,
The Civil
War Book Review
James P. Byrd has gifted readers with another comprehensively chronicled and extensively analyzed survey of how Americans, in the country's earliest decades, were politically inspired by the Bible ... As his second invaluable contribution to the interpretive history of the Bible in America makes
clear, it is Byrd's historically and spiritually attuned gifts that are beyond debate. -- Rabbi Dr. Stu Halpern,
The Zahava and Moshael Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought
Byrd integrates his discussion of biblical references so well into their historical contexts that the book could almost be read as a history of the war itself....
A Holy Baptism of Fire and Blood provides the most thorough discussion to date of the Bible's role in the Civil War. --
Reading
Religion
[Starred Review] This study of the use of the Bible at a critical time in the history of the United States can shed light on our own times, when the Bible is often used in a political tug-of-war. -- Augustine J. Curley,
Library Journal
[Starred Review] Civil War buffs and Scripture enthusiasts alike will find this book to be a uniquely worthwhile reading experience. --
Kirkus
For readers accustomed to encountering the Civil War through battlefield accounts and secular biographies, Mr. Byrd's book is revelatory. No recent historian has shed more clarifying light on the spiritual equipment that bolstered soldiers' hearts and shaped their moral determination. Illuminating
the faith they carried into battle along with their Bibles, as Mr. Byrd so eloquently does, helps us understand the inexplicable: how ordinary men by the tens and hundreds of thousands faced the imminent prospect of violent death or horrible maiming at Shiloh, Antietam, Cold Harbor and a thousand
other battlefields that made the war the bloodiest in the nation's history. -- Fergus Bordewich,
Wall Street Journal
Read the book, study the book, and reflect on the book. However, if nothing else, the Introduction and the Epilogue are a must read and worth the price of the book. Also, very helpful is the Appendix, Biblical Citations in the Civil War Era. This is a landmark work to be read by any person
seeking to understand the role of faith in military history and especially, during the American Civil War. -- Timothy J. Demy, U.S. Naval War College,
Cercles Recensions Book Reviews
War is everywhere in the New Testament, as in the Old, ' declared a Southern clergyman in 1863. The Bible was the most frequently cited book in both North and South during the Civil War. It served as a guide to explain the sacrifices and sufferings of soldiers and civilians. James Byrd's magisterial
study helps the modern reader appreciate the all-encompassing role of scripture in America's most deadly experience. -- James M. McPherson, author of
Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era
This remarkable examination of the use of the Bible in the Civil War, North and South, represents a new departure in Civil War historiography. Through an innovative and exhaustive quantitative compilation and analysis of scriptural references, James Byrd highlights the most important Scriptures
cited during the war and sets them in their broadest historical context. While the texts and interpretations varied widely in North and South, Byrd demonstrates in striking detail the truth of Lincoln's provocative assertion in his 2nd Inaugural that both sides read the same bible and pray to the
same God. -- Harry S. Stout, Yale University
About the Author
James P. Byrd is Chair of the Graduate Department Religion and Associate Professor of American Religious History at Vanderbilt University Divinity School. He earned his master's degree at Duke University and his Ph.D. at Vanderbilt University. He is the author of
Sacred Scripture, Sacred War: The
Bible and the American Revolution (OUP, 2013).
Sacred Scripture, Sacred War: The
Bible and the American Revolution (OUP, 2013).
Condition Guidelines
Books - New and Used
The following guidelines apply to books:
- New: A brand-new copy with cover and original protective wrapping intact. Books with markings of any kind on the cover or pages, books marked as "Bargain" or "Remainder," or with any other labels attached, may not be listed as New condition.
- Used - Good: All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May include "From the library of" labels. Shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Item may be missing bundled media.
- Used - Acceptable: All pages and the cover are intact, but shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Pages may include limited notes, highlighting, or minor water damage but the text is readable. Item may but the dust cover may be missing. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting, but the text cannot be obscured or unreadable.
Note: Some electronic material access codes are valid only for one user. For this reason, used books, including books listed in the Used – Like New condition, may not come with functional electronic material access codes.
Shipping & Delivery
Shipping Fees
- Stevens Books offers FREE SHIPPING everywhere in the United States for ALL non-book orders, and $3.99 for each book.
- Packages are shipped from Monday to Friday.
- No additional fees and charges.
Delivery Times
The usual time for processing an order is 24 hours (1 business day), but may vary depending on the availability of products ordered. This period excludes delivery times, which depend on your geographic location.
Estimated delivery times:
- Standard Shipping: 5-8 business days
- Expedited Shipping: 3-5 business days
Shipping method varies depending on what is being shipped.
Tracking
All orders are shipped with a tracking number. Once your order has left our warehouse, a confirmation e-mail with a tracking number will be sent to you. You will be able to track your package at all times.
Damaged Parcel
If your package has been delivered in a PO Box, please note that we are not responsible for any damage that may result (consequences of extreme temperatures, theft, etc.).
If you have any questions regarding shipping or want to know about the status of an order, please contact us or email to support@stevensbooks.com.
Returns & Refunds
You may return most items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund.
To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging.
Several types of goods are exempt from being returned. Perishable goods such as food, flowers, newspapers or magazines cannot be returned. We also do not accept products that are intimate or sanitary goods, hazardous materials, or flammable liquids or gases.
Additional non-returnable items:
- Gift cards
- Downloadable software products
- Some health and personal care items
To complete your return, we require a tracking number, which shows the items which you already returned to us.
There are certain situations where only partial refunds are granted (if applicable)
- Book with obvious signs of use
- CD, DVD, VHS tape, software, video game, cassette tape, or vinyl record that has been opened
- Any item not in its original condition, is damaged or missing parts for reasons not due to our error
- Any item that is returned more than 30 days after delivery
Items returned to us as a result of our error will receive a full refund,some returns may be subject to a restocking fee of 7% of the total item price, please contact a customer care team member to see if your return is subject. Returns that arrived on time and were as described are subject to a restocking fee.
Items returned to us that were not the result of our error, including items returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address, will be refunded the original item price less our standard restocking fees.
If the item is returned to us for any of the following reasons, a 15% restocking fee will be applied to your refund total and you will be asked to pay for return shipping:
- Item(s) no longer needed or wanted.
- Item(s) returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address.
- Item(s) returned to us that were not a result of our error.
You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).
If you need to return an item, please Contact Us with your order number and details about the product you would like to return. We will respond quickly with instructions for how to return items from your order.
Shipping Cost
We'll pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.). In other cases, you will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Shipping costs are non-refundable. If you receive a refund, the cost of return shipping will be deducted from your refund.
Depending on where you live, the time it may take for your exchanged product to reach you, may vary.
If you are shipping an item over $75, you should consider using a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We don’t guarantee that we will receive your returned item.
Categories
Overview
Description
Editorial Reviews
An eye-opening work for anyone wishing to truly understand the era...Essential. --
CHOICE
It will no doubt contribute richly to a wealth of new studies at this intersection for years to come. -- Devin Singh, Dartmouth College,
Chuch History
Thorough and evocative. --
Church History
A Holy Baptism of Fire and Blood provides the most thorough discussion to date of the Bible's role in the Civil War. -- David B. Parker, Kennesaw State University,
Reading religion
All told -- and there is much in James Byrd's insightful narrative --
A Holy Baptism of Fire & Blood is a unique and powerful first-hand recounting of the Civil War's ebb and flow through the elastic prism of the book most familiar to nineteenth-century Americans. -- Bruce T. Gourley,
The Civil
War Book Review
James P. Byrd has gifted readers with another comprehensively chronicled and extensively analyzed survey of how Americans, in the country's earliest decades, were politically inspired by the Bible ... As his second invaluable contribution to the interpretive history of the Bible in America makes
clear, it is Byrd's historically and spiritually attuned gifts that are beyond debate. -- Rabbi Dr. Stu Halpern,
The Zahava and Moshael Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought
Byrd integrates his discussion of biblical references so well into their historical contexts that the book could almost be read as a history of the war itself....
A Holy Baptism of Fire and Blood provides the most thorough discussion to date of the Bible's role in the Civil War. --
Reading
Religion
[Starred Review] This study of the use of the Bible at a critical time in the history of the United States can shed light on our own times, when the Bible is often used in a political tug-of-war. -- Augustine J. Curley,
Library Journal
[Starred Review] Civil War buffs and Scripture enthusiasts alike will find this book to be a uniquely worthwhile reading experience. --
Kirkus
For readers accustomed to encountering the Civil War through battlefield accounts and secular biographies, Mr. Byrd's book is revelatory. No recent historian has shed more clarifying light on the spiritual equipment that bolstered soldiers' hearts and shaped their moral determination. Illuminating
the faith they carried into battle along with their Bibles, as Mr. Byrd so eloquently does, helps us understand the inexplicable: how ordinary men by the tens and hundreds of thousands faced the imminent prospect of violent death or horrible maiming at Shiloh, Antietam, Cold Harbor and a thousand
other battlefields that made the war the bloodiest in the nation's history. -- Fergus Bordewich,
Wall Street Journal
Read the book, study the book, and reflect on the book. However, if nothing else, the Introduction and the Epilogue are a must read and worth the price of the book. Also, very helpful is the Appendix, Biblical Citations in the Civil War Era. This is a landmark work to be read by any person
seeking to understand the role of faith in military history and especially, during the American Civil War. -- Timothy J. Demy, U.S. Naval War College,
Cercles Recensions Book Reviews
War is everywhere in the New Testament, as in the Old, ' declared a Southern clergyman in 1863. The Bible was the most frequently cited book in both North and South during the Civil War. It served as a guide to explain the sacrifices and sufferings of soldiers and civilians. James Byrd's magisterial
study helps the modern reader appreciate the all-encompassing role of scripture in America's most deadly experience. -- James M. McPherson, author of
Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era
This remarkable examination of the use of the Bible in the Civil War, North and South, represents a new departure in Civil War historiography. Through an innovative and exhaustive quantitative compilation and analysis of scriptural references, James Byrd highlights the most important Scriptures
cited during the war and sets them in their broadest historical context. While the texts and interpretations varied widely in North and South, Byrd demonstrates in striking detail the truth of Lincoln's provocative assertion in his 2nd Inaugural that both sides read the same bible and pray to the
same God. -- Harry S. Stout, Yale University
About the Author
James P. Byrd is Chair of the Graduate Department Religion and Associate Professor of American Religious History at Vanderbilt University Divinity School. He earned his master's degree at Duke University and his Ph.D. at Vanderbilt University. He is the author of
Sacred Scripture, Sacred War: The
Bible and the American Revolution (OUP, 2013).
Sacred Scripture, Sacred War: The
Bible and the American Revolution (OUP, 2013).
Condition Guidelines
Books - New and Used
The following guidelines apply to books:
- New: A brand-new copy with cover and original protective wrapping intact. Books with markings of any kind on the cover or pages, books marked as "Bargain" or "Remainder," or with any other labels attached, may not be listed as New condition.
- Used - Good: All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May include "From the library of" labels. Shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Item may be missing bundled media.
- Used - Acceptable: All pages and the cover are intact, but shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Pages may include limited notes, highlighting, or minor water damage but the text is readable. Item may but the dust cover may be missing. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting, but the text cannot be obscured or unreadable.
Note: Some electronic material access codes are valid only for one user. For this reason, used books, including books listed in the Used – Like New condition, may not come with functional electronic material access codes.
Shipping & Delivery
Shipping Fees
- Stevens Books offers FREE SHIPPING everywhere in the United States for ALL non-book orders, and $3.99 for each book.
- Packages are shipped from Monday to Friday.
- No additional fees and charges.
Delivery Times
The usual time for processing an order is 24 hours (1 business day), but may vary depending on the availability of products ordered. This period excludes delivery times, which depend on your geographic location.
Estimated delivery times:
- Standard Shipping: 5-8 business days
- Expedited Shipping: 3-5 business days
Shipping method varies depending on what is being shipped.
Tracking
All orders are shipped with a tracking number. Once your order has left our warehouse, a confirmation e-mail with a tracking number will be sent to you. You will be able to track your package at all times.
Damaged Parcel
If your package has been delivered in a PO Box, please note that we are not responsible for any damage that may result (consequences of extreme temperatures, theft, etc.).
If you have any questions regarding shipping or want to know about the status of an order, please contact us or email to support@stevensbooks.com.
Returns & Refunds
You may return most items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund.
To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging.
Several types of goods are exempt from being returned. Perishable goods such as food, flowers, newspapers or magazines cannot be returned. We also do not accept products that are intimate or sanitary goods, hazardous materials, or flammable liquids or gases.
Additional non-returnable items:
- Gift cards
- Downloadable software products
- Some health and personal care items
To complete your return, we require a tracking number, which shows the items which you already returned to us.
There are certain situations where only partial refunds are granted (if applicable)
- Book with obvious signs of use
- CD, DVD, VHS tape, software, video game, cassette tape, or vinyl record that has been opened
- Any item not in its original condition, is damaged or missing parts for reasons not due to our error
- Any item that is returned more than 30 days after delivery
Items returned to us as a result of our error will receive a full refund,some returns may be subject to a restocking fee of 7% of the total item price, please contact a customer care team member to see if your return is subject. Returns that arrived on time and were as described are subject to a restocking fee.
Items returned to us that were not the result of our error, including items returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address, will be refunded the original item price less our standard restocking fees.
If the item is returned to us for any of the following reasons, a 15% restocking fee will be applied to your refund total and you will be asked to pay for return shipping:
- Item(s) no longer needed or wanted.
- Item(s) returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address.
- Item(s) returned to us that were not a result of our error.
You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).
If you need to return an item, please Contact Us with your order number and details about the product you would like to return. We will respond quickly with instructions for how to return items from your order.
Shipping Cost
We'll pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.). In other cases, you will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Shipping costs are non-refundable. If you receive a refund, the cost of return shipping will be deducted from your refund.
Depending on where you live, the time it may take for your exchanged product to reach you, may vary.
If you are shipping an item over $75, you should consider using a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We don’t guarantee that we will receive your returned item.
Categories
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