A study of the American Civil War and the Confederacy would be incomplete without an examination of the religious revivals in the Confederate army. For one of the few times in wartime history, soldiers were unable to escape the flame of religious revivals. From the Army of Northern Virginia, the Army of Tennessee, and the Army of Mississippi to hundreds of scattered commands including northern prisoner of war camps, revivals touched the lives of soldiers, directly or indirectly, as few revivals have before or since. This study traces the beginnings or revivals from a few scattered commands and hospitals to the great revivals of 1863 and 1864. Through the written word carried by colporteurs and the spoken word of the preachers, be they chaplains, missionaries or laymen, the word of God was spread. / Revivals had been common in the South during much of its history and many churches relied upon, and people believed in, its use to spread the Gospel. From this historical, yet personal background, the deterioration of the military situation (before going into battle, soldiers were especially receptive to the Christian message) and camp conditions combined to make an opportune time for religious awareness/awakening. This elementary faith was quickly spread throughout the camp, flaming fiercely only to dissipate and rekindle in yet another camp. Active fighting and certain climate conditions were the only things to put a damper on these fires. Prayer groups and various Christian associations remained constant, keeping the flames smoldering even when the fire could no longer be lit, yet enabling the fire to flicker again when conditions permitted. During the winters and springs of 1863 and 1864, the revivals reached their pinnacles but they continued until the end of the war in all of the major armies. Singing, preaching and praying were common throughout the revivals, and each service was followed by smaller prayer meetings and answering questions of and praying for those who asked. For the soldiers touched by Christianity, it was their work, their cooperation, and their story that made the revivals so important. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-10, Section: A, page: 3398. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1982.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_74954 |
| Contributors | PRIM, GORRELL CLINTON, JR., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 244 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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