Harry S. Stout è uno stimato storico della vita religiosa americana, focalizzato sulle intricate connessioni tra predicazione, cultura religiosa e formazione dell'identità nazionale. La sua erudizione approfondisce la profonda influenza dei movimenti spirituali e delle convinzioni morali su epoche cruciali della storia americana, inclusa la Guerra Civile. Stout illumina la complessa interazione tra fede e società, offrendo profonde intuizioni sull'evoluzione spirituale e morale della nazione. Esplora come il pensiero e la pratica religiosa siano serviti da elementi fondamentali nell'esperienza americana.
Harry Stout's groundbreaking study of preaching in colonial New England changed the field when it first appeared in 1986. Here, twenty-five years later, is a reissue of Stout's book: a reconstruction of the full import of the colonial sermon as a multi-faceted institution that served both religious and political purposes and explained history and society to the New England Puritans for one and a half centuries.
The book offers a profound examination of the moral justifications behind the Civil War, highlighting how both the Union and Confederacy viewed themselves as morally righteous. Stout analyzes the disparity between these claims and the realities of warfare, utilizing contemporary documents to illustrate the interplay of propaganda and ideology that rationalized violence. By exploring experiences from the home front to the battlefield, the work serves as a critical reflection on the ethical implications of war, relevant to contemporary conflicts.
From a renowned historian, the story of a prosperous early American family and the great middle class land grab that propelled the nation's staggering economic and territorial growth