“Alas my Backsliding hart!” The Religious Worldview and Culture of Continental Soldiers in New England, 1775-1783
This essay examines the religious beliefs and culture of New England soldiers in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. While New England soldiers were ordinary in many respects, the written record that they left behind is extraordinary. Careful analysis of their journals, letters, and o...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Soc.
2019
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| In: |
The journal of Presbyterian history
Year: 2019, Volume: 97, Issue: 1, Pages: 4-15 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | This essay examines the religious beliefs and culture of New England soldiers in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. While New England soldiers were ordinary in many respects, the written record that they left behind is extraordinary. Careful analysis of their journals, letters, and other relevant eyewitness accounts reveals that the soldiers from New England sustained a vibrant religious worldview and culture that, in many ways, distinguished them from the elite ministers and political leaders of the era. Where revolutionary ministers saw cosmic religious significance in the war, soldiers saw a providential God who was looking out for their needs. The common soldier was more interested in explaining everyday occurrences of warfare and less interested in fighting for an abstract sacred cause. Their religious culture was robust: soldiers kept routine religious rituals, maintained good relations with chaplains, and demonstrated a surprising amount of tolerance toward religious others. Knowing this religious perspective of the rank and file broadens our view of how Christianity related to the American Revolution. |
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| Contains: | Enthalten in: The journal of Presbyterian history
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