| A Consuming Fire: The Fall of the Confederacy in the Mind of the White Christian South Subjects: Slavery and the church -- Southern States -- History -- 19th century; Slavery -- Southern States -- History -- 19th century; Southern States -- History -- 1775–1865; Southern States -- Church history -- 19th century; Confederate States of America -- Histo; The fall of the Confederacy proved traumatic for a people who fought with the belief that God was on their side. Yet, as Eugene D. Genovese writes in A Consuming Fire , Southern Christians continued to trust in the Lord's will. The churches had long defended "southern rights" and insisted upon the divine sanction for slavery, but they also warned that God was testing His people, who must bring slavery up to biblical standards or face the wrath of an angry God. EUGENE D. GENOVESE (1930-2012) was one of the most influential, and controversial, historians of his time. He was the author of several books, including Roll, Jordan, Roll , for which he won the Bancroft Prize; The Southern Tradition; and The Southern Front . |