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Faith of the Fathers

Faith of the Fathers

The Comprehensive History of Catholic Chaplains in the Civil War

Published by: University of Notre Dame Press

480 Pages, 152.00 × 229.00 × 29.00 mm, 26 b&w illustrations, 2 tables - 26 Halftones, black and white - 2 Tables, black and white

Hardcover
9780268209346
Published: April 2025

£36.00

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Description
Contents
Authors
Praise

Faith of the Fathers provides a captivating collective biography of the Catholic priests who served in America's most deadly war.

Faith of the Fathers brings to light the forgotten stories of courageous chaplains whose commitments to faith and to men at war during America's most divisive conflict have long been overlooked. The Reverend Robert J. Miller provides a comprehensive and compelling portrait of the 126 priest-chaplains who served during the Civil War and reflects on the importance of religion and faith in nineteenth-century America. As a culture of death and horror raged around them, Catholic priest-chaplains met the needs of soldiers and officers alike, providing years of faithful and dedicated service in hospitals, prisons, battlefields, and camps.

Whether ministering to Union or Confederate soldiers (or both), in eastern or western theaters, in battle or camp, these priests risked their lives to bring faith and hope to one of the darkest and most devastating periods of American history.

Acknowledgements

Foreword by James McPherson

Introduction by Robert J. Miller

Introductory Essay by Catholic Chaplains in America Prior to the Civil War

Part 1. Troubled Times, Willing Men, Faithful Work

1. Pre-War Issues affecting Catholic Chaplains

2. Towards a Roster of Catholic Civil War Chaplains

3. The War-Time Ministry of Catholic Chaplains

Part 2. The Giants of Catholic Chaplaincy

4. The Original "Fighting Irish" – Notre Dame Chaplains

5. "God's Marines" - Jesuit Chaplains

6. Other Religious who Served as Chaplains

7. Prominent Diocesan Chaplains

Part 3. Difficult Situations and Unique Men

8. Catholic Hospital Chaplains

9. Chaplains for the Irish

10. Chaplains in the "West" – Mississippi and New Mexico

11. Unconventional Chaplains in Unique Situations

Part 4. From the Vantage Point of History

12. In Retrospect - Consequences, Challenges, Changes

13. Conclusions and Lessons

Epilogue

Appendix 1. American Civil War Bishops

Appendix 2. Statistics

Bibliography

Index

The Reverend Robert J. Miller is a retired Catholic priest, scholar, and former president of the Chicago Civil War Round Table. He is author of six books, including Both Prayed to the Same God: Religion and Faith in the American Civil War.

James M. McPherson is an American historian specializing in the American Civil War. He is the George Henry Davis '86 Professor Emeritus of United States History at Princeton University. He received the 1989 Pulitzer Prize for Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era.

"Robert Miller's thorough research, impeccable scholarship, and lucid writing have filled a large gap in Civil War scholarship." —James M. McPherson, author of Battle Cry of Freedom

"This lively, compelling, and very complete story of Catholic chaplains will delight Civil War and American religious historians, students, and general readers." —John Patrick Daly, author of The War after the War

"Faith of the Fathers is an exceptionally well-researched study of the lives of Catholic chaplains on both sides of the Civil War. It is a major contribution to our understanding of the history of American Catholicism during the Civil War." —William Kurtz, editor of Soldiers of the Cross and author of Excommunicated from the Union