The Mind of the Master Class: History and Faith in the Southern Slaveholders' Worldview

Abstract

Part I. Cradled in the Storms of Revolution: 1. 'That Terrible Tragedy' 2. The age of revolution through slaveholding eyes 3. 'The Purest Sons of Freedom' Entr'Acte: the bonds of slavery Part II. The Inescapable Past: 4. History as moral and political instruction 5. The slaveholders' quest for a history of the common people 6. World history and the politics of slavery 7. History as the story of freedom Part III. Ancient Legacies, Medieval Sensibility, Modern Men: 8. In the shadow of antiquity 9. Coming to terms with the Middle Ages 10. The chivalry 11. Chivalric slave masters 12. Chivalric politics: Southern ladies take their stand Part IV. A Christian People Defend the Faith: 13. A Christian people 14. Unity and diversity among the faithful 15. War over the Good Book 16. Slavery: proceeding from the Lord 17. The Holy Spirit in the word of God 18. Jerusalem and Athens - against Paris 19. Serpent in the garden: liberal theology in the South 20. Theopolitics: golden rule, higher law, and slavery Coda: St. John of Pottawatamie Part V. At the Rubicon: 21. Between individualism and corporatism: from the reformation to the war for Southern Independence 22. Past and future Caesars Epilogue: King Solomon's dilemma.