"Baptized in Blood" by Charles Reagan Wilson. A Review
I once lived in Mississippi for an extended period, and was struck by the breadth of Christian texture that surfaced in the social nuances and niceties. So, in many ways, "Baptized in Blood: The Religion of the Lost Cause. 1865-1920" penned by Charles Reagan Wilson, professor emeritus of history and southern studies at the University of Mississippi and co-editor of the Encyclopedia of Southern Studies, gave me some colorful background to my experiences. This volume first surfaced in the 1980s and was republished in 2009. The volume's thesis is plainly stated early on, "the Lost cause was a mythic construct that helped white southerners define a cultural identity in the aftermath of Confederate defeat" (x). Since the book has already been around for decades and has received numerous reviews, online and in educational and historical journals, I will simply get down to brass tacks. I'm not sure the author makes a completely convincing case. The material is in...