For two reasons, Mark A. Noll suggests, the American Civil War precipitated a major theological crisis. How could thoughtful Christians, who believed that the Bible was an authoritative, truthful revelation from God, disagree so deeply over the Bible's teaching regarding the institution of slavery? How could earnest Christian leaders, who were certain that God providentially directed the affairs of nations, offer such radically different interpretations of God's doing in and through the Civil War? Noll explores how and why Northerners and Southerners responded so differently to these questions. He deftly unravels the thicket of theological, philosophical and cultural commitments that fundamentally shaped Protestants' interpretation of the Bible and understanding of slavery and race. Both Southern and Northern defenders of the institution, Noll argues, assumed that the practice of slavery evidenced in the Bible was predicated upon race. This assumption was racist, Noll contends, but fundamentally shaped their interpretation of the Bible and its teaching regarding slavery. Although narrowly focused upon the crisis of slavery, the volume provides a captivating window into nineteenth-century Christianity and American culture. However, it provides more than just a finely nuanced reading of the divergent answers that American Christians offered to these questions. Noll also examines what both Protestants and Catholics outside of the United States thought about how the Americans were answering these two critical questions. The two chapters outlining foreigners' perspectives are particularly fascinating. Noll draws upon a remarkable range of primary sources. Because Noll is such an eloquent writer, the volume is truly engaging. It makes a major contribution to both Civil War studies and the history of theology in America.