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Definition:
The "Lost Cause Myth" developed in the South after the Civil War in an attempt to
explain and justify the loss to the North. Religious ideology was heavily employed
in order to argue that, although the South suffered a military defeat, it nevertheless
achieved a moral victory. For example, imagery of Jesus was used to show how suffering
and humiliation lead ultimately to spiritual fulfillment.
Few clergy went to so far as to admit that the South had done anything wrong with slavery, but many did argue that some abuses did occur in an otherwise beneficial system. This, along with other sins like sabbath-breaking, lead God to withdraw His protection from the South and allow the North to destroy it, much like God removed his protection from Israel and Judea, allowing foreign conquerors to defeat them. In the end, however, those enemies themselves fell to dust and the Jews returned to rule their home once again - and the same was expected to occur in the South.
Another factor in their argument was the differentiation between the industrial north and the rural south. The South, in this conception, was more pure, untouched, simple, and thus more like what God intended for humans. Here, then, was the last place in the United States where genuine, pious Christianity was still practiced. This is continuous with the traditional forms of Romanticism which rejected the modern, scientific age.
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Related Resources:
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What are the various Christian groups, denominations, sects and heresies? What are some key concepts in Christian theology? What are some of the most important events in Christian history? All of this and more are covered in the Christianity FAQ.What is the Philosophy of Religion?
Sometimes confused with theology, the Philosophy of Religion is the philosophical study of religious beliefs, religious doctrines, religious arguments and religious history. The line between theology and the philosophy of religion isn't always sharp, but the primary difference is that theology tends to be apologetical in nature, committed to the defense of particular religious positions, whereas Philosophy of Religion is committed to the investigation of religion itself, rather than the truth of any particular religion.What is Theism?
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A system of human beliefs, ideals and practices which is harder to define than it may at first appear. Read more about how dictionaries, scholars and others have tried to define and explain religion.
