A Soldier’s Faith: The Civil War Experiences and Reflections of William Porcher DuBose

Authors

Robert B. Slocum, Marquette University

Document Type

Article

Language

eng

Publication Date

11-2018

Publisher

Cambridge University Press

Source Publication

Journal of Anglican Studies

Source ISSN

1740-3553

Abstract

The noted Episcopal theologian William Porcher DuBose was a seminarian when the American Civil War began. He was torn between continuing his studies for ordination and joining the Confederate Army. He felt duty bound to defend his homeland, and he served heroically, wounded in combat, and taken as a prisoner of war. Troubled by the senselessness and inhumanity of war, he was eventually ordained and served as a military chaplain. He devoted himself to faith and ministry when he realized his country and culture were lost. DuBose vividly presents his views on war and faith in his wartime correspondence with his fiancée and later wife Anne Barnwell Perroneau, and other writings. His experiences of loss and poverty were the basis for his theology of the cross and his understanding of the role of suffering in the Christian life, and he subsequently dedicated himself to faith, peace, and reconciliation.

Comments

Accepted version. Journal of Anglican Studies, Vol. 16, No. 2 (November 2018): 170-187. DOI. © 2018 Cambridge University Press. Used with permission.

Recommended Citation

Slocum, Robert B., "A Soldier’s Faith: The Civil War Experiences and Reflections of William Porcher DuBose" (2018). Theology Faculty Research and Publications. 738.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/theo_fac/738