Evangelicals believe that "Judgement begins at the house of God" and are instructed to "humble themselves under the mighty hand of God" and assume that in due time He will lift us up. While this sounds good in principle it is painful to practice.

Aside from providing a portrait of a fascinating figure in American religiosity, John R. Rice, this is also an important book for those seeking insight into just what makes Christian Fundamentalism "tick" (like a bomb?) in the American political landscape. Reading this book will make the hip secularist only hipper once he realizes the full nature that drives the religious force he or she perhaps is more inclined to condescend to. Paging Bill Maher...

This is a 4-in-1 Book: A Civil War History; A Civil Rights History; The Evolution of American Fundamentalism; A Family's Story. Concise, well-referenced and beautifully written in such a way that the "4-in-1" stories are seamlessly interwoven. I found The Sword of the Lord deeply meaningful as I come from a virtually identical background all the way back to the 1700's and my own Scots-Irish ancestral migration to America, who also settled in the deep South, and were devout Southern Baptists.

This book succeeds on many levels!  - Historically, emotionally, and spiritually.  The author tracks the spiritual trials and tribulations in the US across many generations, across cultures, within family, amongst friends, and within the individual.  Through the context of one of America's most influential fundamentalist families, the author explores his roots and the challenges (external and internal) that have shaped his and his family's faith.  It was easy for me to relate to personally and I think would be enjoyed by anyone searching for a deeper understanding o