In undergrad I had to read a book called War is a Force That Gives Us Meaning. I don't remember much about it other than the title. But the title has stuck with me and I have been thinking about that statement during this semester. Ebel's book, Faith in the Fight, has me wondering something related: Is religion a force that gives war meaning? After the assigned readings from this class I might argue that most, or all, of America's wars prior to this were religiously shaped wars or religiously based wars. While Ebel admits that "the Great War was not a war of religion," he argues that religion was a cause of America's involvement. He gives many examples of how religion effected the soldiers and workers on the ground, whether it be an anxious letter from a soldier, ready to fight for "God and humanity," to his parents or an ode to Death with the knowledge that God will welcome one who dies fighting.
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