Civil War @ 150, a conference on religious justifications and the lasting legacy of the American Civil War, will be held Oct. 22-23..
Two historians will headline the conference that begins on Thursday evening, Oct. 22, at the First Baptist Church of Chattanooga, 401 Gateway Ave. A guided tour of local Civil War sites will follow on Friday, Oct. 23.
The Thursday evening session will feature presentations by Bruce Gourley of Bozeman, Mont., and Bobby Lovett of Nashville, followed by facilitated discussions.
Dr. Gourley will address “Who is on the Lord’s side? How Baptists North and South, white and black, claimed divine favor.” He holds a doctorate in Southern history from Auburn University and is author of Crucible of Faith and Freedom: Baptists and the American Civil War (2015, Nurturing Faith Publishing).
Dr. Lovett, retired senior professor from Tennessee State University who earned a doctorate from University of Arkansas, will speak on “Legacy and Loss: How the Civil War still impacts American society.” His 2005 book, The Civil Rights Movement in Tennessee: A Narrative History, won the Tennessee History Book Award.
A registration fee of $45 per person includes all programming, dinner and tours. Reservations can be made online at NurturingFaith.net/experiences, by check payable to Baptists Today, P.O. Box 6318, Macon, GA 31208-6318, or by calling 478.301-5655.
The event at First Baptist Church in the Golden Gateway begins on Thursday evening, Oct. 22, with a reception and registration at 5:30 p.m., followed by a barbecue dinner and program at 6 p.m. The Friday tour, from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., will begin and end at the church.
Nurturing Faith Experience: Civil War @ 150 is open to anyone and is sponsored by Baptists Today news journal, Baptist History and Heritage Society, Nurturing Faith Publishing, Tennessee Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and First Baptist Church of Chattanooga.