Religion and American Exceptionalism in the Civil War with Richard Carwardine | BRI Scholar Talks

In this episode of Scholar Talks, Tony Williams, Senior Fellow at the Bill of Rights Institute, is joined by Richard Carwardine, Lincoln Prize-winning historian and Emeritus Rhodes Professor of American History at Oxford University, to explore themes from his book Righteous Strife: How Warring Religious Nationalists Forged Lincoln's Union.

This conversation unpacks Abraham Lincoln’s evolving religious views, the deep ties between faith and politics, and how sermons and spiritual rhetoric influenced the war effort and the fight against slavery. Carwardine offers rich insights into Lincoln’s struggle with providence, the moral weight of emancipation, and the way religious nationalism helped define the Union’s mission.