A UT history professor recently received an award for his book on religion and race in the Civil War era.
The Kentucky Historical Society awarded Associate Professor of History Luke Harlow its 2015 History Award, honoring his book Religion, Race, and the Making of Confederate Kentucky, 1830–1880. The presentation of the award took place Friday, November 6.
Ernest Freeberg, head of the UT Department of History, says the award is “a great recognition of a fascinating book. Harlow explores why the border state of Kentucky remained in the Union during the war but developed a Confederate identity afterward, and he shows the important, and tragic, role that religion played in the process.”
Published in 2014, Harlow’s book places Kentucky and its religious culture at the center of slavery debates that took place in the Civil War era. Harlow’s book is among several recent works that “reshaped the way we look at America’s greatest conflict,” the award citation noted.
Harlow demonstrates the significance of debates over Christian orthodoxy in shaping pro- and antislavery politics, and examines the fate of southern abolitionism and proslavery religion before, during and after the Civil War.
Harlow is also a contributor to a new collection of essays published this year by the University of North Carolina Press, The World the Civil War Made.
KHS publication awards recognize publications that have strong historical significance, accurate research, appropriate sources, and effective distribution models.
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C O N T A C T:
Lola Alapo (895-974-3993, lola.alapo@tennessee.edu)
Luke Harlow (865-974-7093, lharlow1@utk.edu)