Fire from the Midst of You A Religious Life of John Brown

John Brown is usually remembered as a terrorist whose unbridled hatred of slavery drove him to the ill-fated raid on Harper's Ferry, Virginia, in 1859. Tried and executed for seizing a federal armory and attempting to spur a liberation movement among the slaves, Brown was the ultimate cause celebre for a country on the brink of civil war. "Fire from the Midst of You" situates Brown within the religious and social context of a national steeped in racism, showing his roots in Puritan abolitionism. In contrast to the popular image of Brown as violent fanatic, DeCaro contextualizes Brown's actions, emphasizing the intensely religious nature of the antebellum United States. He articulates the nature of Brown's radical faith and shows that, when viewed in the context of his times, he was not the religious fanatic that many have understood him to be. DeCaro calls Brown a "Protestant saint"--an imperfect believe seeking to realize his own perceived calling in divine providence. DeCaro traces Brown's life and development to show how, by forging faith as a radical weapon, Brown forced the entire nation to a point of crisis.DeCaro, Louis A., Jr. is the author of 'Fire from the Midst of You A Religious Life of John Brown', published 2005 under ISBN 9780814719220 and ISBN 0814719228.