The Hermeneutics of Secession in the Valley of Virginia (thesis)

Abstract

This thesis examines the hermeneutics of a distinct region in Virginia during the secession crisis which preceded the Civil War. The Introduction establishes the unique histories, cultures, economics, politics, and religions of the people of the Valley of Virginia which caused the decision to secede to be one of nonconsensus. Chapter 1 explores how the people of the Valley interpreted the world through a biblical lens, especially the institution of slavery and the Union of the United States. In Chapter 2, I evaluate the hermeneutics of the pro-secessionists who believed the Union to be dissolved because the North had violated the sacred covenant between the states. In Chapter 3, I analyze the opposing hermeneutics of the anti-secessionists who believed the covenant of Union could not be broken. Close study of the Valley's hermeneutics of secession provides an explanation for why Civil War memory is contested and suggests the people of the Valley continue to utilize the hermeneutics of their ancestors in times of crisis.