A Defense of Virginia and the South

by Robert Lewis Dabney

The author explodes abolitionist myths and confronts northern prejudices more completely than in any of his other works. He grounds his arguments in Scripture and history and cares not a whit about the modernists' two greatest evils--insensitivity and dogmatism.

Genres: History, Politics, American History, Theology, Southern, Nonfiction, American Civil War

356 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1867

About the author

Robert Lewis Dabney (March 5, 1820 – January 3, 1898) was an American Christian theologian, a Southern Presbyterian pastor, and Confederate Army chaplain. He was also chief of staff and biographer to Stonewall Jackson. His biography of Jackson remains in print today.

Dabney studied at Hampden-Sydney College and the University of Virginia (M.A., 1842), and graduated from Union Theological Seminary in 1846.
He was then a missionary in Louisa County, Virginia, from 1846 to 1847 and pastor at Tinkling Spring, Virginia from 1847 to 1853, being also head master of a classical school for a portion of this time. From 1853 to 1859 he was professor of ecclesiastical history and polity and from 1859 to 1869 adjunct professor of systematic theology in Union Theological Seminary, where he later became full professor of systematics. In 1883, he was appointed professor of mental and moral philosophy in the University of Texas.
By 1894 failing health compelled him to retire from active life, although he still lectured occasionally. He was co-pastor, with his brother-in-law B. M. Smith, of the Hampden-Sydney College Church 1858 to 1874, also serving Hampden-Sydney College in a professorial capacity on occasions of vacancies in its faculty. Dabney, whose wife was a first cousin to Stonewall Jackson's wife, participated in the Civil War: during the summer of 1861 he was chaplain of the 18th Virginia regiment in the Confederate army, and in the following year was chief of staff to Jackson during the Valley Campaign and the Seven Days Battles.
After the Civil War Dabney spoke widely on Jackson and the Confederacy. He continued to hold racial views typical in the South before the Civil War, and his continued support of slavery in speeches and a book published after the war and his strong loyalty to the Confederacy until the 1890s made him a visible figure in the post-war South (Hettle, 2003).
While at the University of Texas he practically founded and maintained the Austin School of Theology (which later became Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary), and in 1870 was Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States.

Major works

Memoir of Rev. Dr. Francis S. Sampson (1855), whose commentary on Hebrews he edited (1857);
Life of General Thomas J. Jackson (1866)
A Defense of Virginia, and Through Her, of the South, in Recent and Pending Contests Against the Sectional Party (1867), an apologia for the Confederacy.
Lectures on Sacred Rhetoric (1870)
Syllabus and Notes of the Course of Systematic and Polemic Theology (1871; 2nd ed. 1878), later republished as Systematic Theology.
Systematic Theology (1878)
Sensualistic Philosophy of the Nineteenth Century Examined (1875; 2nd ed. 1887)
Practical Philosophy (1897)
Penal Character of the Atonement of Christ Discussed in the Light of Recent Popular Heresies (1898, posthumous), on the satisfaction view of the atonement.
Discussions (1890-1897), Four volumes of his shorter essays, edited by C. R. Vaughan.

Reviews

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though I was born a Yankee, I am a southerner at heart now.

[Rich · Rating 1 out of 5]

The many positive reviews here are a reminder that some people support the institution of slavery and think it is justified by nature, law, and Christianity.

[J. Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great!

[Vinnie Santini · Rating 3 out of 5]

Exposes the reader to the thinking of the south in its defense of slavery and why they were fighting against the north. Sadly Dabney reveals his racism pretty explicitly while also trying to say that southern slavery was different from Roman chattel slavery. they owned the slave’s labor not their person. But the book does open your eyes to the wide spread nature of the slave trade, the way people can use scripture to defend wrong thinking, and the laws of Virginia concerning slavery.

[Douglas Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent.

[Ethan Duell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dabney is goated. This book lends itself to the counterintuitive temptation of highlighting so much that highlighting is pointless.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give this book 4 stars not because I believe slavery is a God-given right to masters, but that the author made many highly compelling arguments for slavery that I’ve never heard before. I’ve actually never heard an argument for slavery before reading this book. His shots that he takes at the North are direct hits and that was even more eye opening. I believe that there may be gaps in his logic at one crucial point though: how does one biblically acquire a slave without sinning in the process?

[Christian Salazar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I began reading this book. but Dabney has proved himself to be a God-fearing, far-seeing, prophetic-voice, excellent-theologian, and impressive-philosopher. While I may disagree Dabney on some finer points, I have become convinced I must read more of his works if I desire to honor Christ with my intellect.

[John Yelverton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have such mixed feelings after reading this book. He addresses slavery in a way that makes a very valid defense from a political, cultural and even biblical basis; and then he makes indefensible statements, and often in the same paragraph. If anything, this book is a testament to the complex issue that faced the nation in the mid-nineteenth century.

[Samuel Kropp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite an interesting read. Compiles the biblical data on slavery from the Old and New testaments in order to make the case that it is not a contrary institution to the Christian religion or the American constitution.

The history behind Virginia being the first commonwealth to oppose the slave trade was a fascinating piece of history not known by many.

Distinguishing between slave-holding and the slave trade is an important point to understand the rest of the argument. Dabney argues that man-stealing is a sin, but the actual relationship of master/slave is legitimate.

I think this book is relevant today for those who want to read a defense of the South and a defense of non-egalitarian society in general. Is everyone entitled to the same rights within a society? Is this what America was striving for at its founding?

In Dabney’s view, lack of moral character, ignorance, and moral irresponsibility extinguish certain civic and societal rights and privileges because his privilege of doing them would injure others and himself, and thus violate the law of equity (pg. 260).

[Miles Foltermann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent. This book shatters the presumption that 19th century American Southerners were depraved brutes who would do anything to preserve slavery. It also explodes pious fabrications concerning the abolitionist movement. A worthy defense of the South.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting. Where are the Christian writers since Dabney who advance the good parts of his arguments and harmonize them with the understanding that blacks are not a separate race and are capable of ruling themselves?

Avoid this edition; it hath typos.

[Stephen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’ve read almost everything by Dabney, and in many respects, he was an outstanding theologian and thinker. But there’s no getting around the fact that he was racist. The fact that this book still holds such a high rating in 2025 is proof that racism remains an issue in America.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply unanswerable.

[Ryan Watkins]

Read this to get a better understanding the Southern Presbyterian tradition and the ecclesial issues in the church during the Antebellum period.

[J Landon Light · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know that time when Undertaker choke-slammed Mankind through the top of the cell, down onto the tack-strewn mat? That's what Dabney did to abolitionist arguments.

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells the truth about the slave trade. Virginia's roll in trying to stop it. It tells the truth about Northern Emancipation. The truth about the cause of the war between the States. It gives a thorough exposition of the Old Testament and New Testament word Servant. It tells the truth about Southern servanthood. The author was an old school souther presbyterian who stood for the traditional recieved text over wescott and horts new bibles. I hold Dabney in high esteem though I am a Baptist!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting to get the almost impossible to find "other side" of the situation concerning slavery in the south. One should not dismiss this book when studying the issue of slavery, not just from the American perspective but from a Christian and world history perspective.

[Jonathan]

None

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well argued and reasoned.