Religion

Religion always plays a part in the Flashman novels, with the narrator maintaining a cynical, detached view. In Flashman and the Angel of the Lord, Flashy comes face-to-face with a truly messianic character, John Brown. Many of his followers consider him just short of being God and truly divinely-guided. Brown has, over sixty years, memorized large portions of the Bible and interprets them according to his own views. Frederick Douglass is also considered a potential "black messiah" (pg. 248) but is sworn to non-violence. If Brown can convince Douglass to join the raid, every black in North America would flock to him, but Douglass sees the raid on Harper's Ferry as crazy, wicked, and suicidal, and his conscience will not let him participate. Brown finds parallels between ancient Israel's conquest of the Land of Canaan and the coming battle for the abolition of slavery in America.

To this end...