Religion in the Victorian Era
Created by Claire Hunsaker on Fri, 12/11/2020 - 12:42
The Victorian Era is truly the start of modern society. From the latter half of the Industrial Revolution, to the discovery of natural selection, things that we take for granted now are thanks to the innovations that occurred in the 19thcentury. Religion wasn’t immune to the changes that society went through during this period. Beginning with the book of Common Prayer translated in 1549 that laid the foundation for Anglican Christian worship, religious worship underwent many changes. Religions diversified, and science suddenly became a threat to the Church of England.
While the Oxford Movement in 1833 pushed for a return to the Roman Catholic roots of the Church of England, there were other individuals that just as vocally made their case for the implausibility of religion. In 1848 “The Manifesto of the Communist Party” was published, deeming religion to be “the opiate of the masses” among other criticisms of the current society. 11 years later “On the Origin of Species” by Charles Darwin was published, finally compiling and presenting his study on the evolution of species and how natural selection has led to the creatures we know on earth today. This book didn’t directly address the evolution of man, but it discussed evolution enough that it led to the debate of Huxley vs Wilberforce, Huxley becoming known as “Darwin’s Bulldog.” This debate about the evolution of man and the true age of our planet was a microcosm for a greater struggle in society between science and religion. Additionally, the Matrimonial Causes act of 1857 putting what some believed was solely a religious issue in civil jurisdiction.
However, despite the increase in scientific discovery, there was an increase in philanthropic and service oriented religious groups during this era as well. The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) created in 1855 worked to support poor young women in big cities with housing and education programs along with their mission to spread Christian literature and bring about spiritual revitalization among women. The Women’s Christian Temperance Union was another female Christian organization that was created during this time. It was based in Evangelical Christianity, which led some religious groups not to participate, but it pursued women’s issues in addition to the prohibition of alcohol. These different kinds of groups offered women a way to be involved in society despite their lower social standing. They also broadened the influence of different Christian denominations in this period. An incredibly well known religious charitable organization began during this time as well: The Salvation Army. Their membership now exceeding 1.6 million, this group focused on missionary and charitable work in the East End of London, serving those that were rejected by both society and the church.
While there seemed to be a rejection of religion when studying the Victorian Era on the surface, by taking a deeper look I have discovered that it isn’t quite as simple of an issue as it seems. On the contrary, there was a boom in Christianity and efforts to spread religion around the world, and the developments of the time are only one brick of a long road that lead to more independent thought, religious freedoms, and tolerance to those of other beliefs.
Timeline
Chronological table
| Date | Event | Created by | Associated Places | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1549 to 1549 |
The Common Book of Prayer and it's Influence The Book of Common Prayer, although nearly completely forgotten in contemporary English religion, was very crucial during this era. The bible was translated into a prayer book, which was then revised into the Book of Common Prayer and used by Anglican Christians. Because Chirstianity was such a huge part of life and because the Church held so much power over the people, religious teachings and ideas were sewn into literature. We see this a lot in Jane Eyre, as well as within a few characters of North and South. The Church of England had many restrictions on the people with homelife, worship, and work. The loftiness of it is heavily reflected in North and South in Mr. Hale.
Bolt, P. (1999). The Book of Common Prayer. English Department; North East Worchester College. Title page of Book of Common Prayer [Photograph]. (n.d.). |
Rebekah Hansen | ||
| 7 Mar 1804 |
The British and Foreign Bible Society is Created On March 7th, 1804 the British and Foreign Bible Society was created at the London Tavern in Bishopsgate. Their goal was to make the Bible accessible to everyone around the world. The creation of this organization was inspired by a 26 mile trek a Welsh girl named Mary Jones made to buy a Bible in her native tongue. A Reverend named Joseph Hughes had heard about the story and asked at a Religious Tract Society meeting in December of 1802 why the Bible isn't easily accessible to everyone. This led to William Wilberforce creating what is now known as the Bible Society. Pope Gregory XVI openly condemned the society for their translation of the Bible into different languages, so Catholics did not participate in the society. Sources: |
Claire Hunsaker | ||
| circa. 1829 |
Catholic Emancipation Act After the Reformation in England, Roman Catholics were denied many rights that those in other religions enjoyed. They were not able to purchase land, inheret property, or practice their religion freely. In Ireland, Roman Catholics couldn't vote in their local elections, and could have their land taken by a Protestant relative if they so choosed. They were completely at mercy to the Church of England. Over time, beginning in 1778, Roman Catholics were finally being given back their rights, one small step at a time. In 1829 the Catholic Emancipation Act was passed which allowed Roman Catholics to hold public office out of fear of a rebellion growing in Ireland. By 1871 members were finally allowed to attend universities, and the Emancipation Act was finally realized. Sources: https://www.princeton.edu/~graphicarts/2011/03/the_mountain_in_labour.html |
Claire Hunsaker | ||
| Summer 1833 |
The Oxford Movement In July of 1833 Anglican clergyman at Oxford University sought to restore Roman Catholic traditions to the practices of the Church of England. John Keble, John Henry Newman, and Edward Pusey are known as the founders of this movement. The protestant reformation that the Church of England experiences lost some of the rituals of the Roman Catholic church, and these men believed that bringing them back would renew spirituality in the Church of England. They believed that the fact that the church and state were getting closer together unnecessarily politicized the religion. John Keble's speech called "On the National Apostasy," John Henry Newman's pamphlets "Tracts for the Times," and Edward Pusey's "The Library of the Fathers of the Holy Catholic Church" are all significant texts to the movement. Sources: https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/o... |
Claire Hunsaker | ||
| 21 Feb 1848 |
The Communist Manifesto is Published Developed in two years yet written in about seven weeks, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engals wrote The Communist Manifesto in London, England. Due to the influx of industry in London, Karl Marx (and a group of other revolutionary socialists) considered the impact this type of social change troublesome. To them, the workers should own the businesses--as it had been for as long as human memory--instead of one owner to many workers making little wages. After its publication it became extremely popular (despite not being particularly new information) and it became an important topic of debate. It became the reasons for the fall of the Csars in Russia and later on resulted in the Cold War. Source: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/marx-publishes-manifesto |
Ann Oliver | ||
| circa. 1855 |
YWCA is Created Completely independent from the YMCA, the Young Women's Christian Association was created in 1855 in England by Mary Jane Kinnaird and Emma Robarts. Two groups met to form a Prayer Union for women, and found Christian homes for young women. These two groups officially named themselved the YWCA in 1877. After the Industrial Revolution, the YWCA worked to help the needs of poor young women in cities with safe housing and education programs. This group is nondenominational, and helped young women in their area without regards to their religious beliefs or background. Part of their work included spreading Christian literature in addition to improving the living conditions of young women. Sources: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Young-Womens-Christian-Association |
Claire Hunsaker | ||
| 1857 to 1 Jan 1858 |
Matrimonial Causes Act of 1857 Royal Standard of the United Kingdom This act, passed by Parliament, moved divorce from being in a religious jurisdiction to a civil jurisdiction. Previous to this act, divorce was a lengthy and expensive process that could possibly take years. This act ensured the right of audience to all. Men and women were still given unequal treatment, with men only needing to cite adultery as a reason, while women needed to cite adultery as well as at least one other reason. However, after this act was passed, women continually gained greater rights in marriage and regarding divorce. Because many of the voices of the novels we are reading are women, the need for a protected right to divorce by both parties in the marriage is needed, especially since the characters don't seem to know each other very well before getting married. Image: Royal Standard of the United Kingdom. Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Standard_of_the_United_Kingdom Sources:http://www.victorianweb.org/gender/layton2.html, http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/collins/tsw1.html, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matrimonial_Causes_Act_1857 |
Richard Evans | ||
| 24 Nov 1859 |
On the Origin of Species is Published On November 24th, 1859 Charles Darwin published "On the Origin of Species." This book explored the ideas of natural selection and hinting at the evolution of humans, going completely against the Christian idea of Creation and where man came from in the beginning. Darwin himself used to be Christian but lost his faith as he grew older and suffered the loss of his daughter. Rising scientists during this time agreed with Darwin's ideas, although there were some that did not. His associate Thomas Huxley became known as "Darwin's Bulldog" because of his vehement defense of Darwin's work, as is seen in the "Huxley vs Wilberforce event on this timeline. The ideas in Darwin's novel changed the way humanity looked at the world, and gave way to an increase in the belief in science over religion. Sources: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Darwin/On-the-Origin-of-Spe... |
Claire Hunsaker | ||
| The end of the month Summer 1860 |
Huxley vs Wilberforce On June 30, 1860 Thomas Huxley and Bishop Samuel Wilberforce engaged in a debate at the Oxford University Museum library. Bishop Wilberforce vehemently opposed the idea of evolution that Huxley passionately defended. This debate is a larger reprensentation of what is called the "Victorian Crisis of Faith." It was the struggle between science and religion that many people were dealing with at that time. If Darwin was correct, it threw into question everything that people had read in the Bible. Along with evolution, the use of geology also discovered that the Earth was older than the Bible said. These ideas pitted the men of science and the men of the church against each other more than ever before. This debate was a turning point for public opinion taking Darwin's theory more seriously as well. While this event may not have been the trigger of the Victorian Crisis of Faith, it is one of the most significant moments in that period.
Sources: Meyer, D. H. “American Intellectuals and the Victorian Crisis of Faith.” American Quarterly, vol. 27, no. 5, 1975, pp. 585–603. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/2712443. Accessed 28 Sept. 2020. Grigg, R. (2009, December 1). What did Wilberforce really say to 'Darwin's Bulldog'? Retrieved September 28, 2020, from https://creation.com/wilberforce-huxley-debate |
Claire Hunsaker | ||
| 2 Jul 1865 |
The Salvation Army is Created On July 2nd 1865 an evangelist named William Booth founded the Salvation Army. It was originally named the Christian Mission but was changed to the Salvation Army in 1878. Its mission is to help people meet basic human needs and to preach about God and Jesus Christ. Booth created the Salvation Army because other church groups weren't accepting of the people that he converted to Christianity, as his first group of converts were mostly "thieves, prostitutes, gamblers, and drunkards," as the Salvation Army of the Carolinas states on their website. They amassed 1,000 volunteers by 1874 and spread from the East End of London to other cities nearby. Now there are over 1.6 million members worldwide, and the organization has become incredibly well known for the work that they do for those in need all over the world. Articles https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/subdivisions/salva... |
Claire Hunsaker | ||
| 23 Dec 1873 |
Women's Christian Temperance Union The Women's Christian Temperance Union, or WCTU, began in Hillsboro, Ohio in the December of 1873. The WCTU believed in abstaining from alcohol and tabacco, and had an influence on the 18th amendment coming to fruition, prohibiting alcohol in the United States. The movement soon became international and now exists in countries all over the world. The WCTU is based in Evangelical Christianity, and includes a focus on missionary and women's suffrage. Because it was based in Evangelical Christianity, Catholics were not drawn to the union, as well as many other religious groups. This is one of the many groups that women got involved in during this era. Source: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Womans-Christian-Temperance-Union |
Claire Hunsaker |