Roman Catholic Saints and Early Victorian Literature

Conservatism, Liberalism, and the Emergence of Secular Culture

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism
Cover of the book Roman Catholic Saints and Early Victorian Literature by Devon Fisher, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Devon Fisher ISBN: 9781317061809
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: April 8, 2016
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Devon Fisher
ISBN: 9781317061809
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: April 8, 2016
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

Offering readings of nineteenth-century travel narratives, works by Tractarians, the early writings of Charles Kingsley, and the poetry of Alfred Tennyson, Devon Fisher examines representations of Roman Catholic saints in Victorian literature to assess both the relationship between conservative thought and liberalism and the emergence of secular culture during the period. The run-up to Victoria's coronation witnessed a series of controversial liberal reforms. While many early Victorians considered the repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts (1828), the granting of civil rights to Roman Catholics (1829), and the extension of the franchise (1832) significant advances, for others these three acts signaled a shift in English culture by which authority in matters spiritual and political was increasingly ceded to individuals. Victorians from a variety of religious perspectives appropriated the lives of Roman Catholic saints to create narratives of English identity that resisted the recent cultural shift towards private judgment. Paradoxically, conservative Victorians' handling of the saints and the saints' lives in their sheer variety represented an assertion of individual authority that ultimately led to a synthesis of liberalism and conservatism and was a key feature of an emergent secular state characterized not by disbelief but by a range of possible beliefs.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Offering readings of nineteenth-century travel narratives, works by Tractarians, the early writings of Charles Kingsley, and the poetry of Alfred Tennyson, Devon Fisher examines representations of Roman Catholic saints in Victorian literature to assess both the relationship between conservative thought and liberalism and the emergence of secular culture during the period. The run-up to Victoria's coronation witnessed a series of controversial liberal reforms. While many early Victorians considered the repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts (1828), the granting of civil rights to Roman Catholics (1829), and the extension of the franchise (1832) significant advances, for others these three acts signaled a shift in English culture by which authority in matters spiritual and political was increasingly ceded to individuals. Victorians from a variety of religious perspectives appropriated the lives of Roman Catholic saints to create narratives of English identity that resisted the recent cultural shift towards private judgment. Paradoxically, conservative Victorians' handling of the saints and the saints' lives in their sheer variety represented an assertion of individual authority that ultimately led to a synthesis of liberalism and conservatism and was a key feature of an emergent secular state characterized not by disbelief but by a range of possible beliefs.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Contesting Forestry in West Africa by Devon Fisher
Cover of the book Thoughts on Indian Discontents (Routledge Revivals) by Devon Fisher
Cover of the book The Origins of the Modern European State System, 1494-1618 by Devon Fisher
Cover of the book The Adoption and Diffusion of Imported Technology by Devon Fisher
Cover of the book Therapy and the Postpartum Woman by Devon Fisher
Cover of the book Agricultural Protectionism in the Industrialized World by Devon Fisher
Cover of the book World Literature, Transnational Cinema, and Global Media by Devon Fisher
Cover of the book The Soviet Union and Syria (RLE Syria) by Devon Fisher
Cover of the book Storytelling in Management Practice by Devon Fisher
Cover of the book Adolescent Relationships and Drug Use by Devon Fisher
Cover of the book A Practical Guide to Teaching Music in the Secondary School by Devon Fisher
Cover of the book Muscular Dystrophy and Other Neuromuscular Diseases by Devon Fisher
Cover of the book Buddhism and Human Rights by Devon Fisher
Cover of the book Discourse and Creativity by Devon Fisher
Cover of the book Constructing the World Polity by Devon Fisher
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy