Institutional Christianity In Victorian England

Throughout the greater part of the twenty first century, the term Victorian seemed to imply that which is old fashioned, puritan, or repressed. And although there may be some basis for these associations in fact, the do not sufficiently convey the true complexity of this paradoxical age, which witnessed a great growth of wealth, power, and culture. For example, concerning science and technology, The Victorians were the first to develop the modern idea of invention –creating solutions to man’s problems in order to better his state of living and that of the society in which he lives. Concerning religion, the Victorians began to doubt and question the classic idea of institutional Christianity on a very large scale. Movements such as

The English believe that they, as chosen people who were destined to rule the world, were obliged to enlighten and civilize those who were often referred to as the "White Man's Burden", the 'less fortunate savages' around the globe. They also needed the money, resources, labor, and new markets for expanding the English

Comprising over 25% of the world's population –about 21 million by 1851-. and area, which included Australia, India, Canada, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Rhodesia, South Africa, various colonies on the African coast, Gibraltar, and several islands in the West Indies. In 1750 the population of Britain was 4 million. By 1900, Queen Victoria ruled over 410 million people. And though British Victorians were thrilled by this great geographical expansion, by the addition of Africa and a good deal of Asian to the British Empire, there were troubled by the situation in Ireland. What was known as the Irish Question, which is whether or not the irish should be allowed to rule themselves. Gladstone was a constant activist for increased Irish autonomy. Yet his views were not incredibly supported, and a campaign of terrorism sparked in Irish extremists, the results of which are still evident today. The British people were also plagued by the humiliation that came with their failures in the Boer War.

RELIGION

At the beginning of the Era, Victorian England, being a deeply religious country, saw a great number of people going to church on a habitual basis, visiting church at least once but most likely twice, every Sunday. The Bible and religious stories were widely read by people of every class. Yet towards the era’s end, the hold of organized religion upon the English people slowly began to waver and slacken for a great