Why would God have allowed Britain to be the master of the greatest empire in history? Following the Napoleonic Wars, this was the compelling question in the United Kingdom, and various religious groups replied that obviously God had a master plan. In God's providence, the empire existed so that Christianity and “civilization” could be spread throughout the world. Professor Brown does an excellent job in uncovering, layer by layer, the important role of religion in politics and culture in the United Kingdom and relating the themes to the concept of providence. Using a balance of primary and secondary sources, Professor Brown demonstrates his mastery of the field by attention to detail while telling the large story in a clear and compelling way. He clearly demonstrates how both the changes in social conditions and the changing political scene were influenced by religion that also was changing with the times.
The work clearly defines the various religious groups by giving attention to their core beliefs and the chief vision carriers for each movement. The Established Church in all its breadth, the dissenting denominations with their wide variety of flavors, the growing Roman Catholic influence, the various manifestations of Christian socialism, the increasing number of Jewish immigrants with the emerging Zionist movement, and the non-Christian or pseudo Christian movements like spiritualism or Theosophy are all woven together in the religious tapestry of this crucial period in the United Kingdom. The various parts of the United Kingdom and the social, political, and religious variations also are explored with the preeminent role of England being challenged by the “Celtic fringe” as the affairs in Scotland, Wales, and Ireland were each played out during the century.
The author divides the century into six chronological divisions, and in each chapter he discusses the key social, cultural, and religious themes that influence the evolving political scene. Chapter 1, “Evangelicalism, Empire and the Protestant State, 1815–1829,” sets the scene for the rest of the work by exploring the state of religious groups with emphases on the impact of the evangelical revivals, the beginning of overseas missions, the growth of empire, and the anti-slavery campaign as examples of a robust Christianity speaking into a newly confident United Kingdom.
Chapter 2, “The Waning of the Church-State Connection, 1829–1845,” discusses the rise of pre-millennialism, the reform act, the abolition of slavery, the rise of voluntarism, the Oxford Movement, and the growing militancy of evangelicalism, all of which influenced the established churches and the political role of religion.
Chapter 3, “Commerce, Christianity and Civilisation, 1840–1863,” traces the developments of the empire in Asia and Africa, the impact of the Irish famine, the various Christian responses to industrialization, and the influence of the church on society at large.
Chapter 4, “Revivalism, Ritualism and Authority, 1859–1876,” begins with the revivals of 1859 to 1862 that affirmed the traditional faith at the same time as Darwin published The Origin of the Species and the authors of Essays and Reviews jolted the orthodoxy of the time. The Irish Church was disestablished just as papal infallibility was declared and ritualism in the Church of England became a major point of controversy, all of which led to questions of authority and direction both in the church and in the state and taxing the relationship between the two.
Chapter 5, “Overseas Crusades and the New Christian Social Conscience, 1875–1896,” reveals how the impact of the expanding empire and the rising awareness of social ills at home led to a variety of Christian and non-Christian responses. The stage was set for the renewal of the Gladstone/Disraeli political battles with the Bulgarian atrocities drawing Gladstone out of semi-retirement as foreign affairs, imperialism, and Irish Nationalism reshaped political alliances and served to arouse “The Nonconformist Conscience.” At the same time, the problem of poverty at home led to a profusion of socialist responses. Just as the great “Evangelical Century” was at its height, there was no unifying approach to the issues.
The final chapter, “Religious Diversity, Identities and Conflicts, 1896–1914,” demonstrates how, at the end of the century, when the general consensus of belief in the United Kingdom was Christian and 40 percent of all missionaries around the world were sent from there, a decline in interest in formal religion and many new ideas competed for a place in the minds of people. The empire may have been at its height, but the world was changing in ways in which the church-going people could not understand. The church went from being the conscience of the culture to fighting a rear-guard action to maintain its significance. This in turn provides a clear foundation for understanding the culture and political scene following World War I and explains why there was such a significant drop in religious influence in the United Kingdom.
This is an excellent book that can be read with profit at several levels. For someone seeking to understand the role Christianity in the United Kingdom at its height with the British Empire and its navy making it the superpower of its age, this work is an excellent starting point. It is also a significant work for the seasoned scholar because it integrates so many crucial themes of religion, society, and politics in such a readable and unique but convincing interpretation. There is also careful notation of sources and a fine bibliography that add significantly to the value of the work. With so much that could have been included in the work, the author has been very careful to deal with the important movements and note the less significant ones. If the “artist is the one who knows what to leave out” and still create a remarkable picture, then Professor Brown is a fine artist.
