Summary
An exploration of secularism as a rational worldview and its impact on Victorian-era intellectuals like George Eliot.
The Rise of Secularism in Victorian Thought
Highlights
Defining Secularism
Secularism prioritizes worldly matters through observation and reason. While often responding to religious belief, it ranges from simple atheism to the adoption of secular creeds as seen in the works of Victorian thinkers like Mill and Eliot.
George Eliot and the Crisis of Faith
Mary Ann Evans (George Eliot) transitioned from strict evangelicalism to secularism after encountering intellectual circles in Coventry that questioned traditional dogma.
The Influence of Higher Criticism
The shift toward secularism was driven by 'Higher Criticism,' a German movement that analyzed the Bible through a historical and naturalistic lens, treating it as a collection of myths and allegories rather than divine revelation.