Orthodox Belief In The 19th Century Essay

Victorian novelists were well aware of the looming threats to orthodox belief and thoughtfully explored the many causes of doubt in their fiction. They were especially aware of the clash between religion and science and, according to Leo Henkin, gave more attention to religion's struggle with science than to any other Victorian concern. The broad application of science redefined nineteenth-century thought, and the writers of the age sought to come to terms with all the implications of this redefinition. Two areas of scientific application that had deep impact upon religious belief were evolutionary theory and German higher criticism. Evolutionary theory was one of the forces that posed a major threat to established belief in the nineteenth century. The concept of evolution was not, however, new to the Victorians. Evolutionary theory was anticipated early in the eighteenth century by Leibnitz and DeMaillet, who argued against the concept of the immutability of species. DeMaillet's study of fossils led him to suggest that the world was older than had been previously thought and …show more content…
The influence of German higher criticism of the Bible had as much to do with casting doubt on traditional belief as any other force in Victorian England. As scientists proposed new theories regarding the origin of life, scholars applied the scientific method to the Bible and investigated the origin and authenticity of Scripture. This application meant that the Bible was studied as a historical document, rather than a holy one. Higher Criticism undercut traditional Christian doctrine and the teachings of the Established Church in key areas. The very authority of Scripture and, by implication, the Church itself was called into question. The questioning of Jesus's divine nature was perhaps the greatest difficulty raised by higher