God’s Funeral
God’s Funeral by A. N. Wilson, published by W.W. Norton in 1999, explores the decline of religious belief among prominent writers, artists, and intellectuals by the end of the nineteenth century. This 402-page work examines the impact of scientific discoveries, particularly those of Charles Darwin, on faith and spirituality, while also highlighting that doubts about religion predated Darwin’s influential theories.
In this synthesis of biography and intellectual history, Wilson delves into the complex relationship between faith and doubt, illustrating how many individuals struggled with the implications of their beliefs. The book addresses themes of religion and history, revealing the cultural angst experienced by those who could not fully abandon their need for belief, despite recognizing the emptiness of institutional faith. Through this examination, readers will gain insight into the profound spiritual conflicts that shaped the era and continue to resonate today.
Official synopsis Publisher
By the end of the nineteenth century, almost all the great writers, artists, and intellectuals had abandoned Christianity; many had abandoned belief in God altogether. This was in part the result of scientific discovery, particularly the work of Charles Darwin in The Origin of Species and the controversy that followed. But the doubt about religion had many sources. A.N. Wilson demonstrates in this synthesis of biography and intellectual history that the real destruction of religions belief had been achieved well before Darwin’s momentous publication. Yet despite the fact that the church had essentially become an edifice empty of faith, it survived into our century because so few of the fascinating, tortured people Wilson portrays could face the brutal consequences of their own logic. Whether or not God was dead, they still needed to believe, hence the great spiritual angst of their culture which is now echoed in ours.–Publisher description.
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