Representation of Christianity in Charles Dickens Works...

Representation of Christianity in Charles Dickens Works The representation of Christianity in Charles Dickens works was both debated and largely overlooked by his contemporaries, particularly because of his lack of representation of the views of the Established Church. In fact, Dickens voiced his opposition to the practices of the Anglican Church. His negative representations of Church officials, in many of his novels, pointed out what he felt were the hypocrisies of the Church. Dickens was a liberal Christian and believed in a more humanitarian view of Christianity. He wanted to remove religion from the high Church and place it back into the lives of the common people. Dickens believed Christianity was†¦show more content†¦Dickens, a liberal Christian, viewed the dogma, teachings, and debates of the church with disdain. For instance, in a letter to Miss Burdett-Coutts, the headmistress of the Home For Fallen Women, Dickens expressed what he believed to be a community-wide dissatisfaction with the Anglican Churc h for its indolent temporizing and its miserable internal squabbles, [so much so] that [the congregation had] lost their natural interests in the struggle (Johnson 185). Dickens was dissatisfied with the Protestant churchs (or any churchs) use of text to claim religious authority for their interpretation of the Bible (Ackroyd 506). Dickens believed these internal debates were the cause of the peoples disinterest in religion and thereby negatively affected their faith in Christianity. He felt that the only way to set right these abuses of the church was through religious reform (Johnson 185). Dickens was so adamant about the necessity of Church reform that he advocated governmental intervention: when I reflect upon all of this, in my unvarying faith that [Parliamentary] Reform is the only true Preservation [of the Church] (Johnson 185). While some of Dickens contemporaries believed his criticism of the church revealed anti-Christian sentiment, Dickens viewed his fai th as deeper than that of the Established Church. He saw the beliefs of the Established ChurchShow MoreRelatedScrooge in A Christmas Carol2375 Words   |  10 PagesCall for Change: Dickens’ Attempt to Improve Society, and Walt Disney’s Subversion Thereof In a time in which the significance of Christmas gradually started to change, Charles Dickens, in accordance with these changes, wrote a Christmas tale: A Christmas Carol. The novella was published six days in advance of the Christmas celebrations of 1843; it was sold out three days later. 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