God’s Funeral (Magill’s Literary Annual 1991-2005)
At a glance:
- Author: A. N. Wilson
- First Published: 1999
- Type of Work: Religion and history
- Time of Work: The nineteenth century
- Setting: England and Western Europe
- Genres: Nonfiction, History
- Subjects: Nineteenth century, Science or scientists, England or English people, Christianity, Faith, Western Europe or western Europeans, Victorian era or Victorianism, Evolution
- Locales: Europe, England
Thomas Hardy’s poem “God’s Funeral,” written between 1908 and 1910 and quoted before the first chapter of Wilson’s book, not only gives title to the book, but serves as the introduction to the issues explored in it. Hardy imagines himself attending the funeral of God. Hardy’s God is merely a “projection of human fears and desires,” but nevertheless, He is missed and mourned—“And who or what shall fill his place?” This is Wilson’s introduction to his account of the developments in philosophy, science, skeptical literature, and biblical scholarship in the...
[The entire page is 1984 words long]

