George Orwell and Religion

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In his attitude toward religion, George Orwell has been characterised in various terms: as an agnostic, humanist, secular saint or even Christian atheist. Drawing on the full range of his public and private writings - from major works such as Keep the Aspidistra Flying, 1984 and Down and Out in Paris and London to his shorter journalism and private letters and journals - George Orwell and Religion is a major reassessment of Orwell's life-long engagement with religion. Exploring Orwell's life and work, Michael Brennan illuminates for the first time how this profound engagement with religion informed the intensely humanitarian spirit of his writings.

Reviews

As Brennan's detailed book shows, Orwell's thoughts on religious belief and institutions were complex and sometimes conflicting ... Orwell and Religion convincingly presents Orwell's anti-Catholicism as an exception to his capacity for temperate analysis and self-analysis. Brennan shows how Orwell's readers ought not to overlook the discordant elements in his work. * Times Literary Supplement *
A well-researched book of rich detail and content, which even the argumentative Orwell would find difficult to challenge. * English *
George Orwell and Religion is a thoroughly reliable guide to Orwell's views on Catholicism, Anglicanism and nonconformity and also to his writings on Eastern religions and [...] the roots of anti-Semitism. * The Tablet *
Brennans book is interesting and worth reading. * Journal of Religious History, Literature and Culture *
Do we need another book on Orwell Michael Brennans take is certainly one that most authors have not concerned themselves with ... Brennan succeeds in flagging up Orwells continuing concern about the role of the church, and especially the Catholic church, in politics. * Entangled Religions *
This volume is his first extended study of the life and opinions of the man born as Eric Blair. The depth and breadth of Brennans research is impeccable and is reflected in the blend of bibliography and biography that prevails throughout the narrative. The chapters lead the reader through the stages of Blair/Orwells life, from his family lineage and Anglican schooling through his death in 1950, paying constant attention to possible sources of religious influence while also cataloging and explicating his commentaries (generally negative) on religion. Brennan pays special attention to Orwells anti-Semitism and anti-Catholicism, arguing that the latter remained consistent even as the former faded during WW II Summing Up: Recommended. * CHOICE *
A book in which anybody interested in Orwell will find much that is fascinating and insightful. * George Orwell Studies *

Author Bio

Michael G. Brennan is Professor of Renaissance Studies at the University of Leeds, UK. He is the author of Graham Greene: Fiction, Faith and Authorship (2010).