The Religious Press in Britain, 1760-1900

(Hardback)

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Religion played a very special role in the life of nineteenth-century Britain. This period saw the last great revival of religion, which shaped the pattern of attitudes and behavior we now call Victorian. The religious periodical press was the preeminent medium of communication on all subjects in the nineteenth century and is the best primary source for the study of religion. In this first systematic and comprehensive treatment of nineteenth-century British religious journalism, the more important or representative periodicals are identified and assigned to their respective denominations or movements. The Religious Press in Britain begins with a general introduction to the religious press and an overview of its development from the eighteenth to the twentieth century. The press is studied in detail in narrative form under the headings of denominations or religious tendencies. Chapters focus on general movements (for example, temperance) or specialties (for example, children's periodicals). There is a brief general conclusion. Of particular importance is an index of the religious periodicals mentioned in the work, cross-referenced to movements and dates. This in-depth study is a valuable resource for the study of modern British history, religious history, and Victorian literature.

Reviews

. . . In addition to informative endnotes for each chapter and a good select bibliography, a most valuable feature of this excellent work is a comprehensive index of religious periodicals listing titles, publication dates, sponsor, type (e.g., magazine, etc.), page references, related titles, and antecessors or successors.-History
Josef L. Altholz, Professor of History at the University of Minnesota, presents a comprehensive, systematic examination of British religious journalism during the 18th and 19th centuries. He discusses periodicals of the Anglicans, Evangelicals, Presbyterians, Roman Catholics, and Free Thought Movements. His provocative analysis of periodicals reflects the nature and significance of religious thoughts in Georgian and Victorian society.-Media Development
Professor Josef Altholz, points out that three thousand religious periodicals published during the period 1824 to 1900 are listed in the Waterloo Directory of Victorian Periodicals. Since a mere list of them would be of little value, he attempts a general historical study of this class of journalism, identifying the more important or representative periodicals and assigning them to their appropriate denominations or movements.' The study is confined to the British Isles and the period 1760 to 1900. After a chapter on The Development of the Religious Press, ' he classifies the important periodicals according to denominations, movements, and types, discussing their development and types, discussing their development and stance. Besides a general index, he provides an index of periodicals which gives titles, dates, sponsors, and categories.-Heiser
The title's dates encompass the rise and decline of the religious press in Britain. The Victorian age, taking up less than half the period, nevertheless dominates these pages. Because both religion and periodicals were so important in the era, their confluence makes the religious periodical simultaneously a basic subject of, and a tool for, cultural analysis. Altholz's introduction states the daunting problems he faced--some 3,000 religious periodicals were published from 1760 to 1900--and his own successful solutions. He defines religious' very broadly, chooses some 500 periodicals as most significant, and classifies them judiciously with full awareness of the pitfalls of periodical bibliography. His coverage is broad enough to include organs of virtually every Anglican and Nonconformist persuasion, those of Catholics, Jews, and free-thinkers, and also those of causes with religious inspiration, such as peace, temperance, and antislavery. Scotland, Wales, and Ireland are all comprehended under Britain.' Altholz usually tries to describe the groups behind the publications, and if he is perfunctory in a few instances, he is adequately, even generously informative, in most. Unexpected wit and opinionation often enliven the narrative. Enriched with 28 pages of notes, an index of all periodicals mentioned in the text (with dates of publication, frequency, and affiliation), and a general index, this volume is one of the outstanding recent fruits of the Victorian periodicals research movement. An indispensable resource for graduate and undergraduate students of the cultural history of 19th-century Britian.-Choice
The volume is a surprisingly good read; it not only gives a great deal of important information about the British religious periodical press from 1760 to 1900 but it is also a fascinating introduction to the almost unbelievable profusion of religious stances and activities that characterized the British Isles from 1760 to 1900. . . . 19th century religion of whatever kind was chiefly manifested in its periodicals; this is the only volume that attempts a survey of those periodicals.-ADRIS
." . . In addition to informative endnotes for each chapter and a good select bibliography, a most valuable feature of this excellent work is a comprehensive index of religious periodicals listing titles, publication dates, sponsor, type (e.g., magazine, etc.), page references, related titles, and antecessors or successors."-History
"Josef L. Altholz, Professor of History at the University of Minnesota, presents a comprehensive, systematic examination of British religious journalism during the 18th and 19th centuries. He discusses periodicals of the Anglicans, Evangelicals, Presbyterians, Roman Catholics, and Free Thought Movements. His provocative analysis of periodicals reflects the nature and significance of religious thoughts in Georgian and Victorian society."-Media Development
"Professor Josef Altholz, points out that three thousand religious periodicals published during the period 1824 to 1900 are listed in the Waterloo Directory of Victorian Periodicals. Since a mere list of them would be of little value, he attempts a general historical study of this class of journalism, identifying the more important or representative periodicals and assigning them to their appropriate denominations or movements.' The study is confined to the British Isles and the period 1760 to 1900. After a chapter on The Development of the Religious Press, ' he classifies the important periodicals according to denominations, movements, and types, discussing their development and types, discussing their development and stance. Besides a general index, he provides an index of periodicals which gives titles, dates, sponsors, and categories."-Heiser
"The volume is a surprisingly good read; it not only gives a great deal of important information about the British religious periodical press from 1760 to 1900 but it is also a fascinating introduction to the almost unbelievable profusion of religious stances and activities that characterized the British Isles from 1760 to 1900. . . . 19th century religion of whatever kind was chiefly manifested in its periodicals; this is the only volume that attempts a survey of those periodicals."-ADRIS
"The title's dates encompass the rise and decline of the religious press in Britain. The Victorian age, taking up less than half the period, nevertheless dominates these pages. Because both religion and periodicals were so important in the era, their confluence makes the religious periodical simultaneously a basic subject of, and a tool for, cultural analysis. Altholz's introduction states the daunting problems he faced--some 3,000 religious periodicals were published from 1760 to 1900--and his own successful solutions. He defines religious' very broadly, chooses some 500 periodicals as most significant, and classifies them judiciously with full awareness of the pitfalls of periodical bibliography. His coverage is broad enough to include organs of virtually every Anglican and Nonconformist persuasion, those of Catholics, Jews, and free-thinkers, and also those of causes with religious inspiration, such as peace, temperance, and antislavery. Scotland, Wales, and Ireland are all comprehended under Britain.' Altholz usually tries to describe the groups behind the publications, and if he is perfunctory in a few instances, he is adequately, even generously informative, in most. Unexpected wit and opinionation often enliven the narrative. Enriched with 28 pages of notes, an index of all periodicals mentioned in the text (with dates of publication, frequency, and affiliation), and a general index, this volume is one of the outstanding recent fruits of the Victorian periodicals research movement. An indispensable resource for graduate and undergraduate students of the cultural history of 19th-century Britian."-Choice

Author Bio

JOSEF L. ALTHOLZ is Professor of History at the University of Minnesota. He has written The Liberal Catholic Movement in England, The Churches in the Nineteenth Century, Victorian England, 1837-1901, has coedited The Correspondence of Lord Acton and Richard Simpson, and edited The Mind and Art of Victorian England. He has also written several articles.