As many of the Victorian magazines in my collection were published by religious societies, they offered no shortage of articles on religion. Most of these, however, were of the "here's how to be a good person" variety and didn't seem sufficiently interesting to include here. Then I came across a number of articles in Century Magazine that addressed the distinctly Victorian issues of how religion fit into the "modern" and very scientific Victorian world. From questions about evolution to controversies over whether church services should include music, this section looks at the Victorian struggle to reconcile an abiding faith with the new focus on modern enlightenment.

Church Opera, by Dr. J.E. Nagle (Godey's, 1867)

Parties and Preachers of the Church of England (Harper's Monthly, 1876A)

Parsons and Parsons (Scribners, 1879A)

Religion in These Days (Scribner's, 1879A)

"God pity the man of science who believes in nothing but what he can prove by scientific methods!"

Religious Sects - Places of Worship (Illustrated London Almanack, 1879)

"To the Clergy" (Scribners, 1879A)

Interesting advice for clergymen (some of it concerning clothes!).

Scientific Foolishness (Scribner's, 1879B)

A commentary on the theory of evolution.

Christianity and Commerce (Century Magazine, 1882A)

A Forgotten Obligation to the Ministry (Century Magazine, 1882A)

The ministry's role in being a source of culture and knowledge as well as spiritual counsel.

The Church Unity Controversy (Century Magazine, 1883A)

Following a Christian Congress on church unity, discussion and debate on the subject of unity raged for several years; these editorials and open letters run from 1883 through 1895.

The Song of Songs, by Ellice Hopkins (Century Magazine, 1883A)

Stealing a Minister (Century Magazine, 1883A)

Sunday Rest (Century Magazine, 1883A)

The Church Music Controversy (Century Magazine, 1884A)

Who knew that the question of whether and how to incorporate music and choirs into a church service could have been so controversial? The editorials and letters regarding this great debate run from 1884 through 1885, with the addition of an earlier editorial from Scribner's (the forerunner of Century) from 1879.

Is the Old Faith Dying? (Century Magazine, 1884A)

Modern Catholicism (Century Magazine, 1884A)

Original Documents of the New Testament, by J. Rendel Harris (Century Magazine, 1884A)

Religious Snobbery (Century Magazine, 1884A)

Christianity and Wealth, by Washington Gladden (Century Magazine, 1884B)

Three Dangers, by Washington Gladden (Century Magazine, 1884B)

Three dangers threatening society: drinking, divorce and gambling.

The Bible in the Sunday School (Century Magazine, 1885A)

Christianity and Popular Amusements, by Washington Gladden (Century Magazine, 1885A)

A Phase of Social Science, by Henry C. Potter (Century Magazine, 1885A)

An examination of Christian ethics.

The Calling of a Christian Minister (Century Magazine, 1885B)

Family Religion, by Washington Gladden (Century Magazine, 1885B)

An argument that "family religion" is the best solution to the rising rate of divorce.

Immortality and Modern Thought, by T.T. Munger (Century Magazine, 1885B)

The Revised Version of the Old Testament (Century Magazine, 1885B)

Christianity and Popular Education, by Washington Gladden (Century Magazine, 1886A)

The Tinkering of Hymns, by Charles S. Robinson (Century Magazine, 1886A)

Changes made to popular hymns to bring them more in line with the times.

The United Churches of the United States, by Charles W. Shields (Century Magazine, 1886A)

Includes several letters to the editor in response to the original article.

Faith-Cures, by A.F. Schauffler (Century Magazine, 1886A)

A strong Christian argument against the concept of faith-healing.

Spiritual Preaching for Our Times, by Edward Hungerford (Century Magazine, 1886A)

Evolution and the Faith, by T.T. Munger (Century Magazine, 1886B)

Ministerial Bureaux (Century Magazine, 1887B)

The United Churches of the United States, No. II, by Charles W. Shields (Century Magazine, 1888A)

The University and the Bible, by T.T. Munger (Century Magazine, 1888B)

Christianity the Conservor of American Civilization, by Christopher Stuart Patterson (Century Magazine, 1888B)

The Pulpit for To-Day, by Lyman Abbot (Century Magazine, 1888B)

"The Right Man for Our Church," by Forrest F. Emerson (Century Magazine, 1888B)

The Jewish Sabbath in England, by the Rev. William Burnet (Quiver, 1889)

The New Reformation, by Lyman Abbot (Century Magazine, 1889A)

Sarcasm of Religion in Fiction, by T.T. Munger (Century Magazine, 1889A)

How to Spend Sunday, by Rev. Prebendiary Eyton (English Illustrated Magazine, 1890)

A remarkably balanced look at the meaning of the Sabbath, addressing some of the issues involved in keeping museums and other attractions open on Sunday.

The Nature and Method of Revelation, by George P. Fisher (Century Magazine, 1890A)

The Churches and the Poor (Century Magazine, 1890B)

The Social Problem of Church Unity, by Charles W. Shields (Century Magazine, 1890B)

Can a Nation Have a Religion? by Lyman Abbott (Century Magazine, 1891A)

"It is legitimate to say that I do not think the Constitution of the United States is a proper place for the insertion of a system of theology or even an article of religious belief, however simple. The function of a constitution is to define and limit the powers of the various departments of the government, not to declare the religious belief of the people who constitute that government."

Orthodoxy and Liberty (Century Magazine, 1891B)

Church Music and Congregational Singing, by the Hon. Edward P. Thesiger (English Illustrated Magazine, 1892A)

"It is not so long ago that the subject of Church music not only excited no interest, but a choral service was looked upon with suspicion even by those who could not be accused of holding ultrapuritanical views."

People Who Write to Me, by Rev. T. DeWitt Talmage, D.D. (Ladies' Home Journal, 1892)

An interesting discussion of religious plagiarism.

Science and Immortality, by Augustus Jay Dubois (Century Magazine, 1892A)

A search for scientific evidence of a future life.

Does the Bible Contain Scientific Errors? by Charles W. Shields (Century Magazine, 1893A)

The Effect of Scientific Study on Religious Beliefs, by H.S. Williams (Century Magazine, 1893A)

The Present State of Old Testament Criticism, by Edward Lewis Curtis (Century Magazine, 1893A)

Some Exposition Uses of Sunday, by Henry C. Potter (Century Magazine, 1893A)

Suggestions on what activities the Chicago Exposition should hold on the Sabbath.

Sunday in Chicago, by Washington Gladden (Century Magazine, 1893A)

Observation of the Sabbath at the World's Fair.

Christianity Outside the Churches, by William Chauncy Langdon (Century Magazine, 1893B)

The Anti-Catholic Crusade, by Washington Gladden (Century Magazine, 1894A)

A look at a US anti-Catholic movement and a variety of documents forged to further the cause.

Echoes of the Parliament of Religions, by Serge Wolkonsky (Century Magazine, 1894B)

"The first lesson given to us by the Religious Congress was the consciousness of our Christian divisions. I must say that nowhere have I been so struck by the variety and apparent irreconciliability of these divisions as in this country."

Religious Teaching in the Public Schools, by Lyman Abbott (Century Magazine, 1895A)

"The reason why a State has a right and a duty to maintain a public-school system is that it is the right and duty of the State to prepare its citizens for citizenship; and they cannot be prepared for citizenship without moral training, inspired by the spirit of reverence and love- that is, by a religious spirit."

What Has Science to Do With Religion? by Augustus Jay DuBois (Century Magazine, 1895A)

Young Men, and the Preaching They Want, by Charles F. Thwing (Century Magazine, 1895A)

Mr. Balfour on "The Foundations of Belief," by the Ven. Archdeacon Farrar (English Illustrated Magazine, 1895B)

The New Old Testament, by Newman Smyth (Century Magazine, 1895B)

Contemporary criticism and controversy over the books of the Old Testament.

Who Are Our Brethren? by W.D. Howells (Century Magazine, 1896A)

The Election of a Pope, by William Roscoe Thayer (Century Magazine, 1896B)

What Language Did Christ Speak? by Agnes Smith Lewis (Century Magazine, 1897A)

Peculiar Churches, by Louis Greville (The Strand, 1897B)

These include a church made of snow and sealskins, a church in a redwood tree, and a Ugandan cathedral.

The Most Interesting Sunday-School in America, by William Perrine (Ladies Home Journal, 1898)

A Presbyterian church school for adults in Philadelphia.

Strange Sects (Home Magazine, 1898)

The Garden of Eden Discovered (Home Magazine, 1898)

Curiosities of Church and Chapel (Home Magazine, 1898)

Oddities in church architecture and furnishings.

Strange Dedications, by J.A. Kay (Sunday Strand, 1902)

Blessing the sea at Ostend; blessing the ground for a harvest in Russia; blessing flags and other items.

The British and Foreign Bible Society, by F. Klickmann (Windsor Magazine, 1903A)

Founded in 1804, the purpose of the society is to "issue it broadcast to all tongues and all peoples, 'without note or comment.'"