Providence and Empire: Religion, Politics and Society in Britain and Ireland, 1815-1914

For most of the nineteenth century, the United Kingdom was the great world power. The industrial revolution brought it unprecedented wealth, and it possessed the largest empire the world had ever seen. During the nineteenth-century the UK was also highly religious. The evangelical revival had exercised a profound social influence, the churches were powerful institutions, the overwhelming majority of the population were Christian, and the United Kingdom was the main promoter of Protestant overseas missions. This book explores the religious beliefs and practices among the peoples of the UK during the height of its world influence, and considers the relationship of religion to the profound political and social changes associated with industrialisation, imperialism and the growth of democracy. It explores the tensions surrounding the state establishment of religion, the role of religion in shaping national and communal identities in Ireland, and the religious controversies emerging from developments in natural science and biblical criticism. The book gives particular attention to notions of a providential ordering of the world, including the widespread belief that the UK had a divine mission to spread the benefits of Christianity, free trade and civilisation to the wider world, and that its empire existed for a higher purpose.