Scholars' Press Trollope and the Church: A Reassessment

Early and modern critics have noted that Anthony Trollope (1815-1882), who wrote extensively on the Church of England, never clearly takes sides on such issues as Church reform or clerical feuds. This book shows that the author's apparent ambiguity is in fact superficial and that a careful examination of his numerous novels, essays, articles and letters reveals that, as a Liberal, he severely condemned clerical abuses and supported a reform of the Church. He did, however, regard some reformers' methods as excessive. Moreover, critics often disagree on Trollope's type of Churchmanship. Although he clearly despised Evangelicals, he also satirized the wordliness of High Churchmen, but deeply admired Newman and the Tractarians. Ultimately, a chronological study of Trollope's works reveals that from the 1860's onwards, as he grew increasingly sensitive to religious liberalism, he started to support the Broad Church. The study will be especially useful to students of British literature, culture and religious history.