Dickens and religion: A tale of two views

[cbayer]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/dickens-and-religion-a-tale-of-two-views/2012/02/07/gIQAYfq1wQ_story.html


Dickens and religion: A tale of two views

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By Peggy Fletcher Stack| Religion News Service, Updated: Tuesday, February 7, 12:11 PM

Britain’s Prince Charles kicked off a yearlong celebration of Charles Dickens’ 200th birthday on Tuesday (Feb. 7) with a wreath-laying ceremony at London’s Westminster Abbey.

It seems a fitting gesture, given that the Abbey’s Poets’ Corner houses the famous writer’s remains. But it is also ironic in light of Dickens’ distaste for religious structures and rigid dogma.

Dickens, a member of the Church of England, believed deeply in Jesus as savior and in his moral teachings, but many of the novelist’s most avowedly Christian characters represent the worst in religion: greed, hypocrisy, indifference to human suffering, arrogance, self-righteousness and theological bullying.

“He was more interested in the general spirit than the specific letter of the faith,” said Brian McCuskey, who teaches English at Utah State University. “Holding broad, loose beliefs, he had little patience for either institutional or evangelical Christianity.”

more at link

[Warpy]

1. Like Jesus, he had little use for hypocrites

who made a big public display of their piety while behaving in a most unchristlike manner in their private and business lives.

I'd love to resurrect Dickens, Twain and Moliere for their take on the pompadoured frauds on "Christian" TV.

[cbayer]

6. Wouldn't that be great. I'd love to see these masters of language take on those

hypocrites.

[msongs]

2. get your bbc dickens box set with 6 "novels" on dvd and celebrate Dickens (if u dont want to read

the books instead of course) and follow along as the wealthy religious class does everything it can to suppress the poor and underprivileged in complete violation of the teachings of the jesus character.

those bbc projects shown on PBS are really enjoyable for many other reasons as well

[Warpy]

4. Costco has them!

I've bought other sets but Dickens is on my list for tomorrow.

[cbayer]

5. Are these plays? Movies? Recorded readings?

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. All made for TV mini-series, I think

Probably this collection: http://www.amazon.com/Charles-Dickens-Collection-Chuzzlewit-Expectations/dp/B0009PVZMS

1981-1998.

There's also a vol. 2 - 5 books, with a pre-Harry Potter Daniel Radcliffe as the young David Copperfield:

http://www.amazon.com/Charles-Collection-Copperfield-Pickwick-Curiosity/dp/B001PU8O5W/ref=pd_cp_mov_1

The Barnaby Rudge from that is from way back - 1960, so presumably black and white. It looks a bit like a round up of 'the other ones we did'.

[cbayer]

8. I am going to try and find this. I would really enjoy it.

Thanks!

[LeftishBrit]

3. Very interesting article

A lot of Dickens is still very relevant to the world today - sadly!