Spirituality in the Victorian Era Essay

Colonial women in the mid-1600s were very limited in religious activities. They were expected to remain compliant and not allowed to speak out in church. (pg. 96). As time progressed, women were afford more rights in this regard. They eventually outnumbered men in the church. They used this platform to promote their beliefs and “influence morals (pg. 96).”

The world today consists of children roaming the streets, technology taking over the world, and being able to work wherever you'd like but, could you imagine a life without all these things? Believe it or not there was a time in life where these things were very uncommon to see. This would be known as the victorian era. This time period was between 1837 and 1901. Daily life was very different from now. Health, social classes, and fashion are just three examples of how daily life was different in the victorian era.

Communications with the two worlds commenced, it became widespread worldwide, Victorian’s taken it to new levels table turning in their living rooms. From this action, curiosity aroused by people wanting to converse with relatives, friends after bereavement. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert had an interest in spiritualism and participating. Spiritual associations, Lyceums, also churches were being established due to this. The Roman Catholic churches in 1898 disapproved of these public displays also outsiders seen these display as evil or fraudulent. The churches allowed scientific mediumship phenomena, scientifically proven genuine, this followed the creation of the Spiritualist National Union Limited in 1901.

The following paper will include evidence from Godey’s Lady’s Book and other academic sources to argue how the Cult of True Womanhood was strongly influenced by Christianity attitudes. Editor Sarah Josepha Hale goes against Christianity beliefs of domesticity and fights to end the gender binary by making contributions towards women entering and competing in the public sphere.

Throughout this chapter there were eight major woman-centered religions discussed. Afro-Brazilian Religions; which seems to incorporate elements of Amerindian religions, African tribal religions, Catholicism, and Kardecism. Public rituals in which a female medium would be possessed by spirits was a main feature of this religion. Black Carib Religion; This religion had some of the same main features as Afro-Brazilian religions such as communicating with spirits and instead of female mediums contacting the spirits in this case the older women would be the spiritual leaders. A majority of Black Caribs are Roman Catholics as well. The next religion discussed was the Burmese Nat Religion; they have a lot of the same beliefs as the previous two religions. Most rituals were preformed by women and almost all of the shamans are women. Burmese Nat Religions coexists with Buddhist Practices. Christian Science was created by Mary Baker Eddy in the 1800s. They basically believe that self healing happens after a balance of prayer and study. This religion in the most different so far. It doesn’t seem to have the same spiritual beliefs and rituals. Korean Household Religion is where Korean women give up offerings for the well being of their homes to the gods. They also call upon female shamans for advice. I’ve noticed that so far, Women are expected to grow spiritually through themselves and they rely on other women for guidance. I wonder why men and women can grow in spirituality together?

Paganism, spiritualism, witchcraft – call it what you may, there’s no denying that the occult is ever-present. In Vancouver, one is particularly accustomed to the crystal shops and new age book stores hiding around each corner – a walk along West 4th in Kitsilano attests to that. With melting pot populations, cities tend to host unconventional ‘schools of thought’; and at the turn of the eighteenth century, two cities, New Orleans and Beijing (formerly Peking) became hubs for the supernatural. Though different in many ways, the similarities of New Orleans Voodoo and Manchu Shamanism are striking.

We have always learned about the history and it always has to do with men. The role they had and what they contribute to the society. However, this is not only a man’s world but also a woman’s. Women’s contributions are equally important for the development of the society. Similarly, in the book assigned Oglala Women Myth, Ritual and Reality by Marla N. Powers, demonstrates the life of women from a Lakota tribe and what their gender role contributes to the tribe and to their families and religions. Furthermore, Power tries to educate her reader about the gender and diversity of world 's religion through her book.

In the 19th century, “Godey’s magazine” described the ideal of true womanhood behavior is piety, purity, submissiveness, and domesticity. “A young lady may excel in speaking French and Italian; may repeat a few passages from the volume of extracts; play like a professor, and sing like a siren; Though the arts; which merely embellish life, must claim admiration, when a man of sense comes to marry, it is a companion whom he wants, and not an artist. It is not merely a creature who can paint and play, and sing, and draw, and dress, and

Ruth Bloch's book comprised of eight essays titled Gender and morality in Anglo-America discusses the early century changes and importance of ideals on gender that came to promote cultural values. The book explores what are now considered the traditional gender roles and the influence of its 18th century origins by comparing these ideals with older and differing values. Bloch uses historically important developmental impacts on 18th century through use of religious, political, and literary accounts to support her claims on gender and its social effects. The under arching theme present throughout these essays emphasizes how the definition of gender has been shaped and the influences that relationships between cultural values, symbols, and concepts

Just like a domino effect, the change in gender roles’ appreciation has impacted in individuals’ spirituality as well. When leaving aside the binary thinking, we are allowing for more openness in regards expression of, basically, anything. As quoted from Mr. Baker’s presentation, “spirituality poverty is about openness and having room for God’s on going work in one’s life and relationships”. When applying this to gender, we should think about those individuals who do not feel comfortable with their body – those who identify themselves with a different sex than their biological

Women in the Victorian society had two main goals which were to marry a respectable man and to have/raise children. The society had a vision of the “perfect woman” who did what she was told and did not question it. She did what her mother did before her, and her mother did what her mother did before her. They were constricted, as if they lived in a box. They couldn’t go too far forward or backward and they couldn’t tray too far off the sides. There were high standards and a true Victorian woman upheld those standards no matter how she felt about them. Victorian women were not their own; they were property-- property that was owned by their husbands or fathers.

The topic of religion is very controversial and at times, is seen as something negative. The practice of witchcraft can be considered unholy and pure evil to some, but to others, it is a religion and a way of life. Wicca, founded in England in the mid 20th century, is a religion based on pre-Christian traditions that practices modern witchcraft. Witchcraft is often referred to the human usage of supernatural powers for the malevolent purpose of practicing black magic (“History and Background of Wicca”). The acceptance of those who were involved in sorcery was difficult for the people of Great Britain. The negative reactions and thoughts affected the members of Wicca in numerous ways. The practices of witchcraft in Great Britain lead to the influences and modern day practices of the witches in the religion of Wicca.

During the Victorian Era in 1837 the period that was ruled by Queen Victoria I, women endured many social disadvantages by living in a world entirely dominated by men. Around that time most women had to be innocent, virtuous, dutiful and be ignorant of intellectual opinion. It was also a time associated with prudishness and repression. Their sole window on the world would, of course, be her husband. During this important era, the idea of the “Angel in the House” was developed by Coventry Patmore and used to describe the ideal women who men longed. Throughout this period, women were treated inferior to men and were destined to be the husbands “Angel in the House”.

In the Victorian era, the status of women in society was extremely oppressive and, by modern standards, atrocious. Women had few rights, in or outside of the home. Married women in this period relied on men almost completely as they had few rights or independence. With this mindset in focus,

great prosperity in Great Britain's literature. The Victorian Age produced a variety of changes. Political and social reform produced a variety of reading among all classes. The lower-class became more self-conscious, the middle class more powerful and the rich became more vulnerable. The novels of Charles Dickens, the poems of Alfred,