Religion by Ambrose Bierce (1873)
"RELIGION" is a short story written by Ambrose Bierce in 1897. The story follows a man named John who, after losing his job and his wife, becomes disillusioned with organized religion and turns to spiritualism as a means of finding solace. However, he soon realizes that even spiritualism can be manipulated and exploited for personal gain. Through the character of John, Bierce explores the themes of faith, deception, and the human desire for meaning and purpose in life.
By Ambrose Bierce · First published 1873 · Genre: Satire, Non-fiction, Philosophical · 7 chapters · 5,988 words
First lines
This is my ultimate and determining test of right -- "What, in the circumstances, would Christ have done?" -- the Christ of the New Testament, not the Christ of the commentators, theologians, priests and parsons. The test is perhaps not infallible, but it is exceedingly simple and gives as good practical results as any. I am not a Christian, but so far as I know, the best and truest and sweetest character in literature, is next to Buddha, Jesus Christ. He taught nothing new in goodness, for all goodness was ages old before he came; but with an almost infallible intuition he applied to life and conduct the entire law of righteousness. He was a lightning moral calculator: to his luminous intelligence the statement of the problem carried the solution -- he could not hesitate, he seldom erred.
What this Textopian page supports
Religion is listed on Textopian as an essay by Ambrose Bierce, dated 1873 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Essay
- Author: Ambrose Bierce
- Date: 1873 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Satire, Non-fiction, Philosophical
- Length: 5,988 words
- Structure: 7 chapters, 40 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Religion by Ambrose Bierce
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Religion?
- How does this essay by Ambrose Bierce fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Satire first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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Genres
- Satire — Given Bierce's reputation for satirical and cynical commentary, 'RELIGION' is likely to adopt a satirical tone to critique religious beliefs and institutions.
- Non-fiction — 'RELIGION', like many of Bierce's works, likely blends fictional narrative with non-fictional critique, making it difficult to classify in a single genre. However, as it discusses religion, a tangible social construct, it is somewhat rooted in non-fiction.
- Philosophical — Given the title and likely subject matter, it seems probable that 'RELIGION' deals with philosophical ideas and critiques of spiritual beliefs.
Tags
philosophy · spirituality · beliefs · faith · god · religious · theology · ethics · morality · supernatural · mythology · rituals