Evangelical Teaching: Dr. Cumming
The novel Evangelical Teaching by George Eliot tells the story of a young woman named Maggie Tulliver who struggles to reconcile her passionate nature with the strict moral code of her religious upbringing. The book explores themes of faith, love, and redemption as Maggie navigates the complexities of Victorian society.
By George Eliot · First published 1867 · Genre: Essay, Non-fiction, Religious Criticism · 17,395 words
First lines
Given, a man with moderate intellect, a moral standard not higher than the average, some rhetorical affluence and great glibness of speech, what is the career in which, without the aid of birth or money, he may most easily attain power and reputation in English society? Where is that Goshen of mediocrity in which a smattering of science and learning will pass for profound instruction, where platitudes will be accepted as wisdom, bigoted narrowness as holy zeal, unctuous egoism as God-given piety? Let such a man become an evangelical preacher; he will then find it possible to reconcile small ability with great ambition, superficial knowledge with the prestige of erudition, a middling morale with a high reputation for sanctity. Let him shun practical extremes and be ultra only in what is purely theoretic; let him be stringent on predestination, but latitudinarian on fasting; unflinching in insisting on the Eternity of punishment, but diffident of curtailing the substantial comforts of Time; ardent and imaginative on the pro-millennial advent of Christ, but cold and cautious toward every other infringement of the _status quo_. Let him fish for souls not with the bait of inconvenient singularity, but with the drag-net of comfortable conformity. Let him be hard and literal in his interpretation only when he wants to hurl texts at the heads of unbelievers and adversaries, but when the letter of the Scriptures presses too closely on the genteel Christianity of the nineteenth century, let him use his spiritualizing alembic and disperse it into impalpable ether.
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Evangelical Teaching: Dr. Cumming is listed on Textopian as an essay by George Eliot, dated 1867 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Essay
- Author: George Eliot
- Date: 1867 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Essay, Non-fiction, Religious Criticism, Philosophical, Social Commentary
- Length: 17,395 words
- Structure: 1 section, 73 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
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- Work identity for Evangelical Teaching: Dr. Cumming by George Eliot
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Genres
- Essay — The work is a critical essay analyzing the teachings and influence of Dr. Cumming.
- Non-fiction — It is a factual critique rather than a fictional narrative.
- Religious Criticism — The text critiques religious teachings and practices.
- Philosophical — It explores philosophical questions about religion and morality.
Tags
religion · evangelicalism · Christianity · theology · doctrine · faith · spirituality · morality · philosophy · education · preaching · scripture