The Oxford Movement

E-C- 204 : The Victorian Literature
Topic: ‘The Oxford Movement’
Prepared by : Avani N. Dave
M.A. - Sem – 2
Roll No: 02
Date: 18/03/'13
Department of English
Maharaja Krishnakumar Sinhji
Bhavnagar University

The Oxford Movement

                                     Religion is an important part of life. The important part of life. The development of science and modern life do not care for religion and faith but it is true it is true that the stress of modern life can be removed by religion and faith. Arnold wrote ,

               “Between two worlds, one dead,

                The other powerless to be born ’

                                   So, there came a movement to revive the importance of religion and faith. It is known as The Oxford Movement. This movement is also known as Tractarians movement. It was fundamentally religious in nature and had nothing to do with Tory-politics

·       The Background :

                               Oxford movement was not political movement but as it opposed liberalism in all its aspect, the Oxford leaders derived much from the philosophy of conservatism.

Aims of this movement:

                         This movement had following particular aims behind it.

1.  To bring back the dignity of church

2.  To oppose the state authority over the church

3.  To oppose liberalism in all aspect of life

4.  To restore the old customs of the church

                                    The aims shows that the movement was purely religious movement and not political one.

·       Against Liberalism :

                                     The Oxford movement fought vigorously against liberalism of men like Thomas Arnold who bastioned on the ethnical significance of Christianity and minimized the importance of ritual of “theological articles opinion”. The idea of the visible church with its sacraments its rites, it’s priesthood by Christ and its hierarchical appointments was repugnant to Dr. Anand tooth and nail.

·       Oppose to Rationalism :

                                      The 19^th century witnessed a fine growth of science. Theories of science proved fatal to religion. The theories denied the existence of god. The Oxford movement was oppose to rationalism in matters concerned with the church. It is hard to agree with G.K.Chesterton when he writes in his book ‘The Victorian age in literature’ “The Oxford Movement was out of the very roots of its being, a rational movement, almost a rationalist movement”. With the growth of science in the 19^th century, there was a growing demand that religion should be put to the test of rational scientific examination. The Oxford movement stood against too much insistence on reason and proof in religious matters and sought to revive the faith rituals and dogmas of Roman Catholic religion

“The main spring of the Oxford movement was the dread of rationalism. The problem for new men was how to check the growth of rationalism as he saw it in England”

-      Huge Walker

This aggressive anti-rationalism manifested itself in the Oxford men’s affirmation of the miracles associated with the history of the ancient church and the numerous saints.

·       Inspiration from the middle ages.

                                The Oxford movement was allied with the Romantic Movement and derived much inspiration from the middle ages. In the words of professor gate, “The Oxford Movement was in its essence an attempt to reconstruct the English church in harmony with this romantic ideal”.

                              “The oxford movement stood for the restoration of the poetry, the mystic symbolism, the spiritual power and the poetry of architecture ritual service which had characterized the catholic church in the middle ages”- moddy and lovetto

                                The oxford movement owed much to Coleridge and Scott who turned men’s’ mind in the direction of the middle ages.

There is much truth in the remark that the real spirit behind the movement was not that of Keble or Newman but that of Walter Scott of the Waverly novels the oxford men turned their gaze to the Middle Ages in order to escape from the monotony of life and materialistic advancement striking at the faith of the people

·       Church’s freedom from the state authority :

                                The Oxford movement stood against the secular authority in interfering in the affairs of the church. The church was subjected to the secular authority. The grave inconveniency that arose from  her connection with the state had been demonstrated by the affair of Dr. Hampden who had been appointed by lord Melbourne to the post of regius professor of divinity in the university of Oxford. His idea of dogma as being a pure matter of opinion gave great offence, not only to the orthodox high church men, but to the Evangelicals as well. This incident created much dissatisfaction and the oxford men advanced the view that the state should make the church free because it was more than a human institution.

                              “New man and his friends wished also to defend the church. In view of its divine character, against the interference of the state, which was disposed to reform it along with parliament and other institutions, curtaining its powers and revenues

·       History of the Oxford movement.

                              John Keble, John Henry Newman, Richard Hunell, Edward Pusey are famous writers who contributed to this movement by their writing.

·       Men behind the movement.

1.  John Keble :

                     He was the originator of this movement. He was the professor of poetry at oxford. He started this movement. But he was a Saintly, simple, quiet, modest and sweet natured simplicity had its beauty and its charm, but as the movement time require, such a man like Keble, cannot be the leader of the movement. So the real leader was another man.

2.  John Henry Newman :

                       He was the true soul and spirit behind the Oxford movement. He was a genius of broad sweep of wider range. He began as a protestant and ended as a roman catholic. After his return from the continent in 1832, he joined the Oxford movement and soon became the main leader. He wrote many of the tracts and his one famous tract Tracts XC provoked volcanic criticism against him so much so that he took refuge at little more. In 1845, he was converted to the Roman Catholic and was made the cardinal in 1879.

3.  Richard Hurrel Froude :

                         R.H. Froude was a brilliant man. He was like a link between Keble and Newman. In the words of J.L.May :

   “Froude’s part in the movement was brief, but it was all important. He was the match that fired the train. He brought Keble and Newman to understand each other, and that was an achievement pregnant with consequences.”

Froude is chiefly known for his remains and two of the tracts for the time and a few poems.

4.  Edward Pusey :

                 He originated Puseyism. It was a form of Anglican which came nearest to Rome without being merged into romanticism. He was a learned man but no match to Newman.

                “He is far less attractive as a personality more questionable in his methods and immeasurably inferior as a literary craftsman”.                                   – Compton-Rickett

                                   There are some more names which connected with Oxford movement are W.G.ward, R.W.Church cardinal Wiseman etc. They contributed more or less to the movement.

·       The failure  :                                                                                                                                                                   

               The Oxford Movement failed because its appeal to the authority of a Catholic tradition was not of sufficient defense of the catholic religion against the attack of scientific and the historical criticism.

·       Influence on next generation :

                                   The Oxford movement was definitely a religious movement but it had influence on the literary taste of its age. It inspired the poetry of the Pre-Raphaelites, though some of them were indifferent to its theological implications it influenced the poetry of D.G.Rossetti, G.M. Hopkins, Coventry Patmore, R.W. Dixon and R.H. Froude 

                                    In fact, in the religious field the movement did restore to the church authority for the sacraments and a certain type of saintliness. It altered the accepted patterns of Anglican thought and practice. The importance of serious prayers, piety, fusting and personal holiness was emphasized upon and the pre-reformation church of Rome.  

·       Conclusion :

                             The movement had deep effect on poetry except that the movement was a failure. Yet, it is useful to understand the literature of the time.