UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE Victorian Sermonic Discourse: The Sermon in Nineteenth-Century British Literature and Society A Dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English by Jeremy Michael Sell June 2016 Dissertation Committee: Dr. John Ganim, Chairperson Dr. Susan Zieger Dr. John Briggs Copyright by Jeremy Michael Sell 2016 The Dissertation of Jeremy Michael Sell is approved: Committee Chairperson University of California, Riverside Acknowledgements Anyone who has been through the trials and tribulations of graduate school and writing a dissertation knows that as solitary as it may at times seem, it is not a journey taken alone. I have many people to thank for helping bring this nearly-decade long sojourn to a successful conclusion. To begin, I want to remember Dr. Emory Elliott. His first book, Power and the Pulpit in Puritan New England, was one I discovered when I was first applying to PhD programs, and it gave me hope that there would be a professor at UCR who could relate to my interest in studying the sermon. After taking a course from him, I approached Dr. Elliott about chairing my committee; a journal entry I wrote the following day reads, “Dr. Elliott on board and enthusiastic.” But, not long afterwards, I received word that he unexpectedly and suddenly passed away. I trust that this work would have met with the same degree of enthusiasm he displayed when I first proposed it to him. With Dr. Elliott’s passing, I had to find someone else who could guide me through the final stages of my doctorate, and Dr. John Ganim was the first who came to mind. From the freedom he provided in a seminar on medieval literature to explore the themes of the course within the context of my field of Victorian literature and religion, to my discovery that he was a former Victorianist himself—something I learned from another student; he had only told me, quite humbly, that he had “some experience” with Victorian literature—I knew he would be the right person for the job. His suggestions and encouragement throughout the writing of the dissertation were ever helpful, and I am so grateful that he agreed to work with me. iv I would also like to thank Dr. John Briggs and Dr. Susan Zieger, my other committee members. Dr. Briggs’ seminar on rhetorical theory was one of the first I took, and it remains one of my favorites. Work I produced for that seminar and the commentary he wrote on it provided material that was useful for this dissertation. Dr. Zieger was always supportive and encouraging as both an instructor and as a committee member. In particular, the study sessions in preparation for the oral exam were helpful and, somewhat surprisingly, enjoyable, and made the actual oral exam itself that much easier. There is one other professor I would also like to remember, Dr. Stanley Stewart, who passed away just this year. It was my privilege to take a course on Renaissance drama with Professor Stanley Stewart about eight years ago. I remember most sitting in his office one afternoon, going over some research I had conducted for my seminar presentation and showing him what I had found via the Internet. He told me that what I was able to pull up in a matter of minutes would have taken weeks if not months to have tracked down and acquired until quite recently in his career. He then went on to tell me how he used to ride the UCR Library van on a regular basis to the Huntington Library in order to read books that were available only there until he learned that for some time the van was only making the trip for him to be able to go, at which time he thanked them for the courtesy and discontinued the trips. I learned two things about him from this story that are the dominant impressions I have of him still: first, that he was an incredibly hard- working scholar, willing to put in the footwork necessary to do the research he needed (and so very clearly loved) to do; and second, that he was a man of integrity, unwilling to v take advantage of the “free ride” even when no one else seemed to mind. For these reasons (among others), I was honored to have him on my qualifying exam committee. A couple of years ago, I acquired a copy of The King James Version, the novel he wrote, and I had hoped to have brought it in for him to sign for me. While I’m sorry to have missed that opportunity, I look forward still to reading it and remembering the man who wrote it. In the winter quarter of my final year of coursework in 2008, my son was born in Ohio. Between his birth and one of the worst blizzards to hit the state in 90 years, I missed a full week of class and access to a research library. Two of my fellow grad students (who have long since graduated) went above and beyond the call of collegiality to help me out at that time. Dr. Gretchen Bartels graciously agreed to post notes to Blackboard during class and voiced in class the comments and questions I posted. Though there was a bit of a time lag, it worked. Gretchen was also one of my officemates, and I enjoyed the opportunities to talk and chat with her. Dr. Rory Moore responded to an email request I sent from Ohio to find and photocopy and arrange to have scanned and sent to me an article from UCR’s Eaton Collection which was indispensable to the seminar paper I wrote for the course. In the years since then, Rory has remained a steady friend, and our occasional email exchanges about dissertation progress, work, new and growing families, and life generally have been valued. There remains one last member of the English Department at UCR who deserves great thanks, Tina Feldmann, the Graduate Student Advisor. In my second year in the program, I mentioned at our Department’s graduate program open house what an vi invaluable asset Tina was. Now, having been through the exam process and winding down the dissertation process, I can only say that I didn’t know the half of it then. She has patiently answered all of my questions, expertly guided me through paperwork, and warmly provided encouragement every step of the way. When she told me in the fall of 2015 that this would be her final year, I knew I had to get things done while she would still be around. I am thrilled that she will get to see me graduate. Facebook was both one of my chief distractions from dissertating as well as one of my chief motivators: so much work would “earn” me some time on Facebook. But, I found it an important way to keep myself accountable for making progress. In particular, two former work colleagues of mine, Roslynn Pryor and Brandon Leighton, who were working on finishing their Master’s theses, and I started a “Mastermind PostBacc” group to post weekly progress reports on our research and writing or just ideas without worrying about sounding coherent. The motivation to have something to post, and the encouragement of “likes” and comments on those posts kept me going. For bigger milestones, like completed chapters, I posted to my general page, and again the “likes” and encouraging comments from friends proved motivating. For all who ever commented or liked one of my dissertating posts, I offer you a sincere thumbs-up like and thank you. Finally, and most importantly, I want to thank my family: my wife, Mitra, my son, Michael, and my daughter, Leila. My wife endured stretches of time as a virtual “single parent” while I was locked away reading and writing, and she never once complained about it. When I wanted to give up, she kept me going. Her encouragement and support, and her efforts to keep the fire lit under me when needed, make this vii dissertation as much an accomplishment for her as for me. And for Michael and Leila, who gave up a lot of “Daddy time” without understanding what a “dissertation” was (but who knew the word by the age of five), I hope you will one day come to see this book as a testament to perseverance. I love all of you so very much. viii For Mitra, Michael, and Leila ix ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Victorian Sermonic Discourse: The Sermon in Nineteenth-Century British Literature and Society by Jeremy Michael Sell Doctor of Philosophy, Graduate Program in English University of California, Riverside, June 2016 Dr. John Ganim, Chairperson This dissertation analyzes the role of the sermon in nineteenth-century British literature and society. In particular, it examines the way sermonic discourse—discourse that includes sermons themselves as well as discourse directly inspired by, responding to, or imitative of sermons—permeated Victorian literature and discussions of key issues in the Victorian era. Contributing to the growing field of sermon studies, the dissertation focuses first on Victorian homiletics and the novel, then shifts to two major Victorian concerns: the growing realm of science, and the growth of the industrial city. Drawing on the published sermons of many of the “greats” of the Victorian pulpit, homiletical manuals, periodical press accounts of and reactions and responses to sermons, novels, lectures, and letters, I seek to show that the sermon’s scope and reach extended well beyond the pulpit and make it an essential component of Victorian studies both in its own right and for the influence it exercised throughout the period.