ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of the book. The book illustrates the proliferation of new forms of belief and disbelief in Britain and its imperial territories in the long nineteenth century. It covers a broad range of approaches and movements that contributed to the transformation of religious life. The book addresses new religious and irreligious movements. It illustrates the most significant esoteric movements of the late nineteenth century including spiritualism, Theosophy and New Thought as well as other more overtly Christian forms of esotericism. The book turns to the study of comparative religion and the drive to find a universal form of religion in the final decades of the nineteenth century. The grouping ‘Secular Gatherings’ shifts focus from beliefs and manifestoes to actions, providing insights into how positivists and secularists sought to maintain community outside of the framework provided by church congregations.
