ABSTRACT
The Devil played a role in the majority of Victorian denominations, including the Church of England, numerous Nonconformist denominations, and the Roman Catholic Church. Despite his cultural prominence, both the Devil and hell were controversial throughout the century. It became increasingly common for both the clergy and laity to doubt the Devil’s existence or to seek to soften his theological role. A subset of the population also argued that the sheer horror of hell conflicted with the idea of a benevolent God. It became common to argue either that the wicked would be annihilated following death or that everyone would eventually achieve salvation. Theological debates questioning traditional ideas about hell and the Devil were intended to strengthen and reinvigorate Christianity by interpreting it in more compassionate and modern ways. Nevertheless, a significant subset of the population also continued to view hell and the Devil as real and important, arguing that they were essential to morality. The Devil was able to retain a non-trivial degree of cultural relevance, even as he slipped away from the centre of the Christian universe.
