ABSTRACT
It will surprise no one that social context affects the way one faces death. If one is plagued by hunger, disease and worry, death may be a welcomed relief and a source of hope. On the other hand, if one’s life is characterised by prosperity, good health and attainable personal goals, death tends to fade into the background of life. Prosperity, expectations about life, social background and death were interconnected for the Nonconformists in ways that were subtle and theologically orientated. As evangelical views broadened there was a shift from the supernatural to the natural and from matters of eternal salvation to matters of life on earth. The religious focus tended to be more about how to thrive in life and improve it than how to survive as a sojourner in a transient world. Moreover, Nonconformist beliefs and lifestyle, with their focus on the family, perseverance and duty, were well suited to Victorian standards of respectability.
