Charles Dickens, one of the greats, was born on this day in 1812.
According to the biographical sketch posted at the Unitarian Universalist Association website, “Charles Dickens (February 7, 1812-June 9, 1870) is often considered the finest English novelist of the 19th century. His enduring comic characters are part of the culture. He is known as well for exposing the wretchedness of the downtrodden, for his anger at their heartless oppression and for his contribution to the celebration of Christmas. An enormously successful author and performer of his own work, he was the conscience of Victorian England.
Although Dickens was baptized and reared in the Church of England and was a nominal Anglican for most of his life, he turned to Unitarianism in the 1840s as a Broad Church alternative. He associated with Unitarians until the end of his life.”
He brought the best of his liberal spirituality to the project of his novels. His concerns for the poor and downtrodden speak to the depth of the tradition.
May his memory be honored…
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