The Christian home in Victorian America, 1840-1900 / Colleen McDannell.

Main entry:

McDannell, Colleen.

Title & Author:

The Christian home in Victorian America, 1840-1900 / Colleen McDannell.

Publication:

Description:

xvii, 193 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

Series:

Religion in North America

Notes:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 178-186) and index.
Church, home, and society -- Domestic architecture and the Protestant spirit -- Catholic domesticity -- Rituals of the hearth -- Leaders at the domestic altar: the paternal model -- Leaders at the domestic altar: the maternal model.

Summary:

"From the parlor organ inside to the stained glass and Gothic arches outside, the ideal Christian Victorian home reflected the flowering of domestic religion in America. But, as Colleen McDannell shows, Protestants and Catholics differed markedly in their understanding of the home as sacred space. Drawing from a wide range of sources--popular nineteenth-century magazines, domestic advice books, novels, architectural manuals, and advertisements in religious newspapers--McDannell examines the strategies used by Protestants and Catholics in dealing with the rapid social change of the period. According to Victorian domestic ideology, the true home imitated the perfect harmony of Eden and heaven. While both Catholics and Protestants acknowledged the importance of the home in shaping morality and spirituality, Protestants placed greater emphasis on home worship and instruction, on Bible reading, prayers, and hymns in the domestic setting. Catholics, on the other hand, having a strong church to fulfil most religious functions, used a visual display of Sacred Heart pictures, candles, crucifixes, and the like to inspire private, personal religious devotion. McDannell compares styles of interior decoration, Sabbath rituals, funeral and mourning practices, and home leadership patterns of mothers and fathers to elucidate these differences. She looks at the places weddings were held, the functions rosary beads and the Bible served, and the way the popular Gothic style of architecture was de-Romanized for mainstream anti-Catholic evangelicals. Through questions such as these, McDannell addresses important issues of cultural assimilation, religious antagonism, and the evolution of middle-class values."--Book jacket.

ISBN:

0253313767
9780253313768
0253208823
9780253208828

Subject:

Families Religious life United States History 19th century.
Familles Vie religieuse États-Unis Histoire 19e siècle.
Families Religious life.
Religion.
Familie
Religiöses Leben
Geschichte (1840-1900)
United States Religion 19th century.
États-Unis Religion 19e siècle.
United States.
USA

Form/genre:

History.

Added entries:

Religion in North America.

Holdings:

Location: Library main 143603
Call No.: ID:87-B10436
Status: Available

Actions:

Add to folder

Request these items

Email this list to yourself (or someone else)

Your folder is empty.

Please complete this form to make a request for consultation. A copy of this list will also be forwarded to you.

Your contact information

First name:

Last name:

Email:

Phone number:

Notes (optional):

We will contact you to set up an appointment. Please keep in mind that your consultation date will be based on the type of material you wish to study. To prepare your visit, we'll need:

— At least 2 weeks for primary sources (prints and drawings, photographs, archival documents, etc.)
— At least 48 hours for secondary sources (books, periodicals, vertical files, etc.)

Back to list

Submit