George Orwell and Religion

204 Pages·2017·2.47 MB·English

by  Michael G. Brennan

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For Geraldine, Christina and Alice
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
While writing this book I have received much helpful advice from
Bernadette Barnett, Mark Bland, Geraldine Brennan, Robert Jones,
Matthew Lord, Francis O’Gorman, Martin Stannard, Alexander Waugh
and Charles Whittaker. I also remain especially indebted to the work of
previous bio graphers and critics of Orwell whose works are listed in the
bibliography. I am grateful to the staff of the British Library, London,
the Brotherton Library, University of Leeds, and the Special Collections
of University College, London (especially Dan Mitchell), for their always
generous responses to my enquiries and requests for materials. The School
of English and Faculty of Arts, University of Leeds, have also productively
supported this research project. Finally, I offer special thanks to David Avital
(Publisher, Literary Studies at Bloomsbury), with whom I first discussed this
project. His always helpful advice has been greatly appreciated, as has
invaluable support from other members of the Bloomsbury team, including
Luke Neima (Editorial Intern), Mark Richardson (Editorial), Jennifer Laing
(Copyeditor) and Kim Storry (Fakenham Prepress Solutions).
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PREFACE: RELIGION AND
‘SAINT GEORGE’ 1
Eric Arthur Blair (1903–50), also known after November 1932 as George
Orwell, has usually been viewed as an agnostic socialist or atheist humanist
who held little regard for organized religion, especially the Christian
traditions of his two ancestral families: his father’s English Blairs and his
mother’s French Limouzins.2 He presented himself throughout his literary
career as ‘an atheist [who] yet retained a highly religious sense of morality’
and insistently sought for a ‘morality suitable for a post-Christian age’.3 In
a letter of 11 April 1940, discussing an intended socialist publication ‘The
Manifesto of the Common Man’, he asserted that it was invariably wise
‘never to mention religion’ (XII.139) in public debate if it could possibly be
avoided. Nevertheless, he insisted in March 1943 that a writer’s ‘political
and religious’ beliefs (XIV.285) would always be coloured by his aesthetic
and literary achievements and that it was essential for commentators to
trace such connections.
Although a self-professed atheist, Orwell retained a sentimental and
aesthetic affection for the buildings, ceremonies and liturgies of the
Anglican Church. His first marriage took place in June 1936 at the rural
parish church of St Mary’s in Wallington, Hertfordshire; and his second
marriage (on his deathbed) was held in October 1948 in a private room at
University College Hospital. Both services were conducted according to the
Anglican marriage rites. He was also insistent that his adopted son should
be baptized into the Anglican Church. Similarly, his will stated – to the
surprise of his closest friends – that he wished to be buried according to the
rites of the Church of England (not cremated), despite having been from his
adult years a resolute non-worshipper. His unexpectedly conventional wish
was fulfilled through the privileged influence of two friends, the Anglo-
American aristocrat David Astor and the Old Etonian writer Anthony
Powell. They, along with the journalist Malcolm Muggeridge, arranged
for his funeral service to be conducted in London at the Powell family’s
regular place of worship, Christ Church (now St George’s Cathedral),
Albany Street. The service, Muggeridge noted, was attended almost entirely
by non-believers and a selection of Orwell’s Jewish friends and publishing
associates.4 It was followed by his interment in the country churchyard of
All Saints, Sutton Courtenay, Oxfordshire, near the Astor family’s ancient
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