The Victorians

Religion

The Victorians were great church goers. Everyone was expected to attend some form of religious worship on Sunday. New, very active groups of Christians gave the Church of England a boost. There was also more great interest in building new churches and restoring old ones. St. Philips Cathedral in the centre of Birmingham was built in Victorian time s.

Amidst this devout scene Charles Darwin exploded a bombshell - a book called the Origin of the Species. It sold out on the first day of publication in 1859 and remains one of the great scientific treatises ever written.

Darwin put forward a theory of evolution by natural selection. The Christian Bible said God created the world................ Darwin's book was seriously attacked for challenging accepted religious beliefs.

What is the connection betwen Darwin and the creatures shown in the picture?

Click the picture for an answer.