Mr Reardon begins with a substantial introduction characterizing the age as a whole, contrasting it with the previous century and assessing its permanent achievements. The book is divided into two parts. The first deals with twelve writers from continental Europe, with an account of the chosen author's life, work and opinions. The second deals with British and American writers and again each of the twelve chapters is introduced by an essay of about 1500 words. Mr Reardon gives special attention to the philosophical interpretation of religion and of Christianity in particular. Traditional dogma and ecclesiastical politics, whether Roman Catholic or Protestant, have been avoided and emphasis is given to ideas and interests that are characteristic of the period. Not all the thinkers introduced (e.g. Feuerbach, Comte, J. S. Mill) are themselves Christian. The result is a clear picture of the main currents of Western religious thought in the nineteenth century. It is a century which the student of religion today is likely to find of great interest and to which many will feel a close affinity.
