The Post-Secular Turn in Victorian Studies

deadline for submissions: 
September 30, 2025
full name / name of organization: 
Anna Peak, Temple University
contact email: 

The so-called “post-secular turn” in Victorian studies has helped produce a more accurate view of the Victorian period by acknowledging the religiosity of the time rather than privileging doubt and skepticism. However, so far the post-secular turn, understandably, has focused on religious movements and the role of the Bible in the literature of the time. This panel seeks to broaden that focus by examining ways in which a consideration of Victorian religiosity sheds new light on a range of scholarly debates – including but not limited to such topics as disability studies, eugenics, “scientific” racism, or animal rights, among many other possibilities. Interdisciplinary papers are welcome.