God and Mr. Wells: A Critical Examination of 'God the Invisible King'

William ArcherProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 3.0

Word count: 168K words
Chapters: 17

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.God and Mr. Wells: A Critical Examination of 'God the Invisible King' by ArcherAuthor: Archer, William, 1856-1924,Language: English, Class: BT: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Christianity: Doctrinal theology, God, Christology, Release Date: Jan 7, 2010

Editor's review

This book is the British critic William Archer's systematic critique of H. G. Wells's God the Invisible King, a valuable document of early twentieth-century religious controversy. In a polemical style, Archer examines layer by layer the concept of the 'invisible God' that Wells envisioned, acknowledging his effort to rebuild faith under modern conditions of knowledge while pointing out the weaknesses in its theological logic and historical grounding. The book is short and clearly argued, suitable as supplementary material for understanding a side of Wells's thought and as a reference for readers studying the conflict between religion and science in modern Britain. It is best read as an on-the-spot record of a specific debate rather than a systematic theological work; readers familiar with Wells's original will more easily grasp the focal points of disagreement.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers studying H. G. Wells's thought and early twentieth-century British intellectual history
Theology or philosophy enthusiasts interested in the debate between religion and modern science
English readers wishing to understand critical writing and polemical style
Libraries and researchers collecting public-domain English intellectual documents

Not a good fit for

Beginners expecting a systematic introduction to theology or a doctrinal textbook
Readers interested only in Wells's original work and not in contemporary criticism
General readers needing a Chinese translation or modern annotations

Reading tips

First review the main points of Wells's God the Invisible King, then read this book chapter by chapter to clarify the argument.
Take notes on Archer's core rebuttals alongside Wells's original arguments to form a comparative record.
Consult background material on early twentieth-century British religious controversy to understand the book's context and target.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Was this book written by Wells himself?

No. The author is the British critic William Archer, and the book is a critical examination of Wells's God the Invisible King—a contemporary response to Wells's religious ideas, not a work by Wells himself.

Do I need to read Wells's original before this book?

It is advisable to first understand the basic arguments of Wells's God the Invisible King, which will make the debate easier to follow. Reading this book directly is possible, since Archer's quotations offer clues, but comparing it with the original gives a fuller understanding.

How difficult is the English in this book?

The book is early twentieth-century English polemical prose with fairly formal sentences and religious and philosophical vocabulary; it suits readers with reasonable English proficiency and an interest in the subject.

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About the author

William Archer Author · Scottish · 1856–1924

William Archer (1856–1924) was a Scottish theatre critic and translator, born in Perth and educated at the University of Edinburgh. From 1879 he worked as a drama critic for London newspapers, championing an intellectual approach to theatre. Through translations of Ibsen's major plays, including A Doll's House and Peer Gynt, he helped bring Scandinavian drama to British audiences. He wrote Play-Making: A Manual of Craftsmanship, a systematic discussion of dramatic technique, as well as America To-day, Observations and Reflections and God and Mr. Wells: A Critical Examination of 'God the Invisible King', the latter a critical study of Wells's work. His play The Green Goddess achieved great success after its production in 1921. Three of his works are held in the collection; common classification information is unavailable, and public sources are limited, so this profile focuses on his criticism, translations and playwriting theory rather than on exhaustive biographical detail.