Conformity to the World

Hoare, Edward, 1812-1894Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.2

Word count: 64K words
Chapters: 7

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.Conformity to the World by Edward HoareAuthor: Hoare, Edward, 1812-1894,Language: English, Class: BV: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Christianity: Practical theology, Worship, Release Date: May 23, 2016

Editor's review

This is a religious exhortation by the 19th-century Anglican clergyman Edward Hoare, addressing how Christians should face worldly values and standards of conduct; it belongs to practical theology and devotional literature. Its style bears the typical features of Victorian sermon writing: direct argument, earnest tone, and frequent use of scripture and everyday examples to examine the boundary of "compromise with the world." For today's readers, its value lies more in presenting a sample of 19th-century British evangelical ethical concerns, useful for understanding how the church of the time responded to secularization. It is not long, suitable as devotional reading or supplementary material for discussions of religious ethics. Note that the religious context presupposed in the book is distant from contemporary secular readers; non-believers should read it as a historical and intellectual text rather than a direct guide to conduct.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Christian practical theology and devotional tradition
Scholars studying 19th-century British evangelical ethical thought
Researchers of religious texts needing samples of sermons or exhortations
Christian readers wishing to reflect on worldly values within a faith context

Not a good fit for

Academic readers expecting a systematic theological treatise
General readers uninterested in the religious exhortation genre
Readers seeking direct answers to contemporary ethical questions

Reading tips

First understand the 19th-century British evangelical background before entering the text to reduce contextual distance.
Read section by section by theme, making brief reflective notes on one's own situation after each.
Compare with contemporary Christian ethical discussions to contrast the concerns of different eras.
Non-believers may treat it as a historical intellectual text, focusing on the mode of argument rather than accepting its conclusions.

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

What kind of Christian work is this book?

It belongs to practical theology and devotional exhortation, discussing the Christian's relationship to worldly values rather than being a systematic theology treatise. Its form is close to a sermon, focused on exhortation and discernment, suitable as devotional reading or supplementary material for religious ethics discussions.

Is it meaningful for non-Christians to read this book?

It is meaningful, but from a different angle. Non-believers can treat it as a sample of 19th-century British evangelical ethical concerns and observe how the church of the time responded to secularization. Readers should focus on its mode of argument and historical context rather than accepting its exhortative conclusions.

Can the views in the book be applied directly to contemporary life?

Direct application is not advisable. The religious and social context presupposed in the book differs considerably from the present, and its specific judgments bear the mark of their era. A more prudent approach is to understand its concerns and argumentative logic, then make independent judgments in light of contemporary circumstances.

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About the author

Hoare, Edward, 1812-1894 Author

Edward Hoare (1812–1894) was a prolific nineteenth-century Christian author, with 32 works held in the collection. His writing centres on sermons and theological discussion, covering daily devotion, redemption, sanctification, the Lord's Supper, and hope for Jerusalem. His representative works show that he served readers with sermon collections such as Sermons for the Day, while addressing systematic theology in works like Sanctification, Redemption, and Evolution. The Doctrine of the Lord's Supper. As Taught by the Church of England reflects his attention to Anglican teaching, and Sermons on the Scriptural Principles of our Protestant Church shows an apologetic aim and a concern to clarify confessional positions. Because public information is limited, biographical details are difficult to verify, but the surviving works reveal a scriptural, sober, and plain style, with emphasis on doctrinal clarity and practical application for believers; these writings had some influence among English-speaking Protestant readers of his time.