Robert Elsmere

by Humphry Ward

"Robert Elsmere" by Mrs. Humphry Ward is a novel published in 1888. It follows an Oxford clergyman who encounters German rationalist philosophy and begins questioning Anglican doctrine. Rather than abandoning faith entirely, he pursues a new path emphasizing social work among the poor. This groundbreaking bestseller sparked fierce debate in Victorian England, praised by some as liberating and condemned by others as blasphemous. The novel sold over a million copies and drew a famous critical review from Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone himself.