The Christian Foundation, or, Scientific and Religious Journal, Volume 1, January, 1880

In January 1880, a group of Victorian intellectuals gathered to argue that faith might hold truths science could not reach. This first issue of The Christian Foundation captures a pivotal moment in what would become one of the longest-running debates in Western thought. The essays defend Christian doctrine against the rising tide of Darwinian evolution and scientific materialism, offering historical, philosophical, and theological arguments for the existence of God and the primacy of spiritual truth over mere physical explanation. The writers question the assumptions underlying materialist science, positing instead a cosmos ordered by divine purpose and moral law. For readers interested in the intellectual history of the evolution debate, or anyone curious about how Victorians grappled with modernity's disruptions, this volume offers a window into a world where the conflict between science and religion was still being actively negotiated, not assumed.