Was Charles Dickens Truly A Christian? | Christian or Not Ep. 7
1h 9m | Aug 20, 2026Was Charles Dickens a true Christian… or just a moral storyteller who used Christian themes?
He wrote A Christmas Carol, created unforgettable characters shaped by redemption and charity, and even wrote The Life of Our Lord for his own children so they would know Jesus. He claimed the New Testament as his guide and called Jesus “Our Saviour.”
But Dickens also rejected much of organized religion, criticized the church harshly, and focused far more on ethics and social reform than on doctrine or the cross.
In this episode of Christian or Not, Mark and Troy dig into the real faith of one of literature’s greatest writers. We examine:
His Anglican upbringing
The Life of Our Lord and what it reveals about his view of Jesus
How Christian themes run through his novels
The tensions between his personal beliefs and orthodox Christianity
Was Charles Dickens a genuine Christian… or a cultural Christian who loved the teachings of Jesus without fully embracing the faith?
Listen and decide for yourself.
