Faith in E. M. Forster’s What I Believe

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Faith in E. M. Forster’s What I Believe

E. M. Forster’s “What I Believe” is interesting in that it reflects a moderated idealism. Throughout the essay, Forster will make a proclamation, such as rationality is good, and subsequently retreat half a step, in this case insisting on the continued necessity of faith. It is an interesting technique and demonstrates much of the complexity of his positions, and arguably those of Bloomsbury insofar as they are a whole. Particularly interesting are his fascination with faith, which forms the bedrock of the argument, and with personal relationships.

Forster draws a distinction between “belief” and “Belief” in that while he does ascribe to the former, he distrusts the latter. “They [Christians] have Faith, with a large F. My faith has a very small one, and I only intrude it because these are strenuous and serious days, and one likes to say what one thinks while speech is comparatively free.”1 Forster’s faith, therefore, is not the Faith, or Belief, ascribed to in religion, rather he seems to have faith in things like free spe...

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