''Secular Review'' (1876–1907) was a freethought/

secularist Secularism is the principle of seeking to conduct human affairs based on secular, naturalistic considerations. Secularism is most commonly defined as the separation of religion from civil affairs and the state, and may be broadened to a sim ...

weekly publication in nineteenth and early twentieth-century Britain that appeared under a variety of names. It represented a "relatively moderate style of Secularism," more open to old

Owenite Owenism is the utopian socialist philosophy of 19th-century social reformer Robert Owen and his followers and successors, who are known as Owenites. Owenism aimed for radical reform of society and is considered a forerunner of the cooperative ...

and new

socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...

influences in contrast to the individualism and social conservatism of

Charles Bradlaugh Charles Bradlaugh (; 26 September 1833 – 30 January 1891) was an English political activist and atheist. He founded the National Secular Society in 1866, 15 years after George Holyoake had coined the term "secularism" in 1851. In 1880, Bradl ...

and his ''

National Reformer The ''National Reformer'' was a secularist weekly publication in 19th-century Britain (1860-1893), noted for providing a longstanding "strong, radical voice" in its time, advocating atheism. Under the editorship of Charles Bradlaugh for the majo ...

''.Laurel Brake and Marysa Demoor, eds., ''Dictionary of Nineteenth-Century Journalism in Great Britain and Ireland'' (Academia Press, 2009), p. 566. It was edited during the period 1882–1906 by

William Stewart Ross William Stewart Ross (20 March 1844 – 30 November 1906) was a Scottish writer and publisher. He was a noted secularist thinker, and used the pseudonym "Saladin". Between 1888 and 1906 he was the editor of the ''Agnostic Journal'', successor to ...

(1844–1906), who signed himself "Saladin."

History

The journal was founded in August 1876 by

George Jacob Holyoake George Jacob Holyoake (13 April 1817 – 22 January 1906) was an English secularist, co-operator and newspaper editor. He coined the terms secularism in 1851 and "jingoism" in 1878. He edited a secularist paper, the ''Reasoner'', from 1846 to J ...

, after he and

George William Foote George William Foote (11 January 1850 – 17 October 1915) was an English secularist, freethinker, republican, writer and journal editor. Early life George William Foote was born in Plymouth, the son of William Thomas Foot (a customs officer) ...

experienced difficulties with their collaborative editorship of the ''Secularist: A Liberal Weekly Review'' (1876–1877). In February 1877, Charles Watts assumed the editorship. A new series was started in June 1877, merging it with Foote's ''Secularist'', under joint editorship, to form the ''Secular Review and Secularist''. Foote served as co-editor with Watts until March 1878, after which Watts edited the paper on his own until 1882.

joined Watts as co-editor in January 1882 and assumed sole editorship in July 1884, using the pseudonym "Saladin". In December 1888, Ross rechristened it the ''Agnostic Journal and Secular Review'', and shortly thereafter changed the name again to the ''Agnostic Journal and Eclectic Review''. Ross died in November 1906 and the last issue was published in June 1907. Edward Royle, ''Radicals, Secularists, and Republicans: Popular Freethought in Britain, 1866-1915'' (Manchester University Press, 1980), p. 161.

References

External links

Google Books
(holds Vols. 1-2, 18 877-1878, 1886. {{Skeptical magazines Freethought Secularism in the United Kingdom Rationalism Atheism publications Atheism in the United Kingdom