The English soul and God : a reflection

Abstract

In what follows I shall argue that the English soul is characterised by a set of deeply rooted attitudes. The most publicly visible attitude consists of confident cheerfulness. This is the attitude in which government and business are conducted in England. The attitude of official optimism has a religious foundation; it is the attitude required by a belief in Providence. Anyone who has this belief should expect the good to prevail. That seems to be a descendant of the Calvinist concept of faith. Thus Calvin wrote in The Institutes a/the Christian Religion: "we shall possess a right definition of faith if we call it a firm and certain knowledge of God's benevolence towards us. There can be no doubt of the value of this in the ordinary course of life.