Biblical Criticism in George Eliot's "Peter von Bohlen's Introduction to the Book of Genesis"

we look closely at George Eliot's essays and book reviews, it dawns upon us that biblical criticism was one of the few central concerns she held consistently over her years of essay and review writing. Already in 1851 she exhibited a formidable knowledge of the critical study of the Bible as we see its best fruit in the reviews entitled "R.W.Marckay's The Progress of Christendom." These are powerful enough testimonies to make us realize that her historical study of the Bible was a mirror in which her path of self-discovery had been reflected. Naturally enough we can see in them Marian's (earlier George Eliot's) mature thoughts on religion and science. And these, as some of the major critics of the age agree, represent the voice of the nineteenth century.