This open access book draws on conceptual resources ranging from medieval scholasticism to postmodern theory to propose a new understanding of secular time and its mediation in nineteenth-century technological networks. Untethering the concept of secularity from questions of 'religion' and 'belief', it offers an innovative rethinking of the history of secularisation that will appeal to students, scholars, and everyone interested in secularity, Victorian culture, the history of technology, and the temporalities of modernity.

This book is open access, which means that you have free and unlimited access Develops an original thesis of Victorian secularisation Demonstrates how to trace the mediation of secular time in modern technological networks Draws on and speaks to several academic fields

Autorentext

Stefan Fisher-Høyrem (PhD) is a historian and Senior Academic Librarian at the University of Agder, Norway.

Inhalt
1 Introduction: Secularities, Technologies, and Modern.- Temporalities.- Challenging Secularization.- First Challenge: The Material Turn.- Second Challenge: The Temporal Turn.- Confusing Times.- Rethinking Secularization.- Overview of the Book.- Bibliography.- 2 Secular Time: Origin Story and Operationalization.- Origins of the Saeculum.- Immutable Mobiles.- Victorian Networks.- Bibliography.- 3 Railways: Tracks, Trains, and Travellers.- Moving Bodies.- Local Time.- Branching Out.- Temporal Trauma.- The Transport Machine.- Tracks.- Trains.- Travellers.- Temporal Coordination.- Conclusion.- Bibliography.- 4 News: The Pursuit of Immediacy.- Temporality and Form.- A Printed Public Sphere.- Emerging Publics.- Environmental Resistance.- Expanding Networks.- Mobilization.- Insulation.- Printing.- Journalism Skills.- Conclusion.- Bibliography.- 5 Banknotes: The Money of Civilization.- Performing the Economy.- Gold Standard.- The State.- Policing the Standard.- The Bank of England.- A Networkof Notes.- A Combination of the Arts.- As Good as Gold.- Conclusion.- Bibliography.- 6 Conclusion: A New Approach to Secularization.- Bibliography.- Index.