Gina Dalfonzo’s The Gospel in Dickens is a collection of well-chosen excerpts from Dickens’s writings illustrating his persistent interest in Christian themes. . . . This is an affordable, attractive, well-made book that fits comfortably in the hand. It offers a highly readable look into both the nature of Dickens’s religious views and the evolution of his art.

George Orwell, the great English writer, observed that Charles Dickens was always preaching a sermon. The Gospel in Dickens provides an excellent framework for identifying the nature and content of these “sermons.” Focusing on the key areas of repentance, grace, sin, redemption, and salvation, Gina Dalfonzo has provided a clear, insightful introduction to her selections. For those who are familiar with the works of Dickens, and for those who are keen to find out more, this book casts valuable light on an important aspect of the writer’s life and work.

Though students of Dickens continue to debate whether he was a Christian, no one can debate that he relies upon Jesus Christ as the standard for humanity. Less an evangelist than a prophet, Dickens painted word pictures of common behavior with which the Victorian world would have been familiar to portray what it means to fall short of the glory of God. As these passages from his many novels make clear, Dickens never confused social and financial respectability with faithfulness to Christ. These passages reveal how closely Dickens had read the Gospels.

In her The Gospel in Dickens, Gina Dalfonzo has given us a marvelous glimpse into the mind and soul of Charles Dickens. Smartly conceived and engagingly written, this volume follows Dickens’s Christian thought through his oeuvre like no other book available. Dalfonzo’s observations and assessments of the varied selections, based on her careful contextual reading, are astute and right on target – because she has a great sense of how Dickens thought, especially about his faith and how his faith came to bear on his life. Whether you’ve walked with Dickens for some time or you are just beginning to get to know him, you will want to own this delightful volume.