Florence Nightingale’s Spiritual Journey: Biblical Annotations, Sermons and Journal Notes

Book excerpt: Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) is widely known as the heroine of the Crimean War and the founder of the modern profession of nursing. She was also a scholar and political activist who wrote and worked assiduously on many reform causes for more than forty years. This series will confirm Nightingale as an important and significant nineteenth-century scholar and illustrate how she integrated her scholarship with political activism. Indispensable to scholars, and accessible and revealing to the general reader, it will show there is much more to know about Florence Nightingale than the “lady with the lamp.” Although a life-long member of the Church of England, Nightingale has been described as both a Unitarian and a significan nineteenth-century mystic. Volume 2 begins with an introduction to the beliefs, influences and practices of this complex person. The second and largest part of this volume consists of Nightingale’s biblical annotations, made at various stages of her life (some dated, some not). The third part of volume 2 contains her journal notes, including her diary for 1877, which is published here for the first time. Much of this material is highly personal, even confessional in nature. Some of it is profoundly moving and will serve to show the complexity and power of Nightingale’s faith. Currently, Volumes 1 to 11 are available in e-book version by subscription or from university and college libraries through the following vendors: Canadian Electronic Library, Ebrary, MyiLibrary, and Netlibrary.