James Mozley, writing in 1846, said "A sermon of Mr. Newman's enters into our feelings, ideas, modes of viewing things. Persons look into Mr. Newman's sermons and see their own thoughts in them.

The Idea of a University Defined and Illustrated was written by noted theologian John Henry Newman.

The novel's literary context reflects the religious turbulence of the mid-19th century, capturing the shifting religious landscape of England during this period.