', Oxford House Chronicle, 6 (1891), p.6. 5 Koven, Slumming, pp.228-288. Institutional pamphlets include The Oxford House in Bethnal Green, 1884-1948 Oxford House, 1948This article demonstrates that religion, and specifically a new form of practical Christianity, was fundamental to the motivations of Oxford House's early leaders. According to Boyd Hilton, nineteenth-century theology shifted away from theories of atonement, which had placed emphasis on personal faith and sin, to new ideas of incarnation. These theological ideas were more socially aware and emphasised a loving, rather than a vengeful, God. In turn, Jesus was transformed into a compassionate brother. On a social level, this