[Vocabulary] interpretation: man's diviner progress

[imchongjun]

Hi.
Would you please help me understand the following passage from Marie Corelli's THE SORROWS OF SATAN?

My pen, consciously or unconsciously, had written down things which my reasoning faculties entirely repudiated,--such as belief in a God,--trust in the eternal possibilities of man's diviner progress,--I credited neither of these doctrines.

I don't understand "the eternal possibilities of man's diviner progress". What is "diviner progress"? Is this some Christian idea? I appreciate very much if you could explain or paraphrase this part. Thank you!

 

[emsr2d2]

Are you sure it's "diviner", not "divine"? If it is, I can only assume the writer was using an unusual comparative of "divine". These days, we say "more divine" not "diviner".

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I'm guessing.

By man's, she means mankind's. She seems to believe that mankind as a group improves spiritually over time.

Etermal means that this will go on forever. So she believes that as time goes by, we will approach perfection.

I'm looking forward to seeing how others read it!

 

[imchongjun]

Hi, emsr2d2. Yes, it is "diviner". This novel was written at the end of the 19th century, by the way.
Hi, Charlie Bernstein. So according to your interpretation, "diviner progress" means "spiritual progress", doesn't it? I think that makes sense.