Was Darwin an Atheist?

Was Darwin an atheist? Probably, most people think that he was, but this is not so simple.

"It would surprise many to know that Charles Darwin, the founder of modern evolutionary theory, was not a scientist but a theologian. Darwin only had a divinity degree and no formal training in the sciences." (http://english.pravda.ru/science/earth/11-12-2008/106822-darwin_theology_degree-0/)

British Journal for the History of Science published Steve Dilley's article Charles Darwin's use of theology in the Origin of Species:
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=8269309&fulltextType=RA&fileId=S000708741100032X
http://www.evolutionnews.org/2011/05/charles_darwin_theologian_majo046391.html

As it is quite clear from the article's title, the author states that Darwin did use theology in the Origin of Species as a support for his ideas and that it is impossible to understand Darwin's work without understanding his theology.

There is also quite famous testimony of Lady Hope who said that she had visited Darwin several months before he died and that he was fond of reading the Bible and had Christian faith at that time. He even regretted of his evolutionist ideas: http://carm.org/secular-movements/evolution/did-darwin-become-christian-his-deathbed

I am aware that there have been many attempts to deny her testimony. As for me, I do not see anything odd in this testimony. Many people who denied God their whole life become believers in God before their death. Since Darwin was very interested in theology when he was young and he even wanted to be a clergyman, it makes his turn back to God before his death even more possible.

I think it is possible that he did say about his evolution ideas: "I was a young man with unformed ideas. I threw out queries, suggestions, wondering all the time over everything, and to my astonishment, the ideas took like wildfire. People made a religion of them." He never publicly denied his ideas, but no one can be really sure that he did not regret about his ideas privately.