Jane Austen and the Clergy

by Irene Collins

Jane Austen was the daughter of a clergyman, the sister of two others and the cousin of four more. Her principal acquaintances were clergymen and their families, whose social, intellectual and religious attitudes she shared. Yet while clergymen feature in all her novels, often in major roles, there has been little recognition of their significance. To many readers their status and profession is a mystery, as they appear simply to be a sub-species of gentlemen and never seem to perform any duties. Mr Collins in Pride and prejudice is often regarded as little more than a figure of fun.

Astonishingly, Jane Austen and the Clergy is the first book to demonstrate the importance of Jane Austen's clerical background and to explain the clergy in her novels, whether Mr Tilney in Northanger Abbey, Mr Elton in Emma, or a less prominent character such as Dr Grant in Mansfield Park. In this exceptionally well-written and enjoyable book, Irene Collins draws on a wide knowledge of the literature and history of the period to describe who the clergy were, both in the novels and in how they were educated and appointed the houses they lived in and the gardens they designed and cultivated; the women they married; their professional and social context; their income, their duties, their moral outlook and their beliefs. Jane Austen and the Clergy uses the facts of Jane Austen's life and the evidence contained in her letters and novels to give a vivid and convincing portrait of the contemporary clergy.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

256 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2002

Reviews

[Abigail Bok · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fine study of a limited topic in Jane Austen studies. It is also far more worth reading than Irene Collins’s other book, Jane Austen: The Parson's Daughter. Unfortunately, this volume is much less available, and only at inflated prices, in the United States. The Parson’s Daughter is the “lite” version of this book, with much less information about the Church in Austen’s day; it is padded out with biographical material and literary criticism, neither area Collins’s strong suit.

Jane Austen and the Clergy starts from the premise—impossible to deny but generally overlooked by modern critics and historians—that Austen was fundamentally a religious person and her understanding of her society was rooted in her religion. The book begins with a survey of her clerical family members and proceeds to give details about how clergymen got their jobs, their education, income, home life, place in the community, and other practical details. The final section of the book addresses the manners and morals implicit in adherence to the Church of England at the end of the eighteenth century, the place of morals in society, and Austen’s own worship habits. It is altogether a comprehensive survey of the subject and I found it very useful.

The writing is unexciting but competent and Collins makes her subject matter clear. I appreciated her depth of reading in the sermons, theology, and philosophy of the era, basing her choice of materials in what Austen most likely would have read or been aware of. The book has ample notes and bibliography for anyone inclined to dig deeper, but the notes don’t intrude on the text.

I wish I had read this book first: it would have obviated reading her second.

[Beth Bonini · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one for enthusiasts -- and not so much of Jane Austen, but of the late 18th/early 19th century. I enjoyed it, particularly when I could glean bits/anecdotes for my volunteer role at Jane Austen's House.

Considering how many men in Jane's life were clergyman -- not least of all her father and two of her brothers -- it is interesting that they do not come off very well in her novels.

[Sophie Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this would more accurately have been titled Jane Austen and Religion in Country Life, for it departed pretty far from simple the role of the clergy. Some of that was good, some of it was redundant. The book is best when it stays nearest its title, and there it includes some great details and analysis.

[Lona Manning · Rating 5 out of 5]

As another reviewer noted, the title of this book is somewhat misleading. The scope of the book is broader than the role of the clergy in Austen's time. I bought it expecting to learn more of the nuts and bolts of a clergyman's life, and though I did learn some things, the author does not delve into explanations of the difference between a rector and a vicar, and she assumes her readers know what a chancel is. Most of the book is a social history of clergyman, with a chapter on clergyman's wives as well. I found the last three chapters to be the most valuable and interesting. "Manners and Morals," "Morals and Society" and "Worship and Belief" contain a lot of interesting reflections on Austen's novels and what they reveal about Austen's personal morality. Collins canvasses the influential thinkers of the day such as Wilberforce, Burke and Locke, and the influence of the Evangelicals versus Church of England traditionalists.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of good background on the church during Jane's life. Some of it I already knew, but I have enough gaps in my C of E history knowledge that I found this useful.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s a neat correspondence between a study examining Jane Austen’s models for fictional clergy, notably the snobby Mr Collins in Pride and Prejudice, and the fact that such a study was undertaken by a scholar by the name of Collins. But this work is more than just a discussion of Mr Collins, Mr Tilney, Mr Elton, Dr Grant, Mr Bennet and others: it underlines how important Jane’s own clerical background was in forming the bedrock of not only her fiction but also her life.

Originally published in 1994, Jane Austen and the Clergy appeared just in time for the reignition of Austen mania brought about by the adaptation of Pride and Prejudice for television in 1995, making the late Irene Collins (she died in 2015) a bit of a celebrity for Austen fans. Ever since I began reading Austen for myself I’ve been delving into this volume bit by bit till I now feel able to make some assessment of its undoubted worth.

In fact this study feels like a labour of love for the author. At times it’s unclear whom it’s aimed at: is it other literary scholars, the general public, Austen fans, or church historians? But, approached with care and attention by the reasonably intelligent reader it is undoubtedly enlightening on all fronts and an excellent commentary for those embarking on a reread of Jane’s published oeuvres.

The book is structured into eleven chapters with an evident narrative, though it’s sometimes possible to lose the narrative thread given the copious amounts of illustrative minutiae Collins includes. She begins with a discussion of Jane’s ‘clerical connections’, a web of familial relationships which can’t be overemphasised. Her father was a clergyman, as were two of her six brothers; three of her nephews were rectors or vicars, as were several cousins on her mother’s side of the family, not forgetting an uncle, a maternal grandfather, great-uncle and miscellaneous other relatives.

Jane thus had an intimate knowledge of clerical types and of their position in society, their duties and their responsibilities. And while we don’t hear very much at all of their religious beliefs and practices in her several comedies of manners (and if present they are very much incidental to the stories) her portrayals of those fictional clergymen shows her to be comfortable with them as representative of their calling, even as she focuses on them as individuals with human strengths and failings.

To place both creator and her creatures in context Collins goes on to discuss the social position of the rector (who received the tithes of a parish, and took on additional responsibilities) or vicar (who need only do the minimum required, and could even appoint a curate to do the job instead, for substantially less pay). Many if not most clerical positions relied on patronage by the local landowner, and family connections verging on nepotism played a large part in appointments. Collins then details the education expected of a parson and the income and residence that parson could expect, all with reference to Austen’s fiction and letters as well as to contemporary documentation.

The position of the country parson within local society, both the working class and the more idle gentry, is next considered; conscientious clergy had much to do within their parish in terms of religious services, visiting the sick, preparing sermons; but as Collins says, “It has always been difficult, even with the best intentions in the world, to describe in detail the role of a clergyman outside the range of his normal duties,” and “Jane Austen’s novels are tantalisingly sketchy” in this area. However, one of his roles was tied up with his position in “the neighbourhood”, that is the local gentry and their society, and Collins details at length how he was expected to interact with patrons, landowners and the idle rich and participate in for example dinners, balls, card games and blood sports. Perhaps of more interest to Austen’s readers, ancient and modern, is the role expected of the parson’s wife; Collins has a fascinating chapter on this, ending up with Jane’s sister Cassandra’s eminent suitability for such a position, given that her “moral sense made her seem to Jane a model of proper behaviour.”

The remaining three chapters dealing with manners, morals, worship and belief place Jane’s own religious convictions in the context of Regency society. The piety that seems largely missing from the novels—rightly so, given that these weren’t sermons—actually underlay the moral stance that is very evident in their pages.

It has to be borne in mind that although Jane Austen’s novels were not as pointedly didactic as, say, George Eliot’s, they were nevertheless written with a moralising purpose at least partly in mind.

Much of their appeal of course lies in the heroines’ innate goodness winning their due rewards, invariably marrying a suitable male who will provide for them, while many of the less morally upright characters tend to stew in their own juices. Here however we also learn of Jane’s personal piety, of her creed which sustained her through vicissitudes; and a short appendix includes three prayers composed by her which express, almost better than any commentary, not only her self-deprecating and yet charitable impulses, her hopes and, last but not least, her faith but also that she was clearly the child of her father.

This gallop through Collins’ detailed examination necessarily omits much, and can only give a quick sketch of its range. Diligent students will pore through the notes and bibliography and make full use of the comprehensive index; others may prefer to enjoy the illustrations and peruse the family trees and plates of family members and of places associated with the Austens. Anyone even faintly interested with Jane’s fiction should be able to find something of interest here.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent addition to my ever-growing collection of Jane Austen related books. Irene Collins wrote this book as an illustration of how religion, specifically the Anglican Church, plays an influential role in Austen's writings. Jane Austen, was the daughter of a clergyman, and frequently had clergymen as characters. This book breaks down in nine chapters how a country parson lived. Everything from education to everyday parish life is covered, including a chapter on how a wife of country parson was expected to behave. The author uses examples of Austen's characters to illustrate how accurate her depictions were, such as Mr. Collins. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Madeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deeply satisfying read about how Austen's personal faith and her upbringing as a parson's daughter, as well as her beliefs about society and "the neighborhood," influenced her works. It made me want to rush to reread her full canon.

[Margie Dorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

For Jane Austen fans, an amazing study of Jane Austen's relationship with parish and clergy in her novels, her letters, and comparative ideals of her era. Many readers may not know that her father and two of her brothers were clergymen, so the lifestyle would have been ever present in her daily life and is more present in her novels than readers perhaps realize. Irene Collins is good at making the connection more obvious. The research that went into this study is commendable.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good information, rather dull presentation. I didn’t like how the author jumped back and forth continuously between real and fictional people to make her point.