By Rosanne E. Lortz
Interestingly, the above quote, taken from Kloester’s book, is the single paragraph dealing with religion during the Regency in England. The lack of material on this subject (as well as the general tenor of this passage) gives the impression that religion, among the upper classes at least, was either nominal or peripheral.
But was religious belief, in particular Christianity, such an unimportant aspect of Regency society?
It is certainly true that religion does not figure much in Georgette Heyer’s books. However, it is equally true that Georgette Heyer’s Regency world is not the same world as that of the historical Regency era. Georgette Heyer was a historical novelist from the twentieth century who developed the genre of Regency romances as we know them today, and while many aspects of her books are well researched, there are other aspects that veer into the world of fairy tale (as romances in any time period are wont to do). The chance of meeting a wealthy, eligible, titled bachelor in Georgette Heyer’s Regency London, for example, is far greater than it would have been in real life....
Jane Austen’s work, on the other hand, is far more realistic a picture of Regency life, for Austen did not simply write in the Regency world, she lived in it. Period sources show that she was the daughter of a clergyman who was much more devout than the description of clergymen given to us by Kloester at the beginning of this essay.
Peter Leithart, in his biography Jane Austen, examines primary source material and shows that that although Jane Austen was not demonstrative with her religious sentiments, she followed in her father’s footsteps as a believing Christian in the style of the period in which she lived. She attended church regularly, wrote her own prayers in the style of the Anglican prayer book, and encouraged her family members in moral living.
The most memorable clergymen in Austen’s books are the conceited Mr. Elton and the absurd Mr. Collins—Mr. Elton could certainly be the clergyman of nominal faith described in the paragraph from Kloester’s book. However, Leithart points out that all of Jane’s other clergymen are praiseworthy individuals. Edmund Bertram from Mansfield Park, despite temptation from the worldly Miss Crawford, is portrayed as taking right path to join the Church. And though Austen treats Mr. Elton with a good deal of ridicule, she also centers the whole book of Emma around the virtue of Christian charity.
Christianity, it seems, was not just a peripheral matter in Jane Austen’s life. It affected her daily life as well as her writing. And while it would be foolhardy to take the single case of Jane Austen’s beliefs and make them representative of all the denizens of the Regency era, it would also perhaps be reasonable to wish that “The definitive guide for all fans of…Jane Austen…” had a little more than one paragraph about a matter which impacted her life in such a large way.
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Rosanne E. Lortz is the author of I Serve: A Novel of the Black Prince, a historical adventure/romance set during the Hundred Years' War, and Road from the West: Book I of the Chronicles of Tancred, the beginning of a trilogy which takes place during the First Crusade. Her current WIP is a Regency era murder mystery.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kloester, Jennifer. Georgette Heyer's Regency World. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks, Inc., 2010.
Leithart, Peter J. Jane Austen. Thomas Nelson, 2010.
[T]aking Holy Orders and becoming a beneficed clergyman was generally an undemanding way of life which enabled many practitioners to continue to enjoy the popular activities of the period—riding, hunting, drinking and gaming—without censure, and, for those who wished to marry, a well-endowed living provided ample means for supporting a wife and family…. A desire to enter the Church did not necessarily have to spring from a strong religious conviction or a passion for the calling; for many younger sons it was position which could ensure a reasonable degree of comfort based on an income derived from one or more livings which were frequently made available from the family estates.Jennifer Kloester’s book Georgette Heyer’s Regency World is billed as “the definitive guide for all fans of Georgette Heyer, Jane Austen, and the glittering Regency period.” The book is a well-researched compendium of the dress, dining, manners, customs, houses, and haunts of the time period. I have heard more than one historical novelist refer to it as the “Bible” that must be adhered to when writing Regencies. I refer to it often and keep a special spot for it on my shelves.
Interestingly, the above quote, taken from Kloester’s book, is the single paragraph dealing with religion during the Regency in England. The lack of material on this subject (as well as the general tenor of this passage) gives the impression that religion, among the upper classes at least, was either nominal or peripheral.
But was religious belief, in particular Christianity, such an unimportant aspect of Regency society?
It is certainly true that religion does not figure much in Georgette Heyer’s books. However, it is equally true that Georgette Heyer’s Regency world is not the same world as that of the historical Regency era. Georgette Heyer was a historical novelist from the twentieth century who developed the genre of Regency romances as we know them today, and while many aspects of her books are well researched, there are other aspects that veer into the world of fairy tale (as romances in any time period are wont to do). The chance of meeting a wealthy, eligible, titled bachelor in Georgette Heyer’s Regency London, for example, is far greater than it would have been in real life....
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Portrait of Jane Austen drawn by her sister Cassandra |
Peter Leithart, in his biography Jane Austen, examines primary source material and shows that that although Jane Austen was not demonstrative with her religious sentiments, she followed in her father’s footsteps as a believing Christian in the style of the period in which she lived. She attended church regularly, wrote her own prayers in the style of the Anglican prayer book, and encouraged her family members in moral living.
The most memorable clergymen in Austen’s books are the conceited Mr. Elton and the absurd Mr. Collins—Mr. Elton could certainly be the clergyman of nominal faith described in the paragraph from Kloester’s book. However, Leithart points out that all of Jane’s other clergymen are praiseworthy individuals. Edmund Bertram from Mansfield Park, despite temptation from the worldly Miss Crawford, is portrayed as taking right path to join the Church. And though Austen treats Mr. Elton with a good deal of ridicule, she also centers the whole book of Emma around the virtue of Christian charity.
Christianity, it seems, was not just a peripheral matter in Jane Austen’s life. It affected her daily life as well as her writing. And while it would be foolhardy to take the single case of Jane Austen’s beliefs and make them representative of all the denizens of the Regency era, it would also perhaps be reasonable to wish that “The definitive guide for all fans of…Jane Austen…” had a little more than one paragraph about a matter which impacted her life in such a large way.
______________________
Rosanne E. Lortz is the author of I Serve: A Novel of the Black Prince, a historical adventure/romance set during the Hundred Years' War, and Road from the West: Book I of the Chronicles of Tancred, the beginning of a trilogy which takes place during the First Crusade. Her current WIP is a Regency era murder mystery.
______________________
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kloester, Jennifer. Georgette Heyer's Regency World. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks, Inc., 2010.
Leithart, Peter J. Jane Austen. Thomas Nelson, 2010.