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Fashionable Goodness: Christianity in Jane Austen's England Kindle Edition

4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 28 ratings

The Church of England was at the heart of Jane Austen's world of elegance and upheaval. Fashionable Goodness: Christianity in Jane Austen's England explores the church's role in her life and novels, the challenges that church faced, and how it changed the world. In one volume, this book brings together resources from many sources to show the church at a pivotal time in history, when English Christians were freeing enslaved people, empowering the poor and oppressed, and challenging society's moral values and immoral behavior.

Readers will meet Anglicans, Dissenters, Evangelicals, women leaders, poets, social reformers, hymn writers, country parsons, authors, and more. Lovers of Jane Austen or of church history and the long eighteenth century will enjoy discovering all this and much more:

  • Why could Mr. Collins, a rector, afford to marry a poor woman, while Mr. Elton, a vicar, and Charles Hayter, a curate, could not?
  • Why did Mansfield Park's early readers (unlike most today) love Fanny Price?
  • What part did people of color, like Miss Lambe of Sanditon, play in English society?
  • Why did Elizabeth Bennet compliment her kind sister Jane on her "candour"?
  • What shirked religious duties caused Anne Elliot to question the integrity of her cousin William Elliot?
  • Which Austen characters exhibited "true honor," "false honor," or "no honor"?
  • How did William Wilberforce, Hannah More, and William Cowper (beloved poet of Marianne Dashwood and Jane Austen) bring "goodness" into fashion?
  • How did the French Revolution challenge England's complacency and draw the upper classes back to church?
  • How did Christians campaigning to abolish the slave trade pioneer modern methods of working for social causes?
Explore the church of Jane Austen's world in Fashionable Goodness: Christianity in Jane Austen's England.
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Finally! Fashionable Goodness: Christianity in Jane Austen's England is the Jane Austen reference book that's been missing from the bookshelves of every Austen fan and scholar. I can't wait to add this to my research collection and keep it at my fingertips whenever I'm writing about Austen's faith and the religious lives of her characters. Thank you to Brenda S. Cox for creating this invaluable resource!"

Rachel Dodge, Praying with Jane


"Fashionable Goodness offers a magisterial study of the ways in which the Christian faith and the Anglican Church of Jane's day were not only foundational for her personal life but also for her talent as a writer.

"Detailed study of the novels is revealed throughout this book and constant reference and quotation from the novels show how strongly Christian beliefs and ethics underpin Jane's work. The book fully underlines that to read the novels without a religious framework in mind leaves the reader missing vitally important points about the presentation of both her plots and her characters.

"Brenda Cox's scholarly and detailed work is a triumph. It is easily read, . . . extremely helpful and accurate and particularly so when dealing with titles and the life and inner workings of the Anglican Church and its clergy in the late 18th century.

"The volume also provides a wide and fascinating panorama of Anglicanism in the 18th century and of the various challenges the Church and wider society faced. In effect the volume is a marvellous compendium and a valuable handbook to turn to when reading (or indeed re-reading) the novels; the many insights it offers will undoubtedly instruct and enrich an understanding and appreciation of Jane's skill as a writer and of her life as a devout Christian."

Michael Kenning, Rector of Steventon 1992-2010, Vice-Chairman of the Jane Austen Society


"A meticulously researched, faultlessly organized, and engaging study of how religion, in all its forms, features in Jane Austen's world, her life, and her writings.

"Starting with Henry Tilney's famous defense of 'the English' in Northanger Abbey, Cox reveals the facts of Jane Austen's faith and the realities and challenges of practicing religion in the Regency period. With biographical sketches of the leading religious leaders and analyses of the various denominations of the time, she puts into context the explicit and subtle religious references in Austen's novels.

"This Christian world permeates Austen's writings. . . . You will look at Mr. Collins, the Crawfords, the Dashwoods, the Tilneys, the Wickhams, the Willoughbys, and especially Fanny Price!-all the 'good' and the 'not so good' people who populate the novels, with new and surprising insights. Bravo to Brenda Cox for giving us this very accessible, illuminating take on the 'fashionable goodness' of Austen's era!"

Deborah Barnum, Jane Austen in Vermont, Bygone Books, and Reading with Austen: Returning the Lost Sheep of Godmersham


"Brenda Cox's Fashionable Goodness is an indispensable guide to all things religious in Jane Austen's world. . . . a proper understanding of 18th century Christianity is necessary for a full appreciation of Austen's works. Cox provides this understanding. . . . This work will appeal to novice readers of Austen as well as scholars and specialists."

Roger E. Moore, Vanderbilt University, Jane Austen and the Reformation



--This text refers to the paperback edition.

About the Author

Brenda S. Cox is fascinated by the history of Jane Austen's time and the nuances of Austen's delightful and insightful books. Her own faith led her to start exploring the church in Austen's novels and world. She was excited to find new depths in Austen's works and astonishing connections with world-changing movements during this pivotal era in history. She spent almost ten years researching, including visits to England, hunting up many, many books and resources, some obscure and not easily available, and digging through them to answer her multiplying questions. So, she decided to write this book to provide all that information in one accessible place for others who love Jane Austen or history.A popular speaker at Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) meetings, Brenda Cox has shared about church-related topics, ranging from satirical cartoons to country curates, at regional and national meetings, and contributes regularly to their academic journal, Persuasions On-Line. She also loves connecting regularly with thousands of Austen fans at Jane Austen's World and on her own blog, Faith, Science, Joy, and Jane Austen. Brenda first discovered Austen as a young mom living overseas, when she came across a copy of Emma. After devouring it, she immediately bought a complete set of Austen's novels. Each time she re-reads the books, she falls in love again with Austen's humor, deep insights into life and human nature, and finesse as a writer. She is now passing that love on to her grandchildren, reading the novels aloud together as Austen's own family did.Brenda loves learning and appreciated the privilege of homeschooling her four children because she got to learn so much along with them. She also enjoys cross-stitching Jane Austen projects and reading a wide range of books. She worked internationally for many years and values the beautiful variety of cultures and languages, which she expressed in her book on languages, Who Talks Funny? She earned a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering, a master's in applied linguistics, and, now in her third career, is loving writing about Jane.Fashionable Goodness: Christianity in Jane Austen's England is Brenda S. Cox's first book related to Jane Austen. Please visit her at brendascox.wordpress.com and as brendascoxregency on Facebook. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BF1BRP17
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Topaz Cross Books (October 20, 2022)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 20, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 13172 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 756 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 28 ratings

About the author

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Brenda S. Cox
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Brenda S. Cox is fascinated by the history of Jane Austen’s time and the nuances of Austen’s delightful, insightful books. Her own faith led her to start exploring the church in Austen’s novels and world. She was excited to find new depths in Austen’s works and astonishing connections with world-changing movements during this pivotal era in history. She spent almost ten years researching, including visits to England, hunting up many, many books and resources, some obscure and not easily available, and digging through them to answer her multiplying questions. So, she decided to write this book to provide all that information in one accessible place for others who love Jane Austen or history.

A popular speaker at Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) meetings, Brenda Cox has shared about church-related topics, ranging from satirical cartoons to country curates, at regional and national meetings, and contributes regularly to their academic journal, Persuasions On-Line. She also loves connecting regularly with thousands of Austen fans at Jane Austen’s World and on her own blog, Faith, Science, Joy, and Jane Austen. 


Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
28 global ratings
The Jane Austen Reference I've Been Waiting For!
5 Stars
The Jane Austen Reference I've Been Waiting For!
Finally! Fashionable Goodness is the Jane Austen reference book that’s been missing from the bookshelves of every Austen fan and scholar. I can’t wait to add this to my research collection and keep it at my fingertips whenever I’m writing about Austen’s faith and the religious lives of her characters. Thank you to Brenda Cox for creating this invaluable resource!
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Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2024
This book is a treasure trove of character analysis of people whom I often overlook in my reading. Like most readers I concentrate on the main characters and assume the rest are mere placeholders, so I appreciate the author’s solid research on the clergy in Austen’s novels. I also assumed that vicars, parsons, etc. were no different than their counterparts in modern fiction. I won’t make that mistake again. This is a book to savor.
Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2023
For awhile now I’ve been searching for something - be it a book, documentary, or YouTube video that explains the Christianity/religious beliefs of the Regency Era. Specifically focusing on Jane Austen and her books, because Austen was a clergyman’s daughter, she was a Christian, and her convictions shaped her worldview and influenced her writing. As a 21st century American woman, I am a Christian and Protestant, however my understanding and worldview differs from Austen’s in certain respects. I also needed to read it for my own Regency Era novel, to make it more authentic.

“Fashionable Goodness: Christianity in Jane Austen’s England” by Brenda S. Cox has been on my radar for a few months now and I recently bought it and just devoured it. Not only did it address my questions about Jane Austen and her faith, but it broke down how the Anglican church functioned; the basic tenants of faith; baptism; Communion; forgiveness; prayer; the differences between rectors, vicars, and curates (there’s also more than one type of curate, didn’t know that!), livings. The book also covers the Evangelical movement and how the Methodist church began, and Austen’s feelings on Evangelicals, and how many other Anglicans felt about them. We’re also introduced to devout Christians of the era, some of who were contemporaries of Austen. The Wesley brothers, John Newton (author of hymn “Amazing Grace”), Hannah More (author of novels and tracts, and champion of reform), William Wilberforce (politician who dedicated most of his life to ending slavery and the slave trade); etc…

As I am rereading Austen, I feel I can better understand the characters’ religious convictions and when the words principles or serious subjects are used, I know what she is referring to. Though this book is primarily about Austen, church history, and religious beliefs, it did encourage me to examine my own faith and had me researching and going to the Scriptures. "Fashionable Goodness" is a must-read for any Austen-lover and Christian!
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Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2024
This book was self-published and it’s a little uneven in quality but so enthusiastic and diligent that it won me over. Over the years I had picked up a little about the Anglican Church in the 1700-1800 period, but this is a deep dive, as they say; researched and interesting, and helpful in considering the novels. She talks about the Anglican Church in history as well as the “enthusiast” Methodists, etc. It is particularly interesting in talking about the Evangelicals’ campaign against the slave trade, and also in examining the cultural tectonic shift that was going on, with the middle class expanding during the Industrial Revolution. Very interesting book, and it revived my interest in all things Austen.
Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2023
This is a valuable reference work which gives a well organized treasure trove of information about the social, religious, cultural, and economic conditions in which Jane Austen wrote her novels, and how the religious leaders and organizations of her era influenced later developments in religion and social justice. Meticulously researched and annotated, with useful charts and glossary in the appendix, it is also a pleasure to read -- I read it straight through like a novel. I found the book to be a helpful reference for understanding Austen's characters and dialogue with much greater clarity.
I highly recommend it for anyone who is interested in Austen's work, and also for anyone who is interested in the evolution of religious history and social justice.
Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2022
I was thrilled to receive my copy of this book, because I have been waiting for just this resource for years! Brenda Cox has poured years of research into Fashionable Goodness, which is obvious from the in-depth coverage of all things Christianity in Jane Austen's England. Cox's style is engaging and accessible, and her book is the perfect addition to an Austen scholar's or Austen lover's bookshelf. Fashionable Goodness is what has been missing from Austen studies, and learning more about Austen, her church, and her novels from this fabulous book has been a treat!

The paperback edition is gorgeous, well-constructed, and well-indexed. The bibliography speaks to the impeccable research Cox did for the book, and the glossary is incredibly useful. As a bonus, there's even more on Cox's website with additional materials that could not fit into the printed book, which adds to the value of this book. Everything you have ever wanted to know about Jane Austen's religious life, the Church of England in her lifetime, and the Christians surrounding her is handily collected within Fashionable Goodness, and I know this book will be pulled from my shelf for more and more reads in the years to come.
Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2023
FASHIONABLE GOODNESS is a deep look at Christianity in Jane Austen's England. Ms. Cox's book is well researched, with lots of notes and a glossary of terms to do with church structure and customs of the time. I just finished reading the book today, and am ready to pick it up and read it again!
Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2022
Fashionable Goodness is a 388 page deep dive into Christianity before, during, and after Jane Austen's time that forever puts to rest claims that the Christian religion was not important to society or Austen herself in Regency England. This tome is a university press-level production from a true scholar who loves and respects Austen. It should be on the shelf of dedicated readers and all researchers of Jane Austen and her time, as well as a necessary resource for writers inspired to write like her or of that era. Thank you so much, Barbara!

Top reviews from other countries

P.G
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Insights into the Church
Reviewed in Canada on June 3, 2023
4.5 stars

Very interesting, well researched book! Some really great insights into the Church of England during Jane Austen's times. Enriched my reading of Austen's novels.

I retract half a star because of some chapters relying a little too heavily on Jane Austen's text, which I have read already, and because sometimes there were too many word definition astrixes.
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