Matters of faith

What were the precise contours of Jane Austen’s religious faith? It’s an open question, given the slenderness of the evidence: some stray remarks in her letters, her three overtly Christian prayers, the testimony of relatives, and what we know about her family and historical context.

Nevertheless, it seems safe to assume that religion--or, at a minimum, its social ramifications--was interesting and important to Austen, who was not only the daughter and sister of Anglican clergymen but also the creator of clergy characters running the gamut from virtuous to vile.

So perhaps it’s appropriate that Austen’s work is featured in the Church Times Festival of Faith and Literature, a three-day conference starting tomorrow at the UK’s Winchester Cathedral. Given the much-ballyhooed celebrations of her 250th anniversary this year, Austen also makes for a convenient news peg for an event occurring in the place where she’s buried.

The semi-annual festival—this year’s is the eighth since 2011--is primarily sponsored by the Anglican weekly newspaper Church Times, which bills it as “a literary festival with a theological slant.” The 2025 version features more than two dozen speakers--novelists, artists, academics, journalists, clergy members, and some people who fall into several of those categories simultaneously. (At least three are identified as both poets and priests.)

Although the festival theme is “A truth universally acknowledged,” you’ll have to look elsewhere for a “Which is the best Mr. Darcy?” discussion; most of the talks and panels don’t have much to do with Austen. The exception is tomorrow’s conversation about “The Spirituality of Jane Austen,” featuring Paula Hollingsworth and Rachel Mann, who have both authored books exploring the spiritual dimensions of Austen’s work. Both are also female Anglican priests, an identity that Austen could scarcely have imagined.

Sounds like a potentially fascinating discussion; if you attend, let us know what you learn.