Mr. Collins, Country Clergyman

Hugh Thomson drew delightful illustrations of clergyman Mr. Collins.

Box Pews: Seeing Mr. Darcy at Church

In Austen's England, people sat in box pews with their families, surrounded by walls. Why did they do that, and what was it like?

The Clerical Alphabet: Problems in Austen’s Church of England

A popular cartoon of Austen's time exposes some of the problems of the church and clergy in Austen's England.

Cassandra Austen, Clergyman’s Daughter: Miss Austen, by Gill Hornby

Miss Austen: A Novel by Gill Hornby reimagines Cassandra Austen's life, and shows us the choices made by clergymen's daughters in Austen's England.

Where There is Love: Six Historical Novels by Donna Fletcher Crow

A series of six historical novels explore exciting events in the church of Austen's England.

Where Did Jane Austen Attend Church and Chapel in Bath?

Jane Austen's Bath was full of places of worship. Which ones might Austen (and her characters) have attended and known?

Reading Prayers: The Book of Common Prayer

Austen and her characters worshiped using a liturgy, The Book of Common Prayer. What is it like to read those prayers daily?

Reforming the Manners of England

Evangelicals in the Church of England set out to reform the manners, or moral behavior, of a whole country. Did they succeed?

Education at Oxford and Cambridge

Clergymen in Austen's England usually studied at Oxford or Cambridge. What did they study, and how was their system different from American universities today?

Quiz: Churches and Chapels in Austen’s England

How much do you know about churches and chapels in Austen's novels, and in her world?