Jane Austen and Catholicism

Jane Austen is one of the great Classic English writers and is universally recognized. She is famed for her insights on human nature and the human heart in novels such as Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. Yet one aspect of her that is not much discussed is her attitude towards Catholicism. Insights are found in her brief book, “The History of England.” Written by her as a teenager, it is vastly entertaining, with her sarcasm and wit on full display. Yet within the lighthearted pages, she does show respect for the Catholic Church, by her moral analysis of the character and leadership of England’s early royalty.

Her favor towards Catholicism is woven within the pages. In her section on Henry VIII, she was quite disturbed about what he did to the convents and monasteries. She laments, “why should a man who was of no religion himself be at so much trouble to abolish one which had for ages been established in the Kingdom?” She was quite a fan of Mary, Queen of Scots, writing at length about her. Perhaps she looked at her as a role model. She was deeply annoyed with the Protestant bias of historians against Mary. Jane states, “And yet could you reader have believed it possible that some hardened zealous Protestants have even abused her for that steadfastness in the Catholic religion which reflected on her so much credit?” She then goes on to bemoan the leadership of James I, saying, “As I am myself partial to the Roman Catholic religion it is with infinite regret that I am obliged to blame the behavior of any member of it.”

In conclusion, it is interesting to ponder if Jane Austen, because she was such a pure person, who was able to discern truth as a novelist, realized the truth of the Catholic faith. It is not known whether Jane Austen ever officially converted, but, regardless, her novels reveal her to be a person who was very close to God in her own way.