The Brontës and Religion

Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Contents......Page 7
Acknowledgements......Page 9
Abbreviations and editions......Page 11
Introduction......Page 13
I Denominations......Page 23
CHAPTER 1 A Christian home in early nineteenth-century England: Evangelicalism, Dissent and the Brontë family......Page 25
CHAPTER 2 Charlotte Brontë and the Church of Rome......Page 36
\'POPERY IS ADVANCING!’......Page 37
\'THE GREAT ERRORS AND GROSS ABUSES OF THE ROMISH CHURCH’......Page 39
CHARLOTTE BRONTE\'S POSITION......Page 40
VILLETTE......Page 41
THE PROFESSORAND JANE EYRE......Page 48
OVERMUCH PROTESTATION?......Page 49
CHAPTER 3 An undenominational temper......Page 51
II Doctrines......Page 57
CHAPTER 4 The Brontës in the theological landscape of their time......Page 59
DIVINE AND HUMAN LOVE......Page 65
THE COMFORT OF RELIGION......Page 72
THE MANIFESTATIONS OF THE DEITY......Page 76
FAITH AND PRAYER......Page 83
SIN, JUSTIFICATION AND REPENTANCE......Page 85
REPROBATION, SALVATION AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT......Page 94
THE TENANT OF WILDFELL HALL......Page 102
JANE EYRE......Page 107
VILLETTE......Page 111
WUTHERING HEIGHTS......Page 112
METAPHORICAL HELLS AND HEAVENS......Page 121
III Ethics......Page 129
CHAPTER 8 Forgiveness and revenge......Page 131
THE TENANT OF WILDFELL HALL......Page 135
JANE EYRE......Page 139
WUTHERING HEIGHTS......Page 146
CHAPTER 9 The Christian life......Page 156
OUTWARD PIETY, ‘GOOD WORKS’ AND USEFUL EMPLOYMENT......Page 157
CHRISTIAN VIRTUES......Page 162
THE BRONTËS AND THE BIBLE......Page 168
OTHER SOURCES OF MORAL GUIDANCE......Page 174
CRUELTY TO ANIMALS......Page 180
IV Clerics......Page 183
CHAPTER 10 Clergymen in the Brontë novels......Page 185
\'GOD SAVE IT! GOD ALSO REFORM IT!’......Page 186
RECRUITMENT AND IMPROVEMENT......Page 191
THE POSITION OF THE BRONTËS......Page 193
THE BLACK PILLAR......Page 195
HIGH CHURCH RECTOR, LOW CHURCH CURATE......Page 197
TWO WORLDLY PRIESTS OF THE OLD SCHOOL......Page 203
THE YOUTHFUL LEVITES......Page 205
A MILITANT CHURCHMAN......Page 211
THE PERFECT CLERGYMAN......Page 213
CHAPTER 11 The enigma of St John Rivers......Page 216
\'ST JOHN RIVERS’......Page 218
THE CASE AGAINST ST JOHN......Page 219
IN DEFENCE OF ST JOHN......Page 223
MISSIONS AND MISSIONARIES......Page 225
THE CONCLUSION OF JANE EYRE: BALANCING THE BOOK......Page 229
INTRODUCTION......Page 233
A CHRISTIAN HOME IN EARLY NINETEENTH-CENTURY ENGLAND......Page 235
CHARLOTTE BRONTË AND THE CHURCH OF ROME......Page 239
AN UNDENOMINATIONAL TEMPER......Page 243
THE BRONTËS IN THE THEOLOGICAL LANDSCAPE OF THEIR TIME......Page 244
GOD AND HIS CREATION......Page 246
FAITH AND REDEMPTION......Page 250
THIS LIFE AND THE NEXT......Page 257
FORGIVENESS AND REVENGE......Page 264
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE......Page 267
CLERGYMEN IN THE BRONTË NOVELS......Page 273
THE ENIGMA OF ST JOHN RIVERS......Page 279
PRIMARY SOURCES......Page 283
SECONDARY SOURCES......Page 285
Index......Page 290