Jane Austen - eBook

Dr. Peter Leithart has taught Theology & Literature at New St. Andrews College since 1998, and has served as pastor of Trinity Reformed Church in Moscow, Idaho, since 2003. He received his Ph.D. at Cambridge in England. Dr. Leithart and his wife, Noel, have 10 children and 3 grandchildren.

Since most true Jane Austen fans will devour any book having to do with Austen or her characters, a biography has little need of reviews except for the purpose of putting its title in the public sphere. For the rest of Austen’s readers, or perhaps non-readers, a biography like Christian Encounters Series Jane Austen provides the perfect reason for the Christian fan to learn more about Austen’s life. After all, it’s not every day you hear about a public figure’s Christian faith.

While author Peter Leithart doesn’t bluntly present Austen’s faith, he does provide plenty of information on the author’s life -- information unlikely to be found in any other history source. Leithart’s gentle presentation of Austen’s faith and the faith of those who surrounded her blends easily with the biographical nature of his book. Some readers may find the book doesn’t deliver on its promise of providing a “Christian encounter,” while other readers are likely to enjoy Leithart’s subtle chapters on the Christian background of the Austen family. Of course, when an author leaves behind so little information about her life, the reader should expect a biography to include little information.

However, readers are likely to agree on certain elements lacking in Jane Austen. It’s difficult to find a reason to keep reading when the pace of the book moves slowly, for example. Also hindering readers is the lack of an organized and non-confusing use of names.

Christian Encounters Series: Jane Austen’s failure to provide more specific religious information and less specific familial details keeps it from standing out. Leithart does provide some interesting details on the moral inspirations behind her books, proving the evidence of Ephesians 6:16 in her work: “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” Fans of Jane Austen will still find Leithart’s Jane Austen an interesting and worth-while read, but all others will better spend their time elsewhere. – Harmony Wheeler, www.ChristianBookPreviews.com