Austen's Thoughts on the Clergy

Like Kathryn, I noticed Austen's voice coming out in the scenes discussing the church and clergy. Given that in the Austen novels we've read, this topic has not been discussed in depth, it caught my attention. In the chapel, Fanny calls familial devotional practices "a valuable part of former times...A whole family assembling regularly for the purpose of prayer is fine!" (111). Edward further explains that this depends on the master and mistress attending to lead the rest of the household. Fanny however critiques "the obligation of attendance, the formality, the restraint, the length of time" of these rituals (112). Knowing that Austen grew up with her father as a clergyman, I wonder how much of this discussion was a personal response to what criticisms she heard of her father and how much was simply influenced by common discussion of the day. Perhaps this first conversation allowed Austen the opportunity to speak a counter argument, that devotional practices do fortify the mind by having it "struggle against itself" (112). A later discussion on taking orders occurs when Edmund's father's arrival is anticipated. He notes that his taking orders is "voluntary" (132). He and Miss Crawford discuss the complications of money in choosing this profession. Certainly, this episode reveals Miss Crawford's tendency to "speak what [she has] been told at [her] uncle's table" (133). This episode allows Austen to show Mary's tendencies to repeat the prejudiced ideas of others, yet I wonder if there's something more to this discussion.