This Thursday, the Center for Christianity, Culture, and the Arts is sponsoring a book reading to launch the newly published “Jane Austen and the Arts,” a collection of essays co-edited by English department chair Natasha Duquette. The event will feature refreshments and will be held in the Café Banquet Room at 7:30 p.m. It is free and open to the public.

The event will include a dialogue presented by Duquette and her husband, Frederick Duquette, on Austen’s literary presentation of the relationship between the arts and aesthetics and spiritual formation.

In addition, Biola alumna and English professor Jessica Brown will read her chapter from the book on Austen’s portrayal of graciousness and strength in “Persuasion”’s Anne Elliot.

Maci Moghtaderi, a senior English major and president of the Guild of English Scholars, said this is an opportunity of which students should take advantage. 

“If you’re at all interested in Jane Austen, you will find Dr. Duquette’s name out there in the world,” Moghtaderi said. “She’s contributed lots to this discussion of this author and literature. The fact that we have the chance to hear from her herself on this subject, just right in our own Café Banquet Room, it makes sense to take advantage of this opportunity.”

Duquette is excited and enthusiastic about sharing the book’s insights on Austen.  

“We’re countering the idea that her novels are just romance novels,” she said.

Instead, Duquette believes that Austen insightfully drew on Romantic and Realist ideas of her time to portray the relationship of aesthetics to ethics and character formation.

“For Austen, the person with natural taste is usually the honest person, the person of ethical conduct,” Duquette said. “Beware of appreciations of art that are merely fashionable and not sincere.

EVENT CONNECTS AUSTEN NOVELS TO SPIRITUAL WALK

Both Natasha Duquette and her husband noted that the event will give insight into how a careful reading of Austen gives readers an opportunity to look at their own spiritual development. Austen portrays in her clergymen-heroes an insight into one’s own spiritual formation, and offers an instructive picture of Christian growth.

“Austen is saying never mind about rhetorical strength and energy, never mind Oxford education; what really counts in her estimation is that loving relationships can produce positive character,” Frederick Duquette said. 

Brown sees one of Austen’s most attractive contributions to be her insightful character development, specifically in “Persuasion,” which she will discuss at the event. 

“Jane Austen love stories are life stories, how-to-live stories,” Brown said. “Anytime Austen protagonists fall in love, the story is about moving towards that loving relationship. All protagonists have to grow in their own character. Jane Austen’s stories are first and foremost a good read, but I think Jane Austen really gets the witty, funny side of how to grow up and be a good partner.”

Finally, Natasha Duquette believes that Austen’s style can be a model for Christian writers wishing to discuss ethics or ethical topics. 

“Austen has ethics without being moralistic or didactic because of the delight of her satire. So anybody who wants to be a good writer can learn from her how to get a message across really strongly without offending your audience,” Natasha Duquette said.