Sarah Fielding, Benevolent Heroism, and the "True Christian Philosophy"

Abstract

This article examines Sarah Fielding's use of religious discourse in both parts of her most famous novel, David Simple, and argues that the novel's protagonist is best understood as a contested Christian hero. Through his broad-based and minimalist religious principles, and in his dealings with the various irreligious characters he meets in his travels, David deflects and attempts to transcend the doctrinal and theological divisions that plagued eighteenth-century English Christianity. Ultimately this article argues that recognizing the importance of Christian discourse to Fielding is crucial to understanding how David's benevolent heroism functions in the novel.