Sermons to Young Women: By James Fordyce, D.D. The Eighth Edition, Corrected and Greatly Enlarged

by James Fordyce

The 18th century was a wealth of knowledge, exploration and rapidly growing technology and expanding record-keeping made possible by advances in the printing press. In its determination to preserve the century of revolution, Gale initiated a revolution of its digitization of epic proportions to preserve these invaluable works in the largest archive of its kind. Now for the first time these high-quality digital copies of original 18th century manuscripts are available in print, making them highly accessible to libraries, undergraduate students, and independent scholars.
The Age of Enlightenment profoundly enriched religious and philosophical understanding and continues to influence present-day thinking. Works collected here include masterpieces by David Hume, Immanuel Kant, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, as well as religious sermons and moral debates on the issues of the day, such as the slave trade. The Age of Reason saw conflict between Protestantism and Catholicism transformed into one between faith and logic -- a debate that continues in the twenty-first century.
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The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition
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British Library

T126228

With a half-title.

Dublin : printed by Campbell and Shea, for W. Gilbert, P. Byrne, P. Wogan, W. Jones, and J. Milliken, 1796. xii,282p. ; 8°

Genres: Classics

296 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[P. Goddard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as further research into Pride and Prejudice. I found the preface of the book very interesting in that regard especially as the reference in P&P says that Mr Collins had not read more than three pages into the book before being interrupted by Lydia. In an age before television, the internet and so on, readers probably did not waste reading material by skipping the preface as they often do now.

Fordyce's Sermons was published in 1766 for a contemporary audience of Christian young ladies from the gentry. This is evident because the book was written by a Christian clergyman and literally says who exactly it is for, "Should any of those young persons in genteel life, to whom they are chiefly addressed...". The specific target audience can also be ascertained because in the 18th century most people of the lower classes simply could not read and since they all worked, men and women alike, no one would have read it to them.

The book should therefore be read remembering the historical context, which is the 18th century and original target audience which would not be the ancestors of most of the people reading it today. The word "genteel" implies a social class, not a behaviour type, in the context used.
I would recommend this book to people who have also read the bible, so that they are familiar with the biblical quotations that aren't directly referenced, to those who can read books that are hundreds of years old as if they were written for people of their time, and also people who are familiar with the fact that s used to be printed as an f in some occasions...

I would not recommend it to people who have not previously read the bible (I wrote "read", I did not write "believe in"), nor to people who are unfamiliar with the historical context and language. For example, if you are unaware that the word "gay" only became a synonym for "homosexual" in the latter part of the 20th century, you might misunderstand the use of the word in this book.

The easiness of the book to read really depends very heavily on the reader, so I would say that if you're incapable of being unbiased and think it's normal to judge a 260 year old book by your contemporary ideals, aren't familiar with reading old/classic books, but none the less want to do research because it was mentioned in P&P, just read the preface or three pages into the first sermon .

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much less obnoxious than I expected, actually. There was a lot about how character is more important than beauty or finery and, while he had some quite harsh things to say about atheist zealots('a monstrous species of men, who one would not think had any existence in nature, were they not to be met with in ordinary conversation'), he also had much to say about religious zealots. It's a useful book for getting an idea of what was expected of women (and men) in the late 18th Cent.

[Odette Cortés · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not an light read, but a necessary one if one wants to delve further into the world of the female novelist. Especially regarding Jane Austen and Mary Shelly.

James Fordyce's ideas and sermons are very critical, and, as a result, they shaped a generation of female readers and writers who, either defied or contested, his views through their novels.

[Mary Bennet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fordyce explains to women in a plain and simple manner the ways by which they can best model the virtues of their sex. I appreciate that he includes ample biblical quotations for each claim he makes. Moral instruction is a very important part of young people's lives, especially young women's, given how fragile their reputations are. Good moral instruction, however, is difficult to find. Fordyce regularly reminds his female readers what God and the Bible say about them and their behavior, and he has also taken upon himself the unpleasant task of calling his audience out for their faults. In his first sermon, for example, he writes that he has often observed that young woman rarely listen to what people tell them—unless, of course, they are being told flattery. Correction is an important part of any good sermon or moral teaching; how can anyone be expected to improve if no one takes the time to honestly point out their flaws? Fordyce undertaken the difficult but necessary responsibility to teach young women how they should be acting in society.

[Books Over People · Rating 2 out of 5]

Of course this is bad, but it is great material.

[Starla Webster · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can summarize all of the sermons in one sentence. Be virtuous for the sake of your parents, your husband, your children, and society. What I found most disturbing was how the sermons were built on his own opinion instead of the Bible, and how he recommended every virtue for the sake of benefits to other people, but barely (maybe never) because that’s God‘s design, what he calls us to do, or because we have a personal relationship with him. I read this book because it was once mentioned in pride and prejudice. I have no intention of ever reading it again. And I cannot remember the last time I finished a book that I disliked this much.

[P. N. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reverend James Fordyce's Sermons to Young Women is a hilarious read! The apparently well-meaning sexism, awkward compliments, and fuming condemnations of the improper are rendered delightfully ridiculous by the passionate delivery. Further intensifying the comedic effect are the attempts at being relatable from an assumed position of authority. The clergyman's preoccupation with matters that are frankly trivial to the modern reader makes his sermons the perfect thing to read before bed.

[John Gustafson]

Pretty fascinating in its own way, which is more or less the same way as earnest books about manners and morals from any time period. But I can’t recommend it unless you, like me, think it’s a good idea to spend 300 pages inside Mr. Collins’s brain, or you’re curious about the specific contours of mid-18th century misogyny.