I've read a bit about the religious tug of war that was going on at the time between Dissenters, Anglicans and Evangelicals but I'm by no means an expert. The only thing I can express is my admiration for Austen being able to coalesce so many different streams of thoughts concerning the clergy of the time without definitely favouring or passing ultimate judgment on the profession and its incumbents. (It's a hard thing to do-for all that we admire Tolstoy, there are certainly readers put off by the religious fervour which practically drips off the pages of his books whereas it's possible to enjoy reading Austen without ever knowing she was devout enough to pen her own prayers.)

Reading Gothic literature always gave me a hidden rush of pleasure in my teens because I liked the criticism imbued in it. (Growing up in a fervently Catholic household will do that to you.) The fact that you are writing a book on The Monk is fascinating, it's a novel I've been meaning to read for a very long time now. (As a teenager, I always felt like it would afford me the same vicarious pleasure as Titus Andronicus does.)