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That he respects the Abbot’s order, his whole religious fraternity, bespeaks avalidation of a collective, ecclesiastical practice of religion, not just a personal faith.Note also the contrasting of “pious” with “vain”: in Manfred’s representation, piety isnot a vice. The usage is quite different from the later usage in Don Juan. Manfred’srejection of religion in this play is never on grounds of metaphysical ontology: henever suggests that the religion’s beliefs are incorrect, which is interesting in the lightof his supernatural education. Instead, he describes the religion as unable to help him,and, thus, currently unprofitable.In a similar vein to his respect for the Abbot and his order, Manfred expressesadmiration for the other “doctrinaire” figure, the Chamois Hunter, whom he describesas “patient, proud, pious and free” (2.1.65). This echoes the Chamois Hunter’s ownvalidation of pride in his perception of Manfred (1.2.62-3), and again represents pietyas a positive value.These two very orthodox characters, the Chamois Hunter and the Abbot, representorthodox religion in very good light in Manfred, and this representation is notcontradicted, especially because the protagonist demonstrates respect for both of themand for their viewpoint. His own views are evidently theistic, which is not surprisingwhen one considers that he keeps company with gods and demons; further, they arequite compatible with orthodox Christianity. Manfred’s “rejection of establishedreligion”, noted by Joseph, is a rejection of the efficacy of that religion in solving hisself-perpetuated dilemma, not a rejection of its metaphysical ontology or intrinsicvalue. At that point, it is worth considering that his own prodigious powers provelikewise incapable of ending his troubles.The one truly critical comment upon religion in Manfred is amidst Nemesis’description of her activities, the ‘political’ speech in which she refers to utilising “thedull” as the source for her “Shaping out oracles to rule the world /Afresh, for theywere waxing out of date” (2.3.66-8). The idea of the old oracles, the old divinerevelations, being ‘out of date’ is a common claim of groups which splinter off fromlarger religions. That such groups should be guided by the words of “the dull” is quite248