I picked up this highly regarded work because I like books that put an interesting spin on meaning-of-life issues and religion in general. I had heard that this book was ranked as one of the greatest 100 books written in English in the twentieth century. It did not disappoint.
The author Greene was a Englishman who travelled in Mexico – the setting of this novel. He wrote about a “whisky priest” – an alcoholic. The (Roman Catholic) church was under persecution in fictional Mexico by a military group. Most priests had forsaken the faith or had been killed. He was the last priest left. He was in high demand from the common folk to hear confessions, administer the sacraments (if he didn’t drink the wine first), perform burials, etc. Of course, he had to do this all while he was on the run from the local authorities.
This whisky priest is a sad but triumphant character. Usually, priests are not great candidates for the proverbial “everyman.” After all, they are set apart from society by education and by class. Nonetheless, Greene makes this priest relatable through his drinking. He becomes a sad (despicable?) figure. Despite being mired in doubts and having a low self-image, this priest continues to confess and suffer for the faith. He is Greene’s version of a tragic hero, with the tragedy being his alcoholism and the hero part being his inability to renounce the faith.
As a Protestant, I had a tough time relating to all the classic (pre-Vatican II) Catholicism in this tale. After all, veneration of the elements is less my thing; administration of the Word is more of it. Despite this, the character of the whisky priest still communicated with me. Saints, after all, are not made by being perfect but by arising out of the mud that lift consists of.
This book also addresses one of my favorite topics – the integration of the secular world with the spiritual world. It follows along the traditional lines of the secular world persecuting the spiritual. This may have been the case during Greene’s day, but I find that the relationship between these two realms is more complicated than that. Still, the ending of this novel shows a more sophisticated relationship that contends that human nature will always possess some religious element to it and that when true, religion will always exist in some form.
Overall, this classic work is fairly accessible and an enjoyable and thought-provoking read. I see why it has been so highly regarded in the decades since it was written. It will appeal especially to literate religious audiences and to those who go to church but long for some different light to shine the path of their life.
The Power and the Glory
by Graham Greene
Copyright (c) 1940
ISBN13 9780142437308
Page Count: 225
Genre: Fiction
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