http://www.catholicfiction.net/2006/12/21/the-power-and-the-glory-by-graham-greene/ news, views & reviews Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:00:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.catholicfiction.net/2006/12/21/the-power-and-the-glory-by-graham-greene/comment-page-1/#comment-28750 GRAHAM GREENE: MAPPING GREENELAND: Term 2: The Power and the Glory (2) « Julia's 'Reading the Novel' Courses Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:02:22 +0000 http://www.catholicfiction.net/2006/12/21/the-power-and-the-glory-by-graham-greene/#comment-28750 [...] is another discussion of The Power and the Glory, and issue of the inner dialogue of the pries,  here, on a Roman Catholic website. Like this:LikeBe the first to like this [...] [...] is another discussion of The Power and the Glory, and issue of the inner dialogue of the pries,  here, on a Roman Catholic website. Like this:LikeBe the first to like this [...]

]]> http://www.catholicfiction.net/2006/12/21/the-power-and-the-glory-by-graham-greene/comment-page-1/#comment-25096 Tyler Sun, 24 Apr 2011 23:56:00 +0000 http://www.catholicfiction.net/2006/12/21/the-power-and-the-glory-by-graham-greene/#comment-25096 An excellent review, worthy of the incredible nature of the novel.  I would like to point out the emphasis I feel that Greene put on donatism while writing the work as well, as that was not mentioned in the review, but clearly anytime a priest is forced to choose between death and turning their back to the clergy, Donatism is an idea to ponder.  How does Greene envision society with priests who turn against their faith?  And what role do they have in the faith?  An additional commentary: perhaps while reading The Power and the Glory, view the Whiskey priest as more Christ-like than the minor allusions presented in the original review.  He was an average looking man, as Jesus is described in Isiah, as well as alone and incredibly human in nature (as John's Gospel details Jesus' life to have been).  From the onset of the novel, the Whiskey priest is given the choice to leave towards freedom, or share a drink with a clearly atheistic Mr. Tench.   Upon hearing that Mr. Tench would like a drink, the Whiskey priest offers his brandy, despite knowing that he would miss his boat to freedom.  There is a sense of obligation to help Mr. Tench, despite further delaying his freedom and further exposing himself to death at the hands of those who hunt him.  Additionally, while with Mr. Tench (and at this point there is still being time to catch his boat to freedom from being hunted by the Red Shirts), the whiskey priest agrees to see an ailing mother.  Greene describes the Whiskey priest's departure as, "The stranger got up as though unwillingly he had been summoned to an occasion he couldn't pass by".  Jesus was sent from God, on a mission, to save the humanity that was dooming themselves through misinterpretations of the religious doctrine and persistent polytheistic religious views.  The Whiskey priest, and Jesus, both viewed themselves as unworthy to be doing this role.  Jesus even asks in the Gospel of Luke for God to spare him, but realizes that it is his destiny to continue with the mission to relinquish humanities sins.  It appears Greene is attempting to answer the question - What would Jesus be like today?  In order to best develop a response, Greene sets his novel in a similar setting to Jesus' - a desert, devoid of life and love of fellow man that has lost religion.  Greene even makes the allusion blatant when the Whiskey priest foretells of a betrayal by his "Judas".  The Gospel of John notes that Jesus knew Judas would betray him, but still he was an apostle.  While not a direct parallel to the life of Jesus, when viewing the Whiskey priest as a modern Christ there is more theological depth to the text, and more questions to be answered.  What role does the piety of others have in religion?  Greene uses both Juan the martyr and the 'outwardly pious woman' in the prison to display his belief that those who are pious by tradition and not through faith are foils of what Christ meant to the world. All together an excellent book, highly recommended, and certain to instigate questions of the role of Christ in our lives. An excellent review, worthy of the incredible nature of the novel.  I would like to point out the emphasis I feel that Greene put on donatism while writing the work as well, as that was not mentioned in the review, but clearly anytime a priest is forced to choose between death and turning their back to the clergy, Donatism is an idea to ponder.  How does Greene envision society with priests who turn against their faith?  And what role do they have in the faith?  An additional commentary: perhaps while reading The Power and the Glory, view the Whiskey priest as more Christ-like than the minor allusions presented in the original review.  He was an average looking man, as Jesus is described in Isiah, as well as alone and incredibly human in nature (as John’s Gospel details Jesus’ life to have been).  From the onset of the novel, the Whiskey priest is given the choice to leave towards freedom, or share a drink with a clearly atheistic Mr. Tench.   Upon hearing that Mr. Tench would like a drink, the Whiskey priest offers his brandy, despite knowing that he would miss his boat to freedom.  There is a sense of obligation to help Mr. Tench, despite further delaying his freedom and further exposing himself to death at the hands of those who hunt him.  Additionally, while with Mr. Tench (and at this point there is still being time to catch his boat to freedom from being hunted by the Red Shirts), the whiskey priest agrees to see an ailing mother.  Greene describes the Whiskey priest’s departure as, “The stranger got up as though unwillingly he had been summoned to an occasion he couldn’t pass by”.  Jesus was sent from God, on a mission, to save the humanity that was dooming themselves through misinterpretations of the religious doctrine and persistent polytheistic religious views.  The Whiskey priest, and Jesus, both viewed themselves as unworthy to be doing this role.  Jesus even asks in the Gospel of Luke for God to spare him, but realizes that it is his destiny to continue with the mission to relinquish humanities sins.  It appears Greene is attempting to answer the question – What would Jesus be like today?  In order to best develop a response, Greene sets his novel in a similar setting to Jesus’ – a desert, devoid of life and love of fellow man that has lost religion.  Greene even makes the allusion blatant when the Whiskey priest foretells of a betrayal by his “Judas”.  The Gospel of John notes that Jesus knew Judas would betray him, but still he was an apostle.  While not a direct parallel to the life of Jesus, when viewing the Whiskey priest as a modern Christ there is more theological depth to the text, and more questions to be answered.  What role does the piety of others have in religion?  Greene uses both Juan the martyr and the ‘outwardly pious woman’ in the prison to display his belief that those who are pious by tradition and not through faith are foils of what Christ meant to the world. All together an excellent book, highly recommended, and certain to instigate questions of the role of Christ in our lives.

]]> http://www.catholicfiction.net/2006/12/21/the-power-and-the-glory-by-graham-greene/comment-page-1/#comment-2705 The Power and the Glory and the Culture of Death | Mon, 07 Jan 2008 15:31:03 +0000 http://www.catholicfiction.net/2006/12/21/the-power-and-the-glory-by-graham-greene/#comment-2705 [...] Power and the Glory on catholicfiction.net some months ago. If you’d like to read it, click here. Sphere: Related [...] [...] Power and the Glory on catholicfiction.net some months ago. If you’d like to read it, click here. Sphere: Related [...]

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