Religious paradoxes in Graham Greene’s novels

Nettie Cloete

doi:10.4102/koers.v63i4.539

Abstract

Graham Greene's work, especially his major novels, reveals his probing interest in religious matters. His writing indicates that throughout his career he has found himself involved in essential - and often paradoxical - questions concerning religious faith, particularly as these questions impinge on the twentieth-century mind. In this article some of Greene’s paradoxical views on religious matters are explored in a more universal and anti-institutional context than the strictly Roman Catholic one in which his work is usually examined As exemplars of Greene’s work in which religious paradoxes are central, Brighton Rock, The Power and the Glory and Monsignor Quixote are discussed. This article underscores the fact that Greene has almost single-handedly redefined twentieth-century Roman Catholic notions on piety with his constant revelation that pious people often lack charity while salvation is possible for sinners. It also shows that Greene’s novels radically question the doctrines on morality espoused by conventional churches, thereby displaying his own religious sensitivity and courage.

Highlights

Graham Greene's work, especially his major novels, reveals his probing interest in religious matters
Greene’s work, especially his major novels, reveals his probing interest in religious matters. His writing indicates that throughout his career he has found himself involved in essential - and often paradoxical - issues concerning religious faith, as these issues impinge on the twentieth-century mind2
The view expressed in The New York Times (Anon., 1992:290): “Greene was often labelled a Roman Catholic writer, a desciption which annoyed him but coloured understanding of his work Hy was a convert to Catholicism and he did deal with doctrinal issues, but he insisted that he was not a church publicist.”

Summary

Contextualization

Greene’s work, especially his major novels, reveals his probing interest in religious matters His writing indicates that throughout his career he has found himself involved in essential - and often paradoxical - issues concerning religious faith, as these issues impinge on the twentieth-century mind. “Greene was often labelled a Roman Catholic writer, a desciption which annoyed him but coloured understanding of his work Hy was a convert to Catholicism and he did deal with doctrinal issues, but he insisted that he was not a church publicist.” The division into these three periods may, be made because of discernible differences in Greene’s approach to religious matters in the various periods. Paradox strongly underpins even Greene’s last works, as Travels with my Aunt (1969) and the shorter novel, Monsignor Quixote (1982), amply demonstrate

Religious paradoxes in three novels by Graham Greene

Conclusion