Graham Greene's The Power and the Glory: Faith and Politics
This paper examines Graham Greene's The Power and the Glory within its historical and religious context, tracing the intersections of Roman Catholicism, Mexican politics, and personal faith that shaped the novel. The analysis explores how Greene's own conversion to Catholicism informed his portrayal of the whisky priest — a flawed yet deeply devout figure whose compassion consistently overrides self-preservation. The paper situates the novel against Mexico's turbulent church-state conflicts, including the 1917 Constitution, the Calles persecution, and the Cristero Rebellion, arguing that the priest functions as both a literary character and a representative martyr for the real clergy who suffered during this period.
- Introduction: Overview of Greene's novel and its key themes
- Roman Catholicism and Greene's Conversion: Greene's faith and the priest's spiritual portrayal
- The Priest as a Flawed Hero: How the priest's flaws reinforce his heroism
- Mexico's Church-State Conflict: Historical persecution of the Catholic Church in Mexico
- The Cristero Rebellion and Martyrdom: Real martyr parallels and the Cristero uprising
- Conclusion: Greene's faith, justice, and the priest's paradox
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper grounds literary analysis in detailed historical context, showing how Mexico's actual church-state conflicts map onto events and characters in the novel.
- It balances close reading of character motivation — particularly the priest's self-condemnation versus his outward heroism — with broader cultural and political argument.
- The paradox at the paper's center (the priest condemned by himself for lacking faith, and condemned by the state for having too much) is stated clearly and revisited effectively in the conclusion.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates contextual literary criticism: it uses verified historical events (the 1917 Constitution, Calles's anti-clerical laws, the founding of the LNDLR, the execution of Father Batiz) as direct analogues for fictional characters and plot elements, strengthening the argument that Greene wrote from social conscience and lived historical awareness rather than purely personal imagination.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a brief framing of Greene's novel and his biography, then shifts into a sustained historical-literary argument. It moves chronologically through Mexican church-state history while continuously returning to the novel's characters and themes. The conclusion ties the historical and personal strands together through the central paradox of the priest's self-perception versus how others see him. The bibliography reflects a mix of literary criticism and Mexican history sources appropriate to the dual focus.
Introduction
Graham Greene's The Power and the Glory is considered by many to be his finest work. The novel addresses a variety of social, religious, and personal issues that lay close to the author's heart. The Mexican political situation and the Catholic faith are two of its most prominent themes. The following is a consideration of the historical context and inner truths from which Greene created this work.
Roman Catholicism and Greene's Conversion
Greene met the woman who would become his wife, Vivien Dayrell-Browning, while working at the Nottingham Journal. While some suggest she was his reason for converting to Roman Catholicism, it is clear that his devotion to the faith later grew far deeper than the initial catalyst of a romantic relationship. This is evident in the way he portrays the protagonist of The Power and the Glory.
The priest's plight is both political and personal. He is unable to forgive himself for a brief affair in his past, while his immediate problem involves escaping the Mexican state where all religion has been outlawed. As the only clergyman remaining, he faces a painful conflict between caring for his parishioners and staying out of prison in order to do so. At the opening of the novel, he is waiting for a ship to carry him away. Greene portrays the priest's devotion to his calling through the fact that, time and again, he places the needs of others above his own — even at mortal risk. At the novel's end, he knowingly walks into a trap in order to help a soul in need. In this selflessness, Greene embodies the ideal of Catholic priesthood.
Yet the priest is deeply aware of his own flawed nature. This element provided grounds for criticism from the clergy regarding the negative image of the priesthood it seemed to project. It is not necessarily true, however, that Greene intended such a reading. The priest's very flaws are what connect him to readers and to those he ministers to. They also keep him humble throughout the novel — another aim of Catholic and broadly Christian faith. As a result, the priest reaches a level of spiritual perfection and influence that he himself is entirely unaware of.
Bibliography
Bloom, Harold. Graham Greene. Chelsea House Publishers, 1987.
D'Souza, Santosh. "Graham Greene, Biography, His Works, Other Web Resources." 6 November 2001.
Greene, Graham. The Lawless Roads. New York: Viking Press, 1939.
Lenchek, Shep. "The Catholic Church in Mexico, Triumphs and Traumas." (2000): 13 November 2001.
McEwan, Neil. Graham Greene. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1988.
Miller, R. H. Understanding Graham Greene. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1990.
Murray, Paul V. "The Role and the Mission of the Catholic Church in Mexico." Mexico, privately printed (1963), 2nd edition (1972): 7 November 2001.
Quirk, Robert E. The Mexican Revolution and the Catholic Church 1910–1929. Ontario: Indiana University Press, 1973.
Tuck, Jim. "The Cristero Rebellion — Parts 1 & 2." Mexico Connect Magazine. 7 November 2001.
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