whose power and whose glory

See what you think about this little piece on the title of the novel

By choosing this title, Greene signals that the novel will explore the relationship between divine power and human frailty, as well as the idea of glory through suffering and sacrifice.

The title suggests that true power and glory might not be found in worldly institutions or even in personal righteousness, but in the humble, self-sacrificing love that the whisky priest demonstrates despite his failings.

The link to Lord’s Prayer appears not only in the title but throughout the novel. The doxology praising God’s eternal power and glory is ironic when placed next to the human weakness and moral ambiguity of the characters in Greene’s novel. It reflects the tension between the divine and the human, between the ideal of Christian faith and the imperfect reality of human believers.

In the novel, the power of God is not revealed in grand, miraculous interventions, but in the quiet, persistent faith of the whisky priest, even when he is most powerless. The glory is not in triumph or success but in the priest’s ultimate sacrifice. Greene’s title is both a reference to the Lord’s Prayer and a commentary on the paradoxical nature of true power and glory, which often involve weakness, suffering, and humility.

The title invites reflection on the Christian concepts of power and glory, challenging readers to reconsider these terms in light of the novel’s portrayal of faith under extreme pressure.

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What would you say differently?

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