Summary

Part 2 of the novel covers the years from 1963-65.

In Chapter 10, though Third Presbyterian was a well-respected, traditional church, it was in trouble. They had hired Sebastian Taft five years prior hoping he would give the parishioners a fresh point of view. They soon came to realize that Taft was not prepared to shepherd Third Presbyterian through the upheaval they were experiencing and made change with which the congregation was not comfortable. For instance, he insisted on using prayers he had written instead of the traditional prayers. He refused to stop the pageantry and take down the decorations in the sanctuary. They were not particularly saddened when Taft contracted gout and retired early.

Both James and Charles answered the call from the Third Presbyterian Church. They met one another for the first time in the second-floor hallway. Charles saw in James the...