Faith

The theme of Faith is woven throughout the novel, as most of the novel deals with people's belief, or lack of it. Pastor Warren draws a distinct line between belief and faith, however, stating that faith is when a person thinks for themselves, and belief is when other people do the thinking.

Many characters in the novel have lost their faith in heaven or religion all together. This is true of Tess Rafferty, who is the first person the reader encounters in the book. Because of her father's abandonment, she and her mother had always been the charity case in town. This upset Tess so much, especially as she watched the way people talked about her mother behind her back, that when Tess was old enough to rebel against going, she did. Later, when she reaches out to her priest, she reconnects with her faith, though...