Given that the novel is set in the American South, arguably the most religiously devout region of the United States, it is not surprising that religion, specifically Protestant Christianity, is a recurring topic in the book. For instance, within the first few pages of the book, the author refers to John Wesley, the founder of Methodism (Lee had a personal connection to Methodism) and his "strictures on the use of many words in buying and selling." However, while most (or perhaps all) of the characters in the novel would no doubt identify themselves as Christians, the degree to which their professed faith is genuinely reflected in their words and actions varies a great deal. Perhaps the most obvious example of a profound disconnect between a character's professed faith and his/her actions is Bob Ewell, Mayella's father. In Chapter 17 of the book, Ewell describes himself as a "Christ-fearing man." Nevertheless, as the trial unfolds, it becomes clear that he is falsely claiming that Robinson raped Mayella in order to cover up the fact that he beat her up when he discovered her kissing a Black man (Robinson). The contradiction between his cruelty toward his own daughter and his professed piety is all too obvious.
Bob Ewell's behavior, however, might be attributed to his being "white trash"--the derogatory term used by more "respectable" whites in the South to refer to lower-class whites. Nevertheless, even among "respectable," church-going whites there is considerable hypocrisy. This is evidenced during a meeting of a ladies' missionary society at Scout's home, presided over by her Aunt Alexandra. During the meeting, which takes place after Tom Robinson's trial, one of the members of the missionary society, a Mrs. Merriweather, complains about Black "cooks and field hands" in the community being "sulky" about the manifestly unjust verdict in the trial. She goes on to talk about how she scolded her cook Sophy:
"I said, 'Sophy,' I said, 'you simply are not being a Christian today. Jesus Christ never went around grumbling and complaining,' and you know, it did her good. She took her eyes off that floor and said, 'Nome [no, ma'am], Miz Merriweather, Jesus never went around grumbling'.' I tell you, Gertrude [another member of the missionary society], you never ought to let an opportunity to go by to witness for the Lord."
The irony is, of course, that Mrs. Merriweather thinks she is "[witnessing] for the Lord" by telling her cook not to express her unhappiness over a blatant injustice, rather than sympathizing with her. Sad to say, such an attitude would probably have been all too common among many white Christians at that time in the South.
On the other hand, not all self-professed Christians in the story are portrayed in such negative terms. For example, on one occasion Scout and her brother Jem attend the local Black church with their housekeeper Calpurnia. The two children are warmly welcomed by the pastor of the church, Reverend Sykes. At the end of the service, Reverend Sykes insists on taking up a collection for the wife of Tom Robinson, who has been unable to find work because of the accusations against her husband. This shows the strong sense of responsibility the members of the church have for one another (even if they are coerced to some extent by the pastor!). The only negative note is sounded when Scout notices that in addition to "[warning] his flock against the evils of heady brews [and] gambling," Revered Sykes also warns them of the dangers of "strange women." Using Scout's voice, the author sardonically comments:
Bootleggers caused enough trouble...but women were worse. Again, as I had so often met it in my own church, I was confronted with the Impurity of Women doctrine that seemed to preoccupy all clergymen.
Nevertheless, the picture she paints of the Reverend Sykes and his parishoners is generally positive.
Then there is the case of Atticus Finch, Scout's father. Atticus is clearly a man who has a deep hatred of injustice and who is deeply committed to doing the right thing. These character qualities are clearly connected to his faith. While trying to explain to Scout his decision to take Tom Robinson's case, despite the criticism of many of the town's white inhabitants, he tells her:
"This case, Tom Robinson's case, is something that goes to the essence of a man's conscience--Scout, I couldn't go to church and worship God if I didn't try to help that man."
Atticus not only agrees to take Tom Robinson's case, he even protects Robinson from a mob of white men intent on killing him even before his trial takes place. Atticus is also clearly a believer in the Christian doctrine of human sinfulness. As he tells the jury in his final speech at the trial:
"You know the truth, and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negroes are not to be trusted around women--black or white. But this is a truth that applies to the human race and to no particular race of men. There is not a person living who has never done an immoral thing, and there is no man living who has never looked upon a woman without desire."
Here Atticus seems to be paraphrasing the words of the Apostle Paul in the Epistle to the Romans: "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Atticus also has a distaste for doing anything that seems cruel. After he sharply cross-examines Mayella Ewell in the trial in order to show the discrepancies in her story, Scout notices that "he looked like his stomach hurt."
Nevertheless, despite the author's generally positive portrayal of Atticus, the character is not without his shortcomings. For one thing, despite his professed belief in human sinfulness, Atticus seems reluctant to believe how malevolent other human beings can be. This is clearly evident in the case of Bob Ewell. After the trial, Ewell is enraged at Atticus because he thinks Atticus made him look like a fool during the trial. He publicly curses Atticus, spits on him, and threatens to kill him. However, when his son Jem expresses his concern about what Ewell might do in the future, Atticus replies: "We don't have anything to fear from Bob Ewell, he got it all out of his system that morning." As it turn out, Atticus is proved wrong about Ewell's viciousness. Some time later, Ewell attacks Jem and Scout with a knife while they are returning home at night from a Halloween celebration. Fortunately, although Jem is hurt, the two children escape and Ewell is killed by their reclusive neighbor "Boo" Radley. Atticus then further demonstrates his human frailty by acquiescing in the local sheriff's assertion that Ewell fell on his own knife and killed himself, a falsehood which the sheriff insists on propagating in order to protect Radley from public scrutiny.
In short, Harper Lee's novel is full of realistic portrayals of morally imperfect individuals, evidently all professed Christians, with some falling shorter of their professed Christian faith than others. There is, nevertheless, at least one character--Atticus Finch--who endeavors, despite his shortcomings, to transcend the injustice and hypocrisy of the society around him in order to "act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with [his] God" (Micah 6:8).
Image: Harper Lee receiving the Medal of Freedom at the White House in November 2007, from Wikimedia Commons