Alex Cross's Trial Religion

Religion is a tricky subject in Alex Cross's Trial (and at the dinner table). At first glance it seems the Eudora community fervently believes in the Bible since they quote it left and right and hang out at church. Upon closer inspection, though, many of the white people who claim to be Bible supporters actively hunt down Black people and kill them, which seems to go against a bunch of laws in the Bible, like, say, "thou shalt not murder." Ben is left scratching his head about whether his old neighbors really care about their religious beliefs or not. A lot of them can quote the Bible, but that doesn't mean they practice what it says.

Questions About Religion

1. What is Ben's religious belief? We see him pray and quote the Bible, but does he do that because he's supposed to or because he believes it?
2. Why is religion a big deal in Eudora? What would change about the KKK or White Raiders if we didn't know their Bible-quoting ways?
3. How does religion differ in the Quarter from the rest of Eudora? What do people believe there? How do their actions differ from other people in the town?

Chew on This

Alex Cross's Trial does not take issue with religion as a belief system, but with using religion to create an institution that rules over people's liberty.

While many treat religion hypocritically in the novel, the Black members of the community show the importance of genuine religious beliefs.