In a Prayer for Owen Meany, the relationship between religion and faith is often contradictory to societal beliefs, causing confusion. Johnny's questioning of organized religion and his growing faith create tension. The final chapter of the novel reconciles the tension through the parallelism that occurs between Owen and religious and supernatural imagery, indicating that faith and religion are not necessarily linked. Thus, the novel suggests that the existence of higher powers depends on an individual's perceptions and not traditional norms. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Throughout Johnny's life, the contrast between his struggle to find the truth in religion and his growing faith in his best friend, Owen Meany, illustrates the inner struggle Johnny faces when determining what he believes. The novel begins with Johnny criticizing religion by asserting that "every study of the gods, of everyone's gods, is a revelation of vengeance against the innocent" (9). The use of the term "study" calls into question the difference between religion and faith, as in the passage religion is something to be studied, faith is something to be believed in. Johnny questions the validity of organized religion, as he sees it as more corrupt. than beneficial. His uncertainty regarding Christianity is apparent throughout the novel as he questions the practice of religious figures between different branches of Christianity. Deciding on his preferred religious practice strains Johnny's faith, which Owen analyzes by saying that "BELIEF IS NOT AN INTELLECTUAL MATTER" (115). Comparable to Irving's use of the term "study" in the previous passage, the term "intellectual" suggests that the use of analytical thinking, as it relates to faith, rejects its force. In youth, religion played a more important role in Johnny's life than faith, which is contrasted in adulthood. , after Owen's death, when “a strong little hand (or something like a strong little hand) guided [his] own hand to the switch; a strong little hand, or something like it, pulled him forward from where he was teetering on the bottom step of the stairs. And his voice – it was unmistakably Owen's – said, “FEAR NOT. NOTHING BAD WILL HAPPEN TO YOU’” (526). The repetition emphasizes the implication, even before it is stated clearly, that Owen is helping Johnny from beyond the grave. The italicized text indicates the bewilderment Johnny must have felt at that moment, and it further signifies how much he truly believes that Owen saved him. The miracle of Owen's return to Johnny after death perpetuates his faith in Owen as a divine force. Much more than a boy or a childhood friend, Owen is a miracle, someone to admire: God. The belief in faith that Owen instilled in Johnny carries over into his adult life when he discovers that "[he] was more Anglican than [he] was ever Congregationalist or Episcopalian - or even non-denominational , from the Church of Hurd, whatever. » he]-was. [He] participated in Grace Church-on-the-Hill in a way that [he] had never participated before” (465). Before Owen's death, Johnny's experience with religion had been inconsistent, having changed branches of Christianity as a child, criticizing the authority and practice of the Church. It is only after Owen's death that Johnny begins to strongly identify as a Christian, as he believes in the miracle that Owen was. The emphasis on the choice of words in the passage signifies the different stages of the life ofJohnny, suggesting that the latter is the most significant, as he actively participates, making his own deliberate choices in matters of faith. Johnny defines Christianity for himself when he ignores traditional norms and allows himself to believe in the person he has always been loyal to, demonstrating that higher powers do not have to take traditional forms. The parallelism between Owen and religious, supernatural imagery reconciles the tension between faith and religion, showing how faith and traditional perceptions of religion can be two separate entities, further suggesting that the existence of divine figures depends of a person's faith. As a boy, Owen's particular physical features are often drawn to attention in an attempt to display his physical weakness. The irony of the novel, however, is that despite his small stature, Owen possesses great spiritual power, demonstrated in the context of religious imagery, as when he "resembled a descending angel – a tiny but fiery god, sent to judge the errors of our ways” (72). The celestial imagery associated with Owen suggests that he is more than human and possesses some form of sacred power. Owen and Jesus are analogous in terms of judgment, as Jesus was asked to judge sins, which indicates that Owen. has the same objective. His physical characteristics represent him as a religious figure, as does the way he is figuratively perceived: "The editorial and subsequent weekly essays that Owen published in The Grave have not been attributed by name to Owen Meany , but at “The Voice”; and the text was printed in uniform capital letters” (293). The parallelism between Owen Meany and Jesus Christ is demonstrated through the way Owen is depicted in his school newspaper. It is called "The Voice" with a. Capital V which is similar to how God is capitalized, like Him. Similarly, both Owen and Jesus have distinct forms of recognition in terms of their writings. In the Bible, Jesus' words are distinguished by red text, comparable to Owen's all-caps writing in the journal (and his dialogue). The similarities in style and recognition indicate that Owen is as transcendent and important to his followers (his Gravesend community) as Jesus was to Christians. Additionally, Owen's presence, although physically small, carried great weight within his community. Often a leader, his voice is prominent, as is the luminous imagery with which he is associated, seen at the end of the novel when "the sun had set, vivid streaks of vermilion light traced the immense sky, and through one of them streaks of light [Johnny] saw Owen's plane coming down – as if wherever Owen Meany went some sort of light always accompanied him” (607). The imagery associated with Owen depicts him as a figure followed by a constant presence of light: a supernatural and celestial characteristic. Light is often implied by positivity and purity, characteristics reminiscent of angels and holy figures. Furthermore, the most explicit comparison between Owen and Jesus is the Meanys' suggestion that Owen is the product of a "virgin birth" (549). Although many find this notion absurd, its implications suggest that Owen, like Jesus, was born destined for a sacrificial cause. The parallelism between Owen and Jesus resolves Johnny's conflicting feelings about organized religion and faith, as he no longer has to decide which plays the more predominant role in his life. Johnny's redefinition of Christianity, through Owen, shows the flexibility of faith and religion, showing that, although separate entities, they can coexist;.