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Church in The Secret River

Growing up in a small-town Catholic household, Church was always said to be a place of giving, support, and inclusion. While I have since digressed from organized religion, I recognize the importance the Church had for some members of the community. The church was a pinnacle of the community that was intended to bring everyone together. While I choose to no longer participate in the church, I understand that for my community, the church has made some meaningful changes.

It was interesting to see how different William Thornhill's relationship with the church was compared to the telos church leaders claim to uphold. Church is supposed to connect the community while overtly supporting those most vulnerable to socioeconomic hardships. William is exactly who the church is supposed to support, yet he always feels like an outsider. It seems as though, at the time, the church was economically corrupt—more capable of building churches and steeples that are on every corner and stand taller than every building. But, simultaneously, the church cannot aid William and others who necessarily turn to theft to survive. While the church was focused on economic prosperity, the moral habits of individuals in the community went down.

While I personally do not believe people need a church or organization to guide them morally, the support of a good-faith church can help lead an individual toward good. Likewise, the existence of a church that fails to help the poor even though it can understandably leads individuals toward immorality. 

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