The Ball and the Cross

The Ball and the Cross is a work of Christian philosophical fiction by G.K. Chesterton. First published in 1909 and Chesterton’s second novel, the book centers around two men with opposing religious beliefs. The Ball and the Cross originally appeared in serialized form in British magazine The Commonwealth, before its publication as a full-length novel. Chesterton dabbled in everything from social criticism to politics, and he managed his own newspaper, G.K.’s Weekly. Although he worked as a journalist, he’s best known for his poetry and novels. He’s one of the most prolific writers in history.

The Ball and the Cross begins with a frame narrative between two characters—Professor Lucifer and Father Michael. Father Michael’s devoted to Catholicism. He’s a monk who spends his life praising God, and he thinks all non-believers are heretics. Professor Lucifer, on the other hand, is a scientist. He finds Father Michael tedious and fanciful, and he doesn’t believe in God.

One day, Professor Lucifer flies Father Michael around London on his flying ship. Father Michael doesn’t like the ship because he doesn’t think people should fly. Professor Lucifer can’t be bothered arguing with him over the rights and wrongs of science, and so he pushes the priest out of the ship. Father Michael’s dragged to an asylum after guards find him wandering around the cathedral babbling about Lucifer.



The narrative then turns to the main story. Father Michael sees guards dragging another man away for similar reasons. This man, Evan MacIan, is a devout Scottish Catholic from the Isle of Skye. He’ll stop at nothing to protect his faith and all Catholics. The MacIan clan has upheld the Catholic religion for generations, and it’s on Evan to continue their good name.

Evan meets a man called James Turnbull. James runs a paper, The Atheist, and he finds Catholicism laughable. He doesn’t believe in God and he thinks devout Christians are mad. He’s opened an office across from the cathedral because he wants to provoke a reaction from the local priests. He sees the guards taking Father Michael away, and it makes his day.

Evan’s horrified by The Atheist and its latest story criticizing the Virgin Mary. When Evan vandalizes the office and rips up the paper, the authorities arrest him and drag him to the courthouse. James is arrested, too, for incitement. Unfortunately for both men, the officers place them in the same cell pending questioning.



Evan confronts James about his terrible paper. He challenges James to a duel. James thinks Evan is crazy and he refuses the duel. He doesn’t care if Evan thinks he’s a coward. He’s not fighting to the death over a god he doesn’t believe in. Evan can keep his zealotry to himself. However, the more James antagonizes Evan, the angrier Evan gets. Evan won’t let the argument go without a fight.

Meanwhile, the local magistrate hears their case. He sets both men free because he thinks they’re harmless. Evan challenges James to the duel again, and this time, James accepts. James will fight for everyone’s right to freedom of thought and expression. He can’t wait to take this stand against the Catholic Church. However, Evan didn’t expect James to agree, and now he doesn’t want to duel after all.

James insists that the duel goes ahead. Evan says they’ll be thrown back in jail if they’re caught. James thinks Evan’s a coward who is all talk, no action. He visits a curiosity shop and buys himself a sword. Evan must either buy his own sword or fights empty-handed. Knowing he’s backed himself into a corner, Evan buys a sword.



The shop owner finds the men suspicious. He doesn’t know why two ordinary men need swords. He reports them to the authorities and the police descend on the shop. With nowhere else to turn, James and Evan flee the scene together and evade the officers. They don’t know where they’ll go, only that they must find a safe place to finish their duel.
The police chase James and Evan across the English countryside. Soon, the story becomes headline news. Everyone’s invested in what happens to these two rivals, and who wins the duel. However, Evan soon realizes that James isn’t so bad after all. He’s just a man with different beliefs. James feels the same and he wishes they could be friends.

Although James and Evan want peace, too much is at stake now. Catholics and scientists alike follow their story, and their duel symbolizes a larger war between religion and science. There’s no backing out now—the duel must go on. Evan and James decide that the only way they’ll escape the duel is by fleeing the country. They don’t get very far.

The hapless pair stumble onto the asylum grounds. Officers arrest them and place them in separate but adjacent cells. While they bicker with each other through the walls, England descends into anarchy. Hundreds of local villagers find themselves locked in the asylum for supporting the two men. James and Evan look on in despair as they realize what chaos they’ve caused.



Meanwhile, the inmates take over the asylum. Father Michael leads the uprising. James and Evan break free and make for the exit. Professor Lucifer arrives in his fiery ship. He lands and goes looking for the doctors and the magistrates who imprisoned people. Professor Lucifer takes them as punishment for denying people the right to free thought. James and Evan run away and enjoy their freedom. Father Michael disappears.