The Parson's Progress

The Parson’s Progress is the second book in Compton MacKenzie’s celebrated Anglo-Catholic Trilogy (the others being The Altar Steps and The Heavenly Ladder). It tells the story of Mark Lidderdale’s experiences as a curate in various parishes in the early part of the 20th century in England. As Mark gets used to his life as a curate he has to deal with the conflicts of the various factions within the Church, as well as with his personal feelings toward religion and his place in the Church. The Parson’s Progress offers a rare glimpse into religious life and society of the early 1900s, seen through the eyes of a young man who is both drawn to and repelled by the darker sides of both.