Religion in James Joyce's Dubliners Religion was an integral part of Ireland during the modernist period, closely woven into the social fabric of its citizens. The Catholic Church was a long-standing tradition of Ireland. In the modernist spirit of breaking away from the forces that inhibited growth, the church was a major barrier. This is because the Catholic faith acted as the governing force of its people, as depicted in James Joyce's Dubliners. At a time when Ireland was seeking to legitimize its political system, religious affiliations further disillusioned the political process. The governing body of a people must provide a behavioral framework, through its constitution, and a legal process for granting delegations on matters of fairness and equity. When religion dominates the intact government, it subjects its citizens to their religious doctrines. In terms of Catholicism in Ireland, this meant that social progress and cultural revolutions were in terms of what the Church would allow. The modernist realized that this was what crippled Irish society at the time. In Dubliners' stories the legal system is replaced by the institution of religion, and it is the presence and social context of the Catholic Church that prevents the Irish community from advancing. ...... middle of the sheet ...... of Dublin stories, James Joyce leads the reader to the conclusion that the Catholic Church has assumed the role of governing body and that the modernist movement has been inhibited by the obsolete ideas of the Catholic Church. The story “The Boarding House” provides the reader with great examples of a priest who has overextended his role in society, and such an event has been shown to have negative effects on society as a whole. The Catholic church as a burdensome entity is very well represented in Joyce's “The Sisters”. The story also gives us a good explanation of the social connotations of religion within the modernist movement. In the Dubliners' stories the legal system is replaced by the institution of religion, and it is the presence and social context of the Catholic Church that prevents the Irish community from advancing.