Beginning with his conversion to Christianity, Walker Percy sought to incorporate his religious faith with his novel writing. His high school friend and fellow novelist, Shelby Foote, initially discouraged Percy from this attempt, arguing that religion and art were incompatible. Rich Gray shows Percy stuck with what he described as a "calling," succeeding in describing life through his faith in his fifth novel, The Second Coming. This story uses the paradigms of the prodigal son and the shipwrecked castaway to picture a postmodern hero, Will Barrett, coming to Christ. Mr. Gray is Professor of English at Montreat College.