The Bishop Orders His tomb at Saint Praxed's Church Theme of Religion

It's no shock that religion plays a major role in a poem that stars a bishop. What is more surprising, though, is the way that conventional religious belief is totally absent from this poem. At best, God and Jesus appear as models for the bishop's tomb-decorating party. Heaven never gets a mention, and the bishop is more concerned with spending his afterlife taunting a rival. His behavior, in a nutshell, is pretty un-bishop-like, which is part of Browning's message in this poem. What happens when ego and self-interest replace piety and selflessness? We get a bishop who acts like a used car salesman, that's what.

1. What is the bishop's idea of the afterlife? How does that compare with conventional religious belief?
2. When the bishop mixes up Jesus and St. Praxed (line 95), what does this tell us about his religious belief?
3. Is material wealth compatible with religious belief? How would the bishop answer this question?
4. Who is the most pious person in this poem? How can you tell?

The poem shows us that wealth corrupts faith. True religions must emphasize charity and selflessness.

The bishop is just one bad apple who shouldn't spoil the religious bunch. This guy can't even keep Jesus and St. Praxedes straight, for cryin' out loud.