Paul Faber, Surgeon

"Paul Faber, Surgeon" by George MacDonald is a late 19th-century tale centered on a surgeon named Paul Faber in the lovely town of Glaston, whose life becomes intertwined with the local clergyman, Mr. Bevis, and the curate, Wingfold. The story navigates themes of faith, doubt, and how spirituality and human life connect. It begins with Mr. Bevis, a kind rector, giving a ride to church when they encounter Paul Faber. He is a skilled surgeon, but he is also skeptical about religion. Their conversations bring out Faber's disbelief in God while discussing a new patient named Miss Meredith. This sets up Faber's character as a caring healer and a self-proclaimed atheist and highlights the contrast between science and faith that appears throughout the novel.