"The Disciple". Reprinted in the Penguin Classicsedition of Limits and Renewals(1987) with introduction and notes by Phillip Mallett. Included in the Sussexand Burwasheditions of Kipling's works.

The story

The story is set in the city of Antioch-in-Syria, in about 49 AD, Syria being then an imperial Roman province ruled by a Governor appointed by the Emperor.

The principal characters are: Valens’s uncle puts him in charge of the Little Circus ward of the city, where the Christians have their place of meeting, and where the “Synagogue Jews? (i.e. the strictly orthodox) are constantly stirring up trouble against them. One day Paul is pushed towards Valens out of a crowd and denounced as the ringleader of a conspiracy; but Valens realises that this is a put-up job and arrests the loudest of the accusers.

Paul goes off to Jerusalem, leaving Barnabas in charge; and when the Christians gather for their communal meal, a riot breaks out among them over the vexed question whether, being Jews as well as converts to Christianity, they can eat food that isn’t kosher, i.e. that has not been prepared according to the rules laid down for orthodox Jews. Valens recognizes another put-up job, and a man tries unsuccessfully to stab him, alleging that, before coming to Antioch, Valens had killed his brother. “Your brother tried to kill me? replies Valens; but having been ordered earlier by the Prefect not to upset the Christians while Paul is away, he lets the man go.

Paul returns from Jerusalem with Peter, and they discuss their dietary problems over drinks with the Prefect and Valens. Paul gives an account of his experience on the road to Damascus, and Peter recalls denying Christ. As they are leaving, Paul has a sudden attack of malaria.

Fearing another disturbance, the Prefect lends Valens a dozen mounted police, and Valens successfully prevents any breach of the peace when the Christians’ meeting disperses. But as he is walking back to the Prefect’s house with Paul and Peter, an unknown attacker suddenly stabs him under the ribs, and he is carried home. “Tomorrow you will look for where your Church stood,?says the Prefect to Paul and Peter, but relents when Valens reveals that his assailant was the man he had previously let go in obedience to the Prefect’s order not to upset the Christians while Paul was away. The dying Valens says to the Prefect: “Don’t be hard on[the man and his friends]…They don’t know what they are doing?. For Peter this is a repetition by a “heathen and idolater? of Christ’s words on the Cross, and when Paul suggests that they should baptize him, Peter replies: “Think you that one who has spoken Those Words needs such as we are to certify him to any God??

Some thoughts about the tale

This story has been of great interest to members of the Kipling Society over the years. There was a discussion meeting in November 1965, led by Lancelyn Green, who made a number of very thoughtful and penetrating points. In particular, he endorses the view that Kipling meant to make the religious riot between Greek and Hebrew Christians in Antioch all the more real and vital by analogy with a typical Hindu-Moslem riot in India, as described, for example, in “On the City Wall? (Soldiers Three). In both stories the police control the riot by keeping the crowds on the move, using no more force than necessary. We have included an edited version of his presentationin this Guide.

Some background reading

Readers may find the following references useful:

[G.E.]


top of the page
version for printing
notes on the text


notes on the text
"The Church that was at Antioch"

(notes edited and amplified by George Engle)
[Oct 13 2008]

Publication

First published in the August 1929 issue of the London Magazine, with illustrations by F Matania. Collected in 1932 in Limits and Renewals, accompanied by the poem