Religious and philosophical problematics of P"ar Lagerkvist (a study of the novels Guest of reality and Barabbas)

This article examines Pär Lagerkvist’s religious and philosophical themes through his novels Guest of Reality" (Gäst hos verkligheten, 1925) and Barabbas (1950). These works represent key stages in the author’s literary journey, addressing questions that emerged at the outset of his creative career during the “positivist” period (1919-1949) and the “humanist-idealist” phase (1925-1932), as well as the answers Lagerkvist provides to himself and his readers, drawing on his life and writing experiences, during his “religious atheism” phase (1950-1960s) and the “mystical-religious” period (from 1945), as classified by L. Breitholtz and V. Klaes, respectively.