# Bishop Morehouse — The Iron Heel character guide

> Bishop Morehouse in The Iron Heel by Jack London.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Bishop, the Bishop, Bishop Morehouse

**First appearance:** 0004-ii-challenges

## Who they are

A clergyman whose Christian conscience collides with the Oligarchy's demands, forcing him to choose between his pulpit and his principles.

## Relationships

### [Ernest Everhard](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iron_heel_se/characters/ernest_everhard)

_friendship_

Bishop Morehouse is a close ally and moral supporter of Ernest Everhard, often swayed by his revolutionary ideas.

### [Jackson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iron_heel_se/characters/jackson)

_social_

Bishop Morehouse interacts with Jackson as a kind clergyman with a working-class acquaintance.

### [Ernest Everhard](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iron_heel_se/characters/ernest_everhard)

_friendship_

Bishop Morehouse is a close ally and moral supporter of Ernest Everhard, often swayed by his revolutionary ideas.

### [Ernest Everhard](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iron_heel_se/characters/ernest_everhard)

_friendship_

Bishop Morehouse is a close ally and moral supporter of Ernest Everhard, often swayed by his revolutionary ideas.

## In the story

### [The Iron Heel](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iron_heel_se/chapters/the-iron-heel)

Mentioned as having been committed to a sanitarium prior to the events of the chapter.

### [My Eagle](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iron_heel_se/chapters/i-my-eagle)

A sweet, Christ-like man and scholar; he listens intently to Ernest's arguments and questions the nature of metaphysics.

### [VI: Adumbrations](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iron_heel_se/chapters/vi-adumbrations)

Soul-sick after being shown the realities of poverty; described as unpractical and heading toward a smash-up.

### [VII: The Bishop’s Vision](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iron_heel_se/chapters/vii-the-bishop-s-vision)

Presides over the I.P.H. convention and delivers a visionary sermon about taking two prostitutes into his home and calling on the rich to do likewise; he is led off the platform by H. H. Jones and Philip Ward.

### [XI: The Great Adventure](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iron_heel_se/chapters/xi-the-great-adventure)

Mentioned as a cautionary example of institutionalization, which Cunningham seeks to avoid.

### [The Bishop](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iron_heel_se/chapters/xii-the-bishop)

Found living in faded overalls, buying potatoes; he has sold all his possessions to help the poor and is terrified of being discovered.

### [XIX: Transformation](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iron_heel_se/chapters/xix-transformation)

Disappeared after being transferred between asylums; later glimpsed by Avis during the Chicago Commune.

### [XXIV: Nightmare](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iron_heel_se/chapters/xxiv-nightmare)

Found dead among the casualties in the stockyards district, recognized by Ernest.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iron_heel_se/characters/bishop_morehouse
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iron_heel_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_iron_heel_se/characters