doubt a parable

As the title suggests, doubt is the film's central theme. The story begins with Father Flynn's sermon about the nature of doubt, which in turn prompts Sister Aloysius to "doubt" the priest's actions and intentions. While Father Flynn urges the congregation to accept doubt and its role in human life, Sister Aloysius reacts and seeks to embody its contrary—certainty. The film draws attention to the doubt that dominated American society in 1964.

In the mid-1960s, a large percentage of American society was shaken by a sense of doubt in their religious lives. Allegations of sexual abuse within the Catholic church caused numerous Americans to doubt their faith. There was political doubt following the assassination of Kennedy and the onset of the Vietnam War. In a 2004 interview with the The New York Times Magazine, writer and director James Shanley explained, "There is no room or value placed on doubt, which is one of the hallmarks of the wise man." In this regard, the film is an exercise for the audience to feel, evaluate, respond to, and embrace doubt as a defining quality of human existence.