In which the seminary days drag tediously for Elmer Gantry, who perfects his oratory under a professor of literature while disdainfully dismissing scholarly theological pursuits and enduring the grim tutelage of the inscrutable Dr. Zechlin. Meanwhile, the earnest and thoughtful Frank Shallard wrestles with doubts and the complex realities of faith under Zechlin’s cautious mentorship, nurturing a quiet resolve to reform the church from within despite their starkly contrasting temperaments and attitudes.