Thy Brother's Wife shares many features with Greeley's next two novels in The Passover Trilogy, which are set in approximately the same time frame and which continue to develop the same themes of sex, love and commitment, whether to God or another person.

While the second book, Ascent into Hell (1983), follows very closely the format, chronological narrative and style of both The Cardinal Sins and Thy Brother's Wife, Lord of the Dance (1984), shows considerable advances in subtlety and artistic technique.

Whereas Thy Brother's Wife represents the community of the Last Passover Supper on Holy Thursday, Ascent into Hell represents the forgiveness of Good Friday. In the prefatory statement on Passover, Greeley maintains that three experiences define the Judaeo-Christian religion: "Community, Freedom, and New Life." Each of the three novels emphasizes one of these motifs. Ascent into Hell celebrates the freedom gained through forgiveness.

Scriptural allusions to...