Contemporary Adult Fiction/Satire
Date Published: June 1, 2021
Publisher: Atmosphere Press
The Jesus Nut tells the parallel stories of three unlikely pilgrims—a reviled professor, a delusional homeless veteran, and a priest who loves strip clubs—searching for the greatest religious relic of the 21st century. Thrown together after a raucous showdown with evangelists, they decide to ignore their differences and work as a team in pursuit of their holy purpose. Their journey to New York City leads to a fateful encounter with a former advertising executive, whose mad ramblings suggest he might be the very oracle to help them fulfill their destiny.
A quirky, subversive novel that addresses timely issues and lampoons evangelical hypocrisy, The Jesus Nut ultimately reveals itself to be a story of second chances and agape love. Along the way, you’ll meet self-righteous academics, a curious and ambitious stripper, a farmer with a remarkable peanut, a trucker fascinated by the constellations, a profane church maintenance crew, and more. Prepare for an irreverent journey which will remind you of the value of friends and the miraculous power of faith.
EXCERPT
Dr. Haley Berkshire was a tenured professor of Religious Studies who did not believe in God.
Her natural cynicism—born of a zealot mother and an alcoholic father and refined through the belittling dictates of the nuns at Saint Mary Margaret of Grace Elementary School in Houston, Texas—led her to reject Catholicism, as she quickly tired of allegedly celibate old men sprinkling incense and rebranded water and singing in off-key Latin. In high school, her contempt spread to all Judeo-Christian faiths and their fantastic stories about spontaneously
combusting shrubbery, a 900-year-old man, a sailor’s three-day weekend in the digestive system of a whale, a floating zoo, and of course a carpenter’s restorative and self-levitational powers. Old Testament or New, she decided it was all hogwash.
During her undergraduate program in History, she rejected Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. As a grad student in Anthropology, her disdain grew to encompass the belief systems of Sikhs, Wiccans, Druids, Baha’is, Shintoists, and Jains. Finally, while earning her Ph.D. in Religious Studies, she rejected African diasporic faiths, Native American spiritual beliefs, mysticism, shamanism, Zoroastrianism, agnosticism, atheism, and her first husband, who was a Lutheran.
About the Author
John Prather is a baseball fan, satire aficionado, mustard enthusiast, and film noir devotee. Now retired from teaching and coaching, he lives in Carlsbad, California with his long-suffering wife, extraordinary teenage son, and neurotic Bichon/Poodle mix. He once ran, a lot. His favorite color is orange. He has broken his nose 15 times. Visit him at JohnPratherWriter.com.
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Facebook: John Prather, Writer
Twitter: @JohnPrather3
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