The Church of the Comic Spirit

About the Book

One evening Father Alazon Lustlieb appears on "Larry King Live" to announce that he has received a series of divine revelations. Several God-sent angels, he reports, instructed him to find and translate a set of twelve scrolls, then choose four disciples to help him interpret these scriptures (the Bear Lake Scrolls) and establish The Church of the Comic Spirit, of which he is to be Prophet, Founder, and Pontiff.

The Scrolls, the original versions of the old Bible stories, form the centerpiece of what Merle Kessler calls "this cheeky but strangely reverent" novel. They feature a zany menagerie that includes the femme fatale Eve, the schlemiel Abraham, Noah´s entrepreneurial wife Elsie, the trickster Moshe, and God, who, we find, is not the all-powerful, all-knowing, exacting father he was later made out to be.

The teachings of this Church are set forth in a short catechism of Father Lustlieb´s answers to FAQs. For example:

Does God really exist?
If He doesn´t, somebody´s been doing a pretty good impersonation.

What does the Church teach concerning original sin?
When you sin, do it in an original way. Think of sin as an art form.

Should the profits generated by our theme park, Bear Lake World, Inc., be tax-free?
Our lawyers are working on that.

What is the highest virtue?
Irreverence. Doesn´t God laugh in his own presence?

What must I do to be saved?
According to the Reader´s Digest, "Laughter is the best medicine."

How many angels can dance on the edge of a hot tub?
Read the book and find out.

Note: For more fine comic fiction, visit The Komos Portal.

About the Author

Paul Wiebe lives with his wife and pet mockingbird in Southern California. Between paragraphs he has been known to teach courses on God and comedy at Pomona College. Website: www.thekomosportal.com.