by Jeff Sharlet
First published 2004
Peter Manseau and Jeff Sharlet traverse America's spiritual landscape, seeking authentic religious experience in the most unlikely places. They compose modern psalms from strip clubs and cattle auction barns, discovering belief where others see only commerce or vice. Their journey takes them alongside fellow seekers: Peter Trachtenberg wrestling with Job's suffering through comedy club logic, Rick Moody tracking a contemporary Jonah through Queens neighborhoods, and Haven Kimmel delivering startling visions of Revelation. Each encounter peels back another layer of American spirituality, revealing not the polished faith of megachurches but the raw, complicated belief of ordinary people. The writers don't attack religion but examine it from within, finding humor and humanity in equal measure. Their quest becomes less about finding God and more about understanding the peculiar ways Americans search for meaning. What emerges is a portrait of faith that embraces contradiction, celebrates the sacred in the profane, and finds divine comedy in human struggle.
Genres: american, religion, non-fiction, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: quest, spiritual-journey
Setting: America, Queens, Strip Clubs, Cattle Auction Barns
Period: Contemporary
304 pages · Paperback · Free Press