Judge a Book by the Cover


Synopsis:

A tongue-in-cheek look at contemporary culture through the eyes of a screenwriter who pens a hit about the last unbeliever on Earth navigating a thoroughly Christian world.
An unwary “pagan” discovers he’s one of the last remaining unbelievers in a world populated by Christians. Or so imagines Larry Hutch, a screenwriter with hopes of writing a hit movie. While struggling in his faith and dealing with personal crises, he imagines a strange new world where song lyrics are altered to conform to “Christian” standards (the Beatles belt out “I Wanna Hold Your Tithe”) and French fries, newly labeled “McScriptures,” are tools for evangelism. Larry’s screenplay is a big hit with his agent, Ned, but Ned’s Southern Baptist wife is less than amused. Both men’s futures will be on the line when the world witnesses A PAGAN’S NIGHTMARE.

From the author Ray Blackston:

Some will call this new novel a comic spoof of legalism. Others may call it controversial and insensitive. I hope at least a few will call it humorous and daring!

I can testify that I felt obedient in writing this book. I wrote it for this reason: Over the past couple of decades the Christian community in America has created (for better or worse) its own subculture, complete with videos, audios, non-fiction, fiction (I’m a tiny part of that!), trinkets, clothing, billboards, bumper stickers, and buzzwords. In some instances, originality is sacrificed on the altar of profit as we, the Christians, “sanitize” secular products for our own benefit. Now, whether all this is healthy or not is a topic that can be debated for days upon days. (And I am not volunteering to moderate such a discussion!) But consider this: if the only thing the lost world ever observed was our products and buzzwords instead of our authenticity and grace, if they were only exposed to the commercialization of religion but never introduced to the person of Jesus, the result might well be . . . a pagan’s nightmare.

May God grant us the grace to laugh at ourselves.

Looks interesting. Not my genre but thought-provoking nonetheless.