American Savior: A Novel of Divine Politics

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Overview


In a country divided by partisan politics, into a world torn by hatred and war, at a time when it seems that everyone and no one has a solution to the problems that plague humankind, there suddenly appears someone who can rise above the madness, someone with knowledge and power, someone with a finely tuned sense of the ridiculous—someone, in short, who can make it right.

And thus we finally have an answer to the long-simmering question, "What would Jesus do?"

Roland Merullo's novel American Savior posits an inspired "what if" scenario: What if Jesus, alarmed at how the earth's most powerful nation has lost its ...

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Overview


In a country divided by partisan politics, into a world torn by hatred and war, at a time when it seems that everyone and no one has a solution to the problems that plague humankind, there suddenly appears someone who can rise above the madness, someone with knowledge and power, someone with a finely tuned sense of the ridiculous—someone, in short, who can make it right.

And thus we finally have an answer to the long-simmering question, "What would Jesus do?"

Roland Merullo's novel American Savior posits an inspired "what if" scenario: What if Jesus, alarmed at how the earth's most powerful nation has lost its spiritual footing and dismayed at how His own teachings have been distorted—used by politicians and religious zealots to turn love into hatred and faith into call to arms—returns and announces that he is running for President of the United States? What if He becomes a third-party candidate, is heralded as the Son of God, and not only threatens to disrupt the status quo but poses a serious threat to the already established Democratic and Republican candidates? What would happen? How would the media react? And, more important, how would we react?

Narrated by a more than slightly cynical young TV reporter, American Savior puts the reader inside the campaign waged by what is quickly dubbed the Divinity Party and follows Jesus and his modern-day disciples as they travel across the nation making speeches, reaching out to the people, and in the process arousing the ire of those who believe they know God, and who know, most assuredly, that this is not He.

By turns amusing and heartbreaking, affirming and disturbing, American Savior is a novel sure to create controversy among those for whom self-righteousness is its own religion. Holding up a mirror to our society and the world in which we live, it is a passionate and penetrating look at the America that is and the America that could be.

Editorial Reviews

Booklist
"[An] intriguing novel...Funny but in a mostly gentle way...[It] effectively mix[es] elements of Vidal's Messiah and Mailer's The Gospel According to the Son with elements of Joe Klein's Primary Colors."—Booklist
Boston Globe

"A divine novelty . . . Jesus is irresistible. . . . The book's gentle satire effectively underscores Merullo's criticism of 21st-century behavior and beliefs."-- Boston Globe

More Reviews (2) Fewer Reviews
Publishers Weekly

When Jesus Christ turns up in West Zenith, Mass., Catholics, Jews and atheists unite to help him realize his plan of becoming America's next president in this hilarious novel from Merullo (Breakfast with Buddha). Chief adviser to the "Jesus for America" campaign is Russ Thomas, a cynical TV journalist who sets out to convince the American public that Jesus is the real deal. Jesus' chances of being elected seem slim as he faces skepticism from both ends of the political spectrum over his platform of "kindness and goodness" and the fact that he names his mother as his running mate. But as Jesus hits the campaign trail, Russ and his team begin to have faith in their candidate, themselves and humanity. Most enjoyable are the takedowns of thinly veiled political journalists: there's loud-mouthed, insult-spewing Anne Canter and Bulf Spritzer, "a decent guy [who] can never quite convince the viewer that he isn't ecstatic about being in the limelight." The result is, for the most part, an uproarious satire, hampered only by Merullo's occasional slips into the preachiness about morality that he so harshly mocks. (Aug.)

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Reviews
Smart, funny yet dead serious Second Coming novel from Merullo (Breakfast with Buddha, 2007, etc.), who has Jesus offering America spiritual renewal by way of a run for the White House. Russ Thomas is an ambitious TV reporter in a small market, West Zenith, Mass. The 30-year-old narrator has nice hair and a great girlfriend in Zelda, a skilled therapist. His boss Wales, a jaded TV veteran, has Russ investigate a strange event: A boy has fallen off a fire escape, died and been revived by a mysterious stranger. Next, a terminally ill girl in the local hospital is cured by the same stranger's magic touch. The Good Visitor, as Wales dubs him, summons Russ to a cafe rendezvous. He introduces himself as Jesus ("Hay-Zeus, to my Spanish-speaking friends") and explains that he wants Russ and Zelda to quit their jobs and work on his presidential campaign. Somewhat disarmed by this nice but obviously nutty guy's magnetism, cynical Russ has no intention of giving up his paycheck-until down-to-earth Zelda has a vision. That does it, and Russ gives notice, only to discover his boss is already onboard. Russ's Jewish father, Catholic mother and Down syndrome brother also join the inner circle. These ordinary, fallible people will be Jesus's staff. Why pick us, the insecure Russ wonders, but Zelda gets it: "we're all worthy." Merullo grounds his story superbly, understanding that the more we believe in his human characters, the more we'll believe in Jesus, who has his own American background: Caucasian father (deceased), Navajo mother (a quietly reassuring presence) who home-schooled him on the reservation. Is he all-knowing? "I let there be gaps." What is his platform? "I'm running on theBeatitudes." And run he does, indulging in campaign hoopla, but no more miracles, and confronting his fiercest enemies, the Christian Right. Jesus gains in the polls, and Merullo handles the horse race smoothly, but the most riveting element here is the interaction between fearful humanity and this convincing embodiment of divine love. Impressive speculative fiction, and a bracing tonic for an election year. Agent: Marly Rusoff/Marly Rusoff & Associates

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781565126077
  • Publisher: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
  • Publication date: 8/26/2008
  • Pages: 312
  • Product dimensions: 6.32 (w) x 10.84 (h) x 1.19 (d)

Meet the Author

Roland Merullo, is the critically acclaimed author of seven books, including the Revere Beach Trilogy, three novels about growing up in a tight-knit community outside Boston, and Golfing with God, a novel about a man's unexpected spiritual journey. He lives with his wife and two daughters in eastern Massachusetts.

Read an Excerpt


"I have to say that, on a personal level, I found Jesus to be peculiar and somewhat unpredictable. This troubled me. It also made me think about how we had all come to form an image of him in our minds. If we'd been exposed to the Bible, it was usually only to pieces of the Bible, a few parables, a few key quotes. Added to those pieces were scraps of things we'd heard, paintings by people who had never seen him, and scenes from films. And added to that, I guess, were elements of our own psychology: we wanted Jesus to be a certain way—a savior, a martyr, a pacifist, a radical political figure, a quiet and gentle man of peace, a drinker of wine, a good friend, a guy who could be comfortable around women—because those things made us feel good about him and maybe about ourselves.

But in real life he defied any kind of label. Sitting up there on the bull, he had looked like nothing more than a good ole boy Texan, shoulder muscles bulging, a steely glint in his eye. At other times, he'd move gracefully down the aisle of the jet like a ballet star, or step out of his hotel room in a suit so stylishly tailored that even Wales's wardrobe paled in comparison. Talking to a university crowd he'd use words like segue and ramification, and then, out in the country someplace, he'd be having biscuits and gravy at a diner, looking like the kind of guy who'd tell an off-color joke at the VFW bar or come over the hill riding and ATV and howling the rebel yell.

In another politician, this would have felt like phoniness. In Jesus, somehow it all seemed part of one parcel. The press kept trying to squeeze him into a box: he'd talk about prohibiting assault rifles or sentencing nonviolent drug offenders to counseling instead of jail, and they'd brand him a bleeding-heart liberal who would probably raise taxes; the next week he'd be going on about real threats to American security in the coming years, and the necessity of people doing things for themselves rather than looking for handouts, and all of a sudden he was a right-wing, hard-hearted, so-and-so. What was particularly interesting was that, the more the political analysts tried to push him into one corner or another, the more ordinary voters, the ones who counted, seemed to appreciate that he actually spoke from his heart, without any calculation."

Customer Reviews

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Sort by: Showing all of 3 Customer Reviews

  • Posted April 9, 2010

    I Also Recommend:

    9781565125018 9781565125490 9781410405043 9781565125520 9781565126169

    Brilliant, entertaining, and engaging.

    This book is as brilliant and entertaining as Merullo's other great books, Golfing with God and Breakfast with Buddha. The books makes you think and encourages you to be a better person no matter what religion you are (and yes, even us athiests find it enjoyable). I have never felt so close to Jesus! This book would be a great focus for a reading club. The characters are well-developed as is the plot, and there is plenty to talk about. All of Merullo's books are page-turners. I could take them to the beach, on a plane, inside on a rainy day, or on a hammock under the sun. I highly recommend this book, and suggest you check out his others as well. You don't have to be any particular religion to appreciate these characters and to learn from each one of them. I am looking forward to his other books.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted July 18, 2010

    I Also Recommend:

    9781565125018 9781565125520

    American Savior; I vote, read it.

    Very funny, satirical look at the American democratic process, with a religious spin.... The story is told through the eyes of a well known news reporter, who Jesus Christ, himself, has chosen as part of his campaign to run for President of the United States of America.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted July 14, 2010

    I Also Recommend:

    9781565125490 9781565126596 9781565126169 9781565125919

    Merullo's Skillful Style Works Beautifully With This Concept

    I have read many of Mr. Merullo's books, which are not only great fun, but poke gently at our foibles, these days, and include characters which are so well drawn that we don't notice any heavy handed messages. I *loved* "Golfing With God" and really enjoyed "Breakfast With Buddha" (as a Buddhist, I was impressed by how well the plot unfolded), but have to say that of all his books "American Savior" is the best that I have read. I literally did not put it down from start to finish but for "necessary" breaks for food and hygiene. I highly recommend this author's books as both good escapist fun and as great topics for conversation and debate. You won't be disappointed!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
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