This novel is, in essence, a powerful jeremiad that forcefully rails against the hypocrisy and corruption that often plagues organized religion. I wholeheartedly support this stance.

The eponymous character in the novel remains a fool from start to finish. However, as the story unfolds, he gradually becomes more malevolent and dangerous. Eventually, he descends to the abysmal depths of evil that can be compared to that of Jerry Falwell.

It comes as no surprise that this novel upset a great many people back in its day. It is not a subtle work by any means, but rather, it fearlessly speaks to certain uncomfortable truths with great relish. It challenges the status quo and forces readers to confront the less savory aspects of organized religion, making it a thought-provoking and controversial piece of literature.

In Elmer Gantry, which was published in 1927, Sinclair Lewis crafted a powerful double satire.

One aspect of this satire focuses on religion in the United States from the early 20th century up to his own time.

The other aspect delves into the personality and development of a false leader.

While some elements of the first part may seem outdated today, the second part couldn't be more relevant in our own era.

The Roaring Twenties serve as the ideal backdrop for this story.

There is Prohibition and speakeasies, short skirts and revivalist preachers.

Some people are making money hand over fist, while others are stuck in the grim streets of industrial cities or suffering from agricultural poverty.

Despite the Constitutional separation of Church and State, Protestantism and its ideologies still dominate the country.

Lewis examines almost the entire spectrum of religious groups, from the outliers like Catholicism, Judaism, Christian Science, and 'New Thought' to the main denominations such as Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, Episcopalians, Congregationalists, and Unitarians.

Their rivalries, doctrinal similarities and differences, appeals to different social groups and mentalities are all dissected.

It is noted that in the end, the one intolerable position is open, honest doubt and questioning.

From his early days as a Baptist student at Mizpah Theological Seminary, Elmer Gantry is shown to have a weak character.

He is prone to drunkenness, bullying, sentimentality (he loves his mother!), dishonesty, and disloyalty.

Lazy and crudely spoken, he is easily influenced by others like his sceptical friend Jim, but is just as willing to turn against them when it benefits him.

He seduces a young woman and then ensures she is forced to marry someone else.

His moods and even his beliefs fluctuate with waves of emotion, but what he loves most is holding an audience and playing on them.

The one woman he manages to love, more or less, is the evangelist Sharon Falconer, who is his equal in hypocrisy and in inspiring a gullible crowd.

She convinces him to give up drinking and smoking, only for him to replace those vices with a devotion to ambition.

Later, when Sharon is no longer in his life, Elmer learns to clear the path to status and power by shifting alliances, toadying to well-placed supporters and enablers, ruling by dividing, and working up audiences and the press to states of excitement and fervour.

He always has a sense of being hard-done-by, believing that nobody appreciates the troubles of a man destined to be the ruler of America.

Elmer Gantry is a novel that is well worth a closer look.

I believe it is far more prescient than Lewis's more explicit anti-fascist warning in the 1930s, It Can't Happen Here.

After finishing the novel, the reader is left chilled by the echo of Gantry's voice booming his final sentence: "We shall yet make these United States a moral nation!"

At the age of 74, I find that Elmer Gantry is a name that has likely been familiar to me for a significant portion of my life. It has always been linked to a hard-drinking and lecherous preacher. However, I had never read the book until I recently finished listening to it in the audible version. The book was first published in 1927, and the times have changed considerably. Even though I have lived in a town with Jerry Falwell JR, who could be considered the 21st-century Elmer Gantry.

Actually, the book disappointed me. The Elmer of Sinclair Lewis is not the boisterous and carousing Elmer I had imagined! I thought he was actually quite calm, although this might have been partly due to the limitations Lewis was willing to impose in his authorial descriptions. And at the end, Elmer manages to escape from the trap set for him.

In 1927, this book might have deserved more than two stars. But I believe that in 2021, it has seriously lost its impact and any message it might once have held. I'm glad to have been able to check this book off my reading bucket list, but I think others might be able to save their time and effort. The embarrassing stories of wayward evangelical ministers have been told in much more detail in the mid and late 20th century.

The name Elmer Gantry has a certain currency among a particular age group, but it has not endured. My 28-year-old daughter, who is by no means oblivious, had never heard of the name! This simply strengthens my belief that this book may have had a role to play in 1927 but no longer has much punch.

What God hath rot.

This simple phrase holds a certain mystery and perhaps a hint of a profound message. It makes one wonder what exactly it is that God has allowed to decay or be in a state of deterioration.

Could it refer to the moral fabric of society that seems to be fraying in some aspects? Or perhaps it pertains to the spiritual well-being of individuals who have strayed from the path of righteousness.

It might also make us reflect on the impermanence of all things and how even that which is considered神圣 (sacred) or under the purview of God can experience a decline.

This phrase challenges us to look deeper into the world around us and question the forces at play that could be causing this state of "rot."

It serves as a reminder that we should strive to maintain the purity and integrity of all that is good and holy in our lives and in the world.

Sinclair Lewis doesn't miss.

Perhaps the most contemporary way to describe it is as the early 1900s literary equivalent of HBO's The Righteous Gemstones. Elmer Gantry is 100 percent Eli Gemstone—or maybe Baby Billy.

Lewis scathingly criticizes the blatant hypocrisy of what we would today consider televangelists and the "men of faith" who exploit fear and the most base prejudices to enhance their own personal wealth and power.

Published in 1927, this novel remains just as relevant nearly 100 years later. It serves as a powerful indictment of the moral corruption and greed that can fester within the religious and spiritual realms.

Lewis's vivid portrayal of the characters and their actions forces readers to confront the uncomfortable truth about the lengths some will go to in the name of religion and power.

Even in today's modern society, where the media and technology have transformed the way we consume and interact with religious messages, the themes explored in Elmer Gantry still resonate deeply.

It is a timeless work that continues to challenge and provoke readers, making it a must-read for anyone interested in exploring the complex relationship between religion, morality, and power.

Brothers,

Send me your dollars and you'll be saved...

This is not just a simple plea but the theme of an excellent book that delves deep into the realms of greed, hypocrisy, politics, and the rise of a lustful charismatic preacher.

We see a world where small town churches and revivals play a significant role. The preacher is determined to build his dream church and spreads his message far and wide by radio.

The contrast between the traditional preachers and the progressive ones becomes strikingly clear, especially when some violence is used.

I really liked the prose in this book and the portrayal of the life in the small town where Gantry was assigned. The pot lucks, the churches, and the hymns all brought back memories of the ones I attended as a small lad.

It seems that in some ways, despite the passage of time, some things never change. The book offers a fascinating look into a world that is both familiar and yet full of surprises.

It makes us question the true nature of faith, the power of charisma, and the lengths people will go to in the name of religion and personal gain.

Overall, it is a thought-provoking read that leaves a lasting impression.

I can fully understand why Christian people would have been extremely upset about this book. It is truly a matter of great concern. Unfortunately, it is a fact that even the devil has an in-depth knowledge of the Bible and can manage to enter the Christian world. This situation vividly demonstrates just how perilously easy it is for people to be influenced and swayed by others. It serves as a powerful reminder that it is our responsibility to question others when something doesn't sound quite right. We cannot simply accept everything at face value. I did find myself sympathizing with the main character to a certain extent. He initially didn't believe, but through various means, he was gradually swayed into becoming a preacher. However, it was also rather irritating that he seemed to get away with so many things. This aspect of the story added an extra layer of complexity and made me reflect on the nature of human behavior and the consequences of our actions.

As a cultural figure, Elmer Gantry is of great interest to every student of religion (or at least should be). There is no doubt that hypocrites exist in reality. However, it seems that Lewis has gone a bit too far in depicting Gantry as tawdry.

I do enjoy a good cynical story, but in this case, I found it a little too heavy-handed. There is more that can be read about it on my blog: Sects and Violence in the Ancient World.

Perhaps Lewis was trying to make a strong statement about the flaws within the religious establishment or the nature of human hypocrisy. But by making Gantry so extremely unlikable and his actions so blatantly immoral, it almost becomes a caricature rather than a nuanced exploration.

Nonetheless, the character of Elmer Gantry still holds value as it forces us to confront the uncomfortable truth that such individuals may indeed exist within the realm of religion. It also makes us question our own beliefs and the ways in which we present ourselves to the world.

Overall, while I may have had some reservations about the portrayal of Gantry, I still believe that the story has something to offer in terms of引发思考 and discussion about religion, hypocrisy, and human nature.

There are a plethora of deplorable, self-indulgent, and hypocritical characters scattered throughout the annals of literature. However, I firmly believe that the character of Elmer Gantry might just top the list. This individual is an absolute mess!

I can vividly envision the outrage that would have ensued among the public when this work was first published, and perhaps even in the present day. It is truly astonishing how defensive people become when they recognize elements of their own personality and behavior within an unappealing literary character. The overly righteous Elmer Gantry bears a striking resemblance to a well-known preacher in my local area. Sinclair Lewis is undeniably a master satirist, capable of dissecting and exposing the flaws and follies of society with great precision and wit. His portrayal of Elmer Gantry serves as a powerful commentary on the human condition and the often-blurred lines between piety and hypocrisy.

Elmer Gantry is the quintessential privileged mediocre white guy.

He is a truly despicable character, masterfully crafted by an author who casts a disapproving gaze upon him throughout the entire book.

The novel as a whole offers a scathing indictment of the hypocrisy that pervaded early 20th century Protestant fundamentalism.

Surprisingly, its message still hits home with great force a century later.

In fact, I found the reading experience rather uncomfortable, due to all the excuses, extramarital affairs, abuse, and the complete lack of consequences.

The prevalence of lies, fake news, and the manipulation of the public is truly disheartening.

This is likely a work of genius that I would have given five stars to in 2015.

However, reading it in 2019 made me feel deeply depressed, realizing that so little has changed in America since Lewis first penned this powerful work.

It serves as a stark reminder of the enduring nature of certain social ills and the need for continued vigilance and change.

I have never held such a deep contempt for a literary character as I do for Elmer Gantry, and this is precisely what Sinclair Lewis intended.

Elmer Gantry is the kind of person who will passionately advocate for the old-time religion, despite not truly possessing it himself.

He is always at the forefront, eager to discover and condemn vice. Whether he is with the group or alone, he is constantly on the lookout for vice.

Elmer Gantry switches between being a Baptist, an evangelical, a New Thoughter, and a Methodist, and he is even considering those Episcopalians because he has heard that their congregations are the wealthiest.

Both "Elmer Gantry" and Elmer Gantry himself are almost entirely centered around Elmer Gantry. And that tiny 0.1% that isn't solely about him only serves to make the rest seem even worse.

However, let's listen to what Brother Lewis has to say about Brother Gantry's thoughts when he is with Sharon Falconer (formerly known as Aimee Semple McPherson):

It was not her eloquence but her healing of the sick which raised Sharon to such eminence that she promised to become the most renowned evangelist in America. People were tired of eloquence; and the whole evangelist business was limited, since even the most ardent were not likely to be saved more than three or four times. But they could be healed constantly, and of the same disease.

Back to my regular perspective. I truly believe that it is the 0.1% of goodness within Elmer that prevents him from being a complete caricature and transforms him from an inhuman being into a human monster. And it is the 1% of sincere people, both sincere believers and sincere doubters, that makes the hypocrites seem even worse. Reading about how the hypocrites "lay up treasure on earth" while the sincere most definitely do not can be quite disheartening. At the same time, the sheer boisterous energy of Gantry grabs me by the scruff and drags me, whether I like it or not, through the book. You can't help but wonder about American culture when you know that in 1927, this was both the #1 best-selling and the #1 banned book in the country.

One distinct impression that I have garnered from this book is the striking similarity between the evangelist Gantry and his cohorts and the Taliban.

The evangelists depicted in Lewis' book seem to mirror precisely what the Taliban has already accomplished or is presently engaged in within the Middle East. They impose their own idiosyncratic interpretations of God's rules upon every individual, regardless of whether that person is a believer or not.

Both groups endorse the existence of morality police, who are tasked with enforcing their strict and often draconian views. Moreover, they both harbour ambitious dreams of ruling the world in accordance with their own warped visions.

This parallel is truly concerning and serves as a reminder of the potential dangers that can arise when fanaticism and a desire for absolute power intersect. It forces us to reflect on the importance of religious tolerance and the need to safeguard the rights and freedoms of all individuals, regardless of their religious beliefs or affiliations.