Somewhere between a skewering of the religious right, and a profound statement of faith, THE MESSIAH OF MORRIS AVENUE is a funny, heartfelt, twisted and insightful account of the Second Coming.

Written as a memoir by one his followers, the book is the story of José Francisco Lorcan Kennedy - who just happens to be the returned Christ, here to "refresh the message" and clear up some confusion.

The book is, at it's heart, a surprisingly plausible answer to the question, "What would happen if Jesus came today?" As is to be expected, some people aren't too happy with him... and you can work out the rest of the story.

For a book that has as its central premise something so profound, MESSIAH is a suprisingly breezy read. For all that it is dealing with profound questions and issues, it is a terribly funny book. From the blatantly one liners - the cross at death row inscribed with "Christ died for your sins!" on one side and "Now it's your turn!" on the other - to the more sly account of a traffic jam caused by an SUV jack-knifing - the book is quite funny. This really shouldn't be surprise coming from a National Lampoon alumni, but it is refreshing nonetheless. Nor should it be a suprise that nobody is safe from being attacked, from the right wing to the left, Catholic to Protestant. What is surprising is how easily the author shifts from profound to humorous, seemlessly moving back and forth. And his humor is not used without purpose - where there is real sting is when his barbs have a little too much truth in them for comfort.

If the book can be said to have a weakness, it is that it paints the villains a little too broadly. The right-wing fundamentalists take a severe beating, caricatured in to a villainous rabid, foaming distortion. Alas, this probably isn't as much of a distortion as I would like.

For all it's humor, THE MESSIAH OF MORRIS AVENUE treats Christ and his message with profound respect, even reverence. It is actually a very insightful book, and even if you don't agree with the book's understanding of God, there is no denying that it is heartfelt. I heartily recommend this book, and will do so to my pastor, next time I see her.