On a popular talk show, Father Alazon Lecher announces that he has received a series of revelations. He reports that several God-sent angels instructed him to find and translate a set of twelve scrolls--the Bear Lake Scrolls--and establish The Church of the Comic Spirit.
The Scrolls, the original versions of some famous Bible stories, form the centerpiece of this novel. Each tale has a distinct plot, style, and brand of comedy. The characters are cast as schemers, rogues, buffoons, fools, and schlemiels. God is often the central character, though his role and nature change from story to story, much as in the standard Old Testament.
The teachings of the Church are set forth in a catechism consisting of answers to FAQs. Whether God really exists or whether someone has been posing as God? Whether irreverence is the highest virtue? Whether laughter is the way to salvation?