Deconstruction, Deconstruction

An irresolute Christian priest on a missionary journey to a pagan village encounters a charming cult leader whose postmodern philosophies shake the man of God's theological foundation to its core. Despite being riddled with theological doubts, Father Frederick Norman travels to a foreign country on an evangelistic mission. Upon arrival in the chaotic land, he meets his guide, Charam Tamang, a bus driver from Niestra, the remote village to which Frederick has been sent. Charam quickly explains the true reason he has been in communication with Frederick's church: he fears for the well-being of Niestra, because of the practices of Ramkast Sharma, a prominent leader in the village whose teachings have led to the death of some of Ramkast's own followers. In the midst of feelings that his God is not listening to him (and may not even be real), Frederick soon finds himself surrounded on all sides by welcoming, albeit pagan, people-Athaliah, Ramkast's most loyal follower who is plagued by nightmares throughout her pregnancy. Malina, a devout believer in Niestra's gods, whose faithfulness to her religion knows no ends. Abirun, Malina's son, who is quite inquisitive and compassionate for his age. And many others, including Ramkast himself. While His God remains eerily silent as events escalate, will Frederick overcome his internal struggles and continue in his faith-or will the surrounding pagan influences persuade him to deconstruct his lifelong belief system? Length: 360 pages