Publisher's Synopsis
In a laugh out loud series of misfortunes, Professor Schmoot struggles to find his way as a New Testament professor in a seminary seeking to promote itself as ""spiritual but not religious."" Unforgettable characters interact in a sequence of episodes in which postmodern aspirations are confounded by financial and academic deficits. ""Students and friends of Christopher Morse--often the same people!--have long known that his theological erudition is equally matched by a brilliant comic wit. In this charming academic novella, Morse cleverly satirizes the world of seminary education, offering the reader a delightful plot filled with characters lost in the cynical power of sin and buoyed by the transforming power of grace. A book like this that evokes both laughter at the vanity of human failure and hope for the constancy of human faithfulness is a tonic for the soul!"" --John E. Thiel, Professor at Fairfield University ""Reminiscent of David Lodge's satirical takes on British academic life, Christopher Morse drills relentlessly into the troubled industry of American theological education. Those who passed through this system in the '70s and '80s will readily recognize the cast of characters at Star-Cross Seminary, not least ourselves, as we fumble and bumble on the road to Emmaus."" --James F. Kay, Princeton Theological Seminary ""In this work of fiction, Christopher Morse accomplishes a seemingly impossible task: combining theology with humor. Most readers will occasionally find themselves the target of his satire, but his humor never resorts to cynicism, and he is never mean-spirited toward his characters. As profound as it is humorous, this book will appeal to anyone interested in the state of the church, theological education, and cultural attitudes toward religion."" --Nancy Duff, Associate Professor at Princeton Theological Seminary ""Crossed wires and cross purposes ensure that life at Star-Cross Seminary is never dull as the traditional school of theology transforms itself into a Pan-Pneumatic Spirituality Center. With deft send-ups of double-speak and institutional incoherence, Christopher Morse exposes the perils of such a star-crossed venture."" --Thomas Miller, Episcopal Priest and Writer on Religion and the Arts ""Morse's hilarious new work takes us into the inner workings of struggling Star-Cross Theological Seminary, a once staid but now reinvented postmodern institution, where faculty, administrators, trustees, and students attempt to further 'the Lord's work' while disagreeing every step of the way as to what this entails. Some potential readers may think the setting too parochial to be of interest, but don't make this mistake. This finely crafted work casts a brilliant and humorous light on modern society and how our institutions, political, religious, and otherwise, contort themselves to a place where meaning and facts no longer have definitional authority."" --Craig Berggren, Author of a study of The Ethics of Motivational Programs Within Today's Global Corporations Christopher Morse is a seminary professor and theologian whose previous writings include Not Every Spirit: A Dogmatics of Christian Disbelief (2009), and The Difference Heaven Makes: Rehearing the Gospel As News (2010). This is his first published fiction.
