An entirely original book that delivers the spiritual state of the nation in 13 dispatches that range from a prophet in pasties in Geneva, Illinois to a church caught in the ashes of Ground Zero. Interspersed are 13 versions of biblical scripture, recast by our favorite Buddha-killing writers, including Rick Moody, Francine Prose, Haven Kimmel, A.L. Kennedy, and many more.

A startling analysis of the clash of faith and reason in today's world, this historical tour of mankind's willingness to suspend reason in favor of religious beliefs, even when those beliefs are used to justify atrocities, asserts that in the shadow of weapons of mass destruction, we cannot expect to survive our religious differences indefinitely. Most controversially, argues that moderate lip service to religion only blinds us to the real perils...