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Evangellyfish
Evangellyfish is a ruthless, grimly amused, and above all honest look at one of the darkest corners in the western world. Douglas Wilson, a pastor of more than thirty years, paints a vivid and painful picture of evangelical boomchurch leadership. . . in bed.
Chad Lester's kingdom is found in the Midwest. His voice crawls over the airwaves, his books are read by millions (before he reads them), and thousands ride the escalators into the sanctuary every Sunday. And Saturday. And Wednesday, too. He is the head pastor of Camel Creek -- a CEO of Soul. And souls come cheap, so he has no overhead.
When Lester is (falsely) accused of molesting a young male counselee, his universe begins to crumble. He is a sexual predator, yes. But strictly straight (and deeply offended that anyone would suggest otherwise). Detectives, reporters, assistant pastors, and old lovers and pay-offs all come out to play.
John Mitchell is also a pastor, but he has no kingdom to speak of -- only smalltime choir feuds. He is thrilled at the great man's fall, but his joy quickly fades when the imploding Lester calls him -- and a lover or two -- for help. How low can grace go? Whores, thieves, and junkies, sure. But pastors?
Chad Lester's kingdom is found in the Midwest. His voice crawls over the airwaves, his books are read by millions (before he reads them), and thousands ride the escalators into the sanctuary every Sunday. And Saturday. And Wednesday, too. He is the head pastor of Camel Creek -- a CEO of Soul. And souls come cheap, so he has no overhead.
When Lester is (falsely) accused of molesting a young male counselee, his universe begins to crumble. He is a sexual predator, yes. But strictly straight (and deeply offended that anyone would suggest otherwise). Detectives, reporters, assistant pastors, and old lovers and pay-offs all come out to play.
John Mitchell is also a pastor, but he has no kingdom to speak of -- only smalltime choir feuds. He is thrilled at the great man's fall, but his joy quickly fades when the imploding Lester calls him -- and a lover or two -- for help. How low can grace go? Whores, thieves, and junkies, sure. But pastors?
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First published January 1, 2008
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About the author
Douglas Wilson
295 books4,572 followersI write in order to make the little voices in my head go away. Thus far it hasn't worked.
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December 23, 2022
Is it a paradox to be both cynical and hopeful? Douglas Wilson doesn't seem to think so.
Within a fictional framework, Evangellyfish presents a plausible way to understand the corrupt pseudo-Christianity of the misconducted megachurch. This is a very blatantly honest story, featuring Wilson's adept wordplay, tongue-in-cheek references to Evangelical Christian culture, and a forward-driving plot, propelled mainly by revelations of the subtle corruption lurking not-so-very-deeply in the idiosyncratic mind of an Evangellyfish.
This book is a criticism of evil in the Evangelical church, but it also presents the right Sunday School answer without being heavy-handed or blatant about it. Mr. Wilson, for what my opinion is worth, well done. Well done.
Within a fictional framework, Evangellyfish presents a plausible way to understand the corrupt pseudo-Christianity of the misconducted megachurch. This is a very blatantly honest story, featuring Wilson's adept wordplay, tongue-in-cheek references to Evangelical Christian culture, and a forward-driving plot, propelled mainly by revelations of the subtle corruption lurking not-so-very-deeply in the idiosyncratic mind of an Evangellyfish.
This book is a criticism of evil in the Evangelical church, but it also presents the right Sunday School answer without being heavy-handed or blatant about it. Mr. Wilson, for what my opinion is worth, well done. Well done.
July 1, 2016
The career of a megachurch-pastor-turned-serial-adulterer implodes, and the buzzards assemble.
It could never happen.
Now, I'm a big Wilson fan. Wilson is to wordcraft what Microsoft is to Minecraft, by which I mean he's the best in the biz. But if there's a flaw in the book, it's that he has armed too many of his characters with the same craft; he puts in too many mouths his own quick-witted Wilsonian jocularity. Even the most innocent and tangential passersby to the plot are primed with puns and witticisms that come spilling out in the whimsical, white-collar prose of an academic with tenure and a sense of humor. Take, for example, this security guard explaining the destruction caused by a drunk patron:
It's an excerpt that would work great as narration, but not as dialogue. I mean, maybe this particular security guard is working on his MFA in creative writing on the weekends, but since we don't know that, since this character is an extra who lasts half a page and then vanishes, words like deteriorating and contributed just don't feel right. Maybe that's the point; maybe I'm missing a certain tongue-in-cheek lightness in which Wilson deliberately makes everyday people more articulate than we would expect them to be. In any case, the main issue is that too many characters enjoy similar gifts of expression, and as expression is one of the key ways to differentiate characters, the resulting cast is a little monochromatic. I'm thinking in particular of the three good guys: Bradford, Rourke, and Mitchell - all three of whom are keen, wry, good-intentioned, and apparently well-read married men. They're virtually indistinguishable from each other aside from their names and religious affiliations.
There are standout exceptions: News Babe is a slam dunk of a character.
A word of caution. It's a sordid tale. To the extent that Wilson is indicting the megachurch mentality and coverup culture that has become cliche in evangelical scandals, two thumbs up. But it is pretty unremittingly sleazy. Not explicit - not at all. But, you know, everyone's having an affair with everyone else, or used to be having one, or is being accused of having one, or is lying about having one; except for the good guy, who has the righteous-and-perfectly-ordinate hots for his wife and doesn't mind engaging in some, uh, wordplay along those lines. Which is great for him, but not something this basement-dwelling bachelor was expecting to have etched on his brain. Like the time I was lured by John Piper's soothing drawl into listening to him talk about Song of Solomon: had I anticipated the details that were about to come my way, I might have reconsidered at the outset and settled down with some chocolate milk and a comic book instead.
It could never happen.
Now, I'm a big Wilson fan. Wilson is to wordcraft what Microsoft is to Minecraft, by which I mean he's the best in the biz. But if there's a flaw in the book, it's that he has armed too many of his characters with the same craft; he puts in too many mouths his own quick-witted Wilsonian jocularity. Even the most innocent and tangential passersby to the plot are primed with puns and witticisms that come spilling out in the whimsical, white-collar prose of an academic with tenure and a sense of humor. Take, for example, this security guard explaining the destruction caused by a drunk patron:
"The customer was just frustrated with his deteriorating motor skills, but I think the way he smelled had something to do with that - he smelled like living downwind of three Kentucky bourbon plants - which also contributed to the glass breaking, and so then he kicked the barstool over."
It's an excerpt that would work great as narration, but not as dialogue. I mean, maybe this particular security guard is working on his MFA in creative writing on the weekends, but since we don't know that, since this character is an extra who lasts half a page and then vanishes, words like deteriorating and contributed just don't feel right. Maybe that's the point; maybe I'm missing a certain tongue-in-cheek lightness in which Wilson deliberately makes everyday people more articulate than we would expect them to be. In any case, the main issue is that too many characters enjoy similar gifts of expression, and as expression is one of the key ways to differentiate characters, the resulting cast is a little monochromatic. I'm thinking in particular of the three good guys: Bradford, Rourke, and Mitchell - all three of whom are keen, wry, good-intentioned, and apparently well-read married men. They're virtually indistinguishable from each other aside from their names and religious affiliations.
There are standout exceptions: News Babe is a slam dunk of a character.
A word of caution. It's a sordid tale. To the extent that Wilson is indicting the megachurch mentality and coverup culture that has become cliche in evangelical scandals, two thumbs up. But it is pretty unremittingly sleazy. Not explicit - not at all. But, you know, everyone's having an affair with everyone else, or used to be having one, or is being accused of having one, or is lying about having one; except for the good guy, who has the righteous-and-perfectly-ordinate hots for his wife and doesn't mind engaging in some, uh, wordplay along those lines. Which is great for him, but not something this basement-dwelling bachelor was expecting to have etched on his brain. Like the time I was lured by John Piper's soothing drawl into listening to him talk about Song of Solomon: had I anticipated the details that were about to come my way, I might have reconsidered at the outset and settled down with some chocolate milk and a comic book instead.
March 17, 2012
Originally, I was leery about reading a novel written by a theologian (i.e. what does Tolkein have to do with Bonhoeffer?) Can he really know what he's doing? Even half-way through the book I was unsure, but Pastor Wilson warmed my frosty heart, and by the end, I stayed up late in order to finish it.
Not only is the book hilarious, but it managed to be both convicting and refreshing all at the same time. When I started, I thought it was a book about other people, but then he reminded me that I'm actually an evangelical too and have all the accompanying sin problems. Normally, that would be a painful realization, but he accompanied it with lovely, well-drawn examples of how God frees people from sin. That meant that while he clearly made the point that all have fallen (and still fall) short of the glory of God, he never blurred the distinction between the regenerate and the unregenerate. By the time I read the last page, I was smiling uncontrollably, and felt like I had taken a refreshing shower inside. Highly recommended.
Not only is the book hilarious, but it managed to be both convicting and refreshing all at the same time. When I started, I thought it was a book about other people, but then he reminded me that I'm actually an evangelical too and have all the accompanying sin problems. Normally, that would be a painful realization, but he accompanied it with lovely, well-drawn examples of how God frees people from sin. That meant that while he clearly made the point that all have fallen (and still fall) short of the glory of God, he never blurred the distinction between the regenerate and the unregenerate. By the time I read the last page, I was smiling uncontrollably, and felt like I had taken a refreshing shower inside. Highly recommended.
December 18, 2013
I bought and read this book because I love fiction. I love good doctrine and I love to see it lived out. I think fiction is often more true than nonfiction because with nonfiction the author is trying to tell the truth. The author is obligated to express his views as straightforward as possible. In fiction, the author simply is. So, by trying to tell the truth one's culture and blind spots are ignored and therefore glaring. In fiction those same blind spots are expressed because the art of the author is part of that culture rather than supposedly separated. When I picked up this book, I expected so see something special. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed. I found Evangellyfish to be more full of stereotypes and sarcasm than any real helpful art.
The pompous sinning pastor Chad was little more than a pagan. He was not a "brother" that needed forgiveness. He was simply a hypocritical carnal man. The world is full of them. After reading the reviews about how the story made people "squirm" because it was "scathing" I expected more. What if the man was actually a brother? What if it was a surprise? What if John Mitchell sinned and had hidden it? What then? What if it was John Mitchell's son? I guess that wouldn't be "hilarious" any more. It would be more like real life.
What we need is not some kind of bashing on mega-churches. I don't understand the mega-church model, and I don't know how anything can really be effective with so many people. I feel the same way about governments. Keep it small and it is more manageable, when you start dealing with thousands and millions of people only God knows what to do. However, the one sided stupidity shown in the mega-church in this book is really unfair. They were a bunch of politicians that were settling for peanuts. That's not hilarious; not unless the reader is getting some kind of satisfaction that their righteous little fellowship could never turn into something so ridiculous.
The fact of the matter is this: God's people, the Church, are found everywhere. They can be discovered in all kind of buildings. Buildings big and small with good and bad doctrine. They are also all sinned against. We have walking wounded because people are stabbed and mutilated by their brothers. What do we do about it? How do we expose sin, repent, and fellowship again? How do we life as part of the body? Expressing the problem of sin in the Church like Doug Wilson does in Evangellyfish makes the solution of solving the real problem even more remote. Often in our faith we need to appear that we, as Christians, and even leaders, have it all together with all the right answers. This story supports that simple idea of having "it all together".
What's real is that our brothers, spouses, and children, sin. We sin. People hurt us, and we don't understand. What do we do about that? We believe, we forgive, and we keep marching ahead in love. We hope desperately to express the love of Christ because He loved us while we were sinners. But, it's not easy, and often not pretty. I guess it's not satire either. I had hoped this book would show how to forgive brothers, not just paint the obvious and ridiculous picture of the corporate mega-church.
The pompous sinning pastor Chad was little more than a pagan. He was not a "brother" that needed forgiveness. He was simply a hypocritical carnal man. The world is full of them. After reading the reviews about how the story made people "squirm" because it was "scathing" I expected more. What if the man was actually a brother? What if it was a surprise? What if John Mitchell sinned and had hidden it? What then? What if it was John Mitchell's son? I guess that wouldn't be "hilarious" any more. It would be more like real life.
What we need is not some kind of bashing on mega-churches. I don't understand the mega-church model, and I don't know how anything can really be effective with so many people. I feel the same way about governments. Keep it small and it is more manageable, when you start dealing with thousands and millions of people only God knows what to do. However, the one sided stupidity shown in the mega-church in this book is really unfair. They were a bunch of politicians that were settling for peanuts. That's not hilarious; not unless the reader is getting some kind of satisfaction that their righteous little fellowship could never turn into something so ridiculous.
The fact of the matter is this: God's people, the Church, are found everywhere. They can be discovered in all kind of buildings. Buildings big and small with good and bad doctrine. They are also all sinned against. We have walking wounded because people are stabbed and mutilated by their brothers. What do we do about it? How do we expose sin, repent, and fellowship again? How do we life as part of the body? Expressing the problem of sin in the Church like Doug Wilson does in Evangellyfish makes the solution of solving the real problem even more remote. Often in our faith we need to appear that we, as Christians, and even leaders, have it all together with all the right answers. This story supports that simple idea of having "it all together".
What's real is that our brothers, spouses, and children, sin. We sin. People hurt us, and we don't understand. What do we do about that? We believe, we forgive, and we keep marching ahead in love. We hope desperately to express the love of Christ because He loved us while we were sinners. But, it's not easy, and often not pretty. I guess it's not satire either. I had hoped this book would show how to forgive brothers, not just paint the obvious and ridiculous picture of the corporate mega-church.
June 5, 2025
Before getting into the book itself, it’s necessary to clarify my thoughts on Doug Wilson, as those will obviously influence the way I read the book and review it.
Put succinctly, Doug and I have about as much in common theologically as humans and bananas share DNA. Which is to say, about 50%. But that other 50% makes me a human and makes Doug a silly banana. Just kidding. I am sure Doug is a very tasty and surprisingly nuanced banana. But still a banana.
Anyways, the point is we disagree on some big things but I wanted to read this book as charitably as I could. On to the actual review.
Evangellyfish hooked me the moment I started reading its preview pages on Amazon. I was immediately drawn in by the language, honesty, and hilarity of the first few pages, and just like that I was tricked into buying a Doug Wilson book (the megacorps and their suggestive advertising win again).
I am going to begin this review with critiques, but one thing should be made clear: Doug Wilson is a very witty and talented writer. As I said, the first few pages immediately made me forgot I was trying to find something to buy with my Amazon gift card. The writing at times is delightful. However, this brings me to my first critique. Evangellyfish is, much like this review, overwritten. Doug really needs an editor who will tell him that once you’ve reach 11 commas in a sentence, it’s time to land the plane. The blockheaded masses have been sufficiently enlightened by comma 12, I promise Doug. In the words of Kevin from the Office, “why use lot word when few word do trick?”. I wish I was exaggerating, but there was a point I stopped in the middle of some of his exposition and counted the commas in a sentence. Doug is very witty, and sometimes I get the feeling Doug KNOWS he is very witty. All this to say, I’m praying for him to grow in the fruit of self-control.
Next, one of the few like-able/morally sound characters out of the Christian’s in the story is a reformed pastor, whose only significant flaw appears to be that he is a bit too much like Peter in his willingness to resort to violence, which even that he immediately regrets and repents of. Now, I’m not going to say that Doug intentionally wrote a self-insert. But, I will say Doug very deliberately “unintentionally” wrote a self-insert that paints everything about his own confession in a positive light. But I mean, I get it. As a reformed guy, I like confirmation bias so maybe this isn’t even a real criticism? (It is). The biggest issue here is that it makes the book overly critical of mega-church culture without even a hint of self-reflection on his own tradition and potential flaws within it, which would be just as fun to poke at. This was a huge disappointment for me because as I’ve already said, Wilson is a funny and at times insightful guy, and I’m sure he’d be able to take on the issues with reformed mega-church’s or the reformed tradition in a cutting and illuminating manner. Yet, he saves all his punches for a specific kind of mega-church. I just can’t imagine why he wouldn’t balance out his criticisms with some shots at reformed church’s/mega-church’s. Heck, it should be easy for him. I mean, when he was writing this book, he was friends with Mark Driscoll and helped give Mark a platform and grow Mars Hill and - oh.
Seeing as this book was released in 2012, and Mars Hill happened in 2014, it appears Doug, much like Caiaphas, was forced by God to unintentionally prophesy. Problem is Doug, much like Caiaphas, didn’t QUITE understand the way he was prophesying.
The last of my criticisms is that for some reason almost every single person in the story is having sex. Like they have some other sins. But also they have sex with everyone and everything. Doug is weirdly obsessed with sex. To the point where he seems to be vastly overestimating the amount of infidelity in the world. It really makes me wonder about Doug, like is this a “takes one to know one” kinda thing? But I do want to endeavor to think the best of him, so I won’t actually go as far as to say that I really think he some sex crazed dude. It could just be a lack of imagination or humor in writing about other sins. Cause like, there are plenty of other things you could have criticized about mega-church’s and evangelicals other than just sex and money. Like maybe pastors who bully and attack people who - oh, here we are again.
So, that’s my critiques. A lot of them boil down to the fact that I am a homosapien and Doug is a musasapientum. But, I gave this book three stars for a reason, there are plenty of good things about it. Here they are:
1. Despite overindulging at times, I can’t say this enough, Doug is a very funny and witty dude, and he knows how to convey that on paper. I laughed out loud multiple times at this book, and it made me snort-smile even more.
2. Sometimes he just hits the nail square on the head of evangelical, excuse my language, bullshit. For instance, these quotes:
“We really need to do our part to reduce this epidemic of illicit banging in the evangelical world. Before this week, I had no idea. Back in Arkansas, we were all good Christians until we got our drivers’ licenses. After that we were good pagans. It is this mixing of categories that I find so troublesome.”
“Youth ministers are young men who resent having graduated from high school when they were finally going to start hitting their stride in about three months, at least in the imaginations of their own hearts.”
(This next one is actual very sincere and not meant to be humorous but again, the cut at “Christianese” here is great)
“Well,” she said, “I had a change of heart over what I did in the divorce.” She was over the hump. “Not a change of mind, a change of heart. Our marriage was a mess, and I am not here to talk about anything that you did in it. I . . . I just need to seek your forgiveness for . . .” She was trying to find the Bible word, and realized there probably wasn’t one. “. . . for being such a bitch. When your dad died. There was a bunch of other stuff too, and I am so sorry for all of it. Please forgive me.”
Doug sees the dumb “christanese”, the silly platitudes, the games we play with each other, the cultural oddities, and many times cuts right to the heart of them.
3. It’s prophetic is a lot of ways, in its critiques of problems with Evangelicalism, mega-church’s, and American Christians in general. Now as I’ve already said, Doug may have thought he was prophesying about a specific kind of church that excluded the ones he “approved” of, but nevertheless, many church’s end up coloring in the picture he painted. Even ones that had “Doug approved” stamped on their steeples.
4. The ending is full of gospel truth in a believable way. The atheist doesn’t get hit by a car and convert, but little moments of redemption happen that are realistic and reflect the way that God often works in the lives of sinful people. It’s really beautiful at points, and I really enjoyed how saturated the ending was with gospel truth. That’s some of the DNA humans and bananas do have in common, I suppose.
One last thing: I find the way he writes woman to be questionable. I’m not sure if he is bad at it, if they aren’t given meaningful roles in the story, or what. I can’t quite put my finger on how I actually feel about it. So I would love a woman’s opinion on how he writes women and their role in the story.
Overall, this review needed an editor and that in of itself is meta commentary on the book. If you made it through this entire review, were raised in any form of evangelicalism, and enjoy funny and at times poignant satire, I’d recommend the book.
Put succinctly, Doug and I have about as much in common theologically as humans and bananas share DNA. Which is to say, about 50%. But that other 50% makes me a human and makes Doug a silly banana. Just kidding. I am sure Doug is a very tasty and surprisingly nuanced banana. But still a banana.
Anyways, the point is we disagree on some big things but I wanted to read this book as charitably as I could. On to the actual review.
Evangellyfish hooked me the moment I started reading its preview pages on Amazon. I was immediately drawn in by the language, honesty, and hilarity of the first few pages, and just like that I was tricked into buying a Doug Wilson book (the megacorps and their suggestive advertising win again).
I am going to begin this review with critiques, but one thing should be made clear: Doug Wilson is a very witty and talented writer. As I said, the first few pages immediately made me forgot I was trying to find something to buy with my Amazon gift card. The writing at times is delightful. However, this brings me to my first critique. Evangellyfish is, much like this review, overwritten. Doug really needs an editor who will tell him that once you’ve reach 11 commas in a sentence, it’s time to land the plane. The blockheaded masses have been sufficiently enlightened by comma 12, I promise Doug. In the words of Kevin from the Office, “why use lot word when few word do trick?”. I wish I was exaggerating, but there was a point I stopped in the middle of some of his exposition and counted the commas in a sentence. Doug is very witty, and sometimes I get the feeling Doug KNOWS he is very witty. All this to say, I’m praying for him to grow in the fruit of self-control.
Next, one of the few like-able/morally sound characters out of the Christian’s in the story is a reformed pastor, whose only significant flaw appears to be that he is a bit too much like Peter in his willingness to resort to violence, which even that he immediately regrets and repents of. Now, I’m not going to say that Doug intentionally wrote a self-insert. But, I will say Doug very deliberately “unintentionally” wrote a self-insert that paints everything about his own confession in a positive light. But I mean, I get it. As a reformed guy, I like confirmation bias so maybe this isn’t even a real criticism? (It is). The biggest issue here is that it makes the book overly critical of mega-church culture without even a hint of self-reflection on his own tradition and potential flaws within it, which would be just as fun to poke at. This was a huge disappointment for me because as I’ve already said, Wilson is a funny and at times insightful guy, and I’m sure he’d be able to take on the issues with reformed mega-church’s or the reformed tradition in a cutting and illuminating manner. Yet, he saves all his punches for a specific kind of mega-church. I just can’t imagine why he wouldn’t balance out his criticisms with some shots at reformed church’s/mega-church’s. Heck, it should be easy for him. I mean, when he was writing this book, he was friends with Mark Driscoll and helped give Mark a platform and grow Mars Hill and - oh.
Seeing as this book was released in 2012, and Mars Hill happened in 2014, it appears Doug, much like Caiaphas, was forced by God to unintentionally prophesy. Problem is Doug, much like Caiaphas, didn’t QUITE understand the way he was prophesying.
The last of my criticisms is that for some reason almost every single person in the story is having sex. Like they have some other sins. But also they have sex with everyone and everything. Doug is weirdly obsessed with sex. To the point where he seems to be vastly overestimating the amount of infidelity in the world. It really makes me wonder about Doug, like is this a “takes one to know one” kinda thing? But I do want to endeavor to think the best of him, so I won’t actually go as far as to say that I really think he some sex crazed dude. It could just be a lack of imagination or humor in writing about other sins. Cause like, there are plenty of other things you could have criticized about mega-church’s and evangelicals other than just sex and money. Like maybe pastors who bully and attack people who - oh, here we are again.
So, that’s my critiques. A lot of them boil down to the fact that I am a homosapien and Doug is a musasapientum. But, I gave this book three stars for a reason, there are plenty of good things about it. Here they are:
1. Despite overindulging at times, I can’t say this enough, Doug is a very funny and witty dude, and he knows how to convey that on paper. I laughed out loud multiple times at this book, and it made me snort-smile even more.
2. Sometimes he just hits the nail square on the head of evangelical, excuse my language, bullshit. For instance, these quotes:
“We really need to do our part to reduce this epidemic of illicit banging in the evangelical world. Before this week, I had no idea. Back in Arkansas, we were all good Christians until we got our drivers’ licenses. After that we were good pagans. It is this mixing of categories that I find so troublesome.”
“Youth ministers are young men who resent having graduated from high school when they were finally going to start hitting their stride in about three months, at least in the imaginations of their own hearts.”
(This next one is actual very sincere and not meant to be humorous but again, the cut at “Christianese” here is great)
“Well,” she said, “I had a change of heart over what I did in the divorce.” She was over the hump. “Not a change of mind, a change of heart. Our marriage was a mess, and I am not here to talk about anything that you did in it. I . . . I just need to seek your forgiveness for . . .” She was trying to find the Bible word, and realized there probably wasn’t one. “. . . for being such a bitch. When your dad died. There was a bunch of other stuff too, and I am so sorry for all of it. Please forgive me.”
Doug sees the dumb “christanese”, the silly platitudes, the games we play with each other, the cultural oddities, and many times cuts right to the heart of them.
3. It’s prophetic is a lot of ways, in its critiques of problems with Evangelicalism, mega-church’s, and American Christians in general. Now as I’ve already said, Doug may have thought he was prophesying about a specific kind of church that excluded the ones he “approved” of, but nevertheless, many church’s end up coloring in the picture he painted. Even ones that had “Doug approved” stamped on their steeples.
4. The ending is full of gospel truth in a believable way. The atheist doesn’t get hit by a car and convert, but little moments of redemption happen that are realistic and reflect the way that God often works in the lives of sinful people. It’s really beautiful at points, and I really enjoyed how saturated the ending was with gospel truth. That’s some of the DNA humans and bananas do have in common, I suppose.
One last thing: I find the way he writes woman to be questionable. I’m not sure if he is bad at it, if they aren’t given meaningful roles in the story, or what. I can’t quite put my finger on how I actually feel about it. So I would love a woman’s opinion on how he writes women and their role in the story.
Overall, this review needed an editor and that in of itself is meta commentary on the book. If you made it through this entire review, were raised in any form of evangelicalism, and enjoy funny and at times poignant satire, I’d recommend the book.
July 27, 2020
The kind of book where you'll keep telling yourself, "Just one more chapter..." but end up devouring in its entirety. Hilarious. Insightful. Painful, exactly because the stereotypes have a little bit more than a ring of truth in them. Yet what I wasn't expecting was to have a character that was above the satire, who was totally genuine, in one way above the farce, even when embroiled in it, and good-humored throughout. This, of course, was John Mitchell, the only "hero" of the story, the Reformed Baptist pastor. Also, lol that Doug wove his dad into part of the story, teaching the seminar on confession of sin.
February 25, 2012
I braced myself when I started this book, hearing that it had made other people squirm. I was ready for something wry and shocking and unpleasant--like Tom Wolfe with all the twinkle taken out. I couldn't have been more surprised. Doug Wilson said in an interview that he wanted this book to come across to intelligent readers as "funny, dark, and redemptive," and it was all that, with extra helpings on both funny and redemptive. I have never read anything where I liked flawed characters so much and was so genuinely happy to see mercy heaped on their unlovely heads. It's Wilson's tone that does the trick. He brandishes a perfectly honed, doubled-edged blade: satire on one side, Wodehousian glee on the other. His ability to size sinners up, to see straight through their hypocrisy and still look on them in love, goes beyond mere knack; it's real grace.
A few gems from the metaphor chest:
"Sunbeams streamed through the slats of the well-adjusted blinds, spotlighting tiny motes wrapping up a hard day of dancing."
"She was to him as Moriarty had been to Sherlock, if Moriarty had been blonde, stacked, and pushy."
"Her retreating figure...looked like a couple of bear cubs fighting in a small sack."
"Whenever he paused, always at just the right moment, sincerity oozed out of the silences and puddled on the floor."
"Robert P. Warner II had been the kind of boy in high school who managed his injuries as a mother hen hovers over her chicks."
"[He] slumped, shumped, and fell to the floor. He there assumed the demeanor and outlook of a beanbag chair and ceased cooperating with the world."
"Chad was unstrung and could play no tune."
A few gems from the metaphor chest:
"Sunbeams streamed through the slats of the well-adjusted blinds, spotlighting tiny motes wrapping up a hard day of dancing."
"She was to him as Moriarty had been to Sherlock, if Moriarty had been blonde, stacked, and pushy."
"Her retreating figure...looked like a couple of bear cubs fighting in a small sack."
"Whenever he paused, always at just the right moment, sincerity oozed out of the silences and puddled on the floor."
"Robert P. Warner II had been the kind of boy in high school who managed his injuries as a mother hen hovers over her chicks."
"[He] slumped, shumped, and fell to the floor. He there assumed the demeanor and outlook of a beanbag chair and ceased cooperating with the world."
"Chad was unstrung and could play no tune."
March 16, 2021
This guy has written a book on writing? Seriously? 'Evangellyfish' is the most OVERWRITTEN novel I have ever read. For example, "John's eyebrows went up, which was a significant and bushy event" (p. 134). Douglas Wilson is so obsessed with his seeming cleverness (complete with every chapter beginning with an epigraph) that he needs
EVERY
SINGLE
LINE
to have some kind of quip, punchline, or sarcastic ending. He thinks he is being satirical writing this way but it actually ends up giving the whole book quite an amateurish tone. It would've been a more effective satire if Wilson had exercised some restraint now and then. But meanwhile, Reformed Bros with think this is one of the finest novels ever penned by a Protestant.
It's too bad because 'Evangellyfish' has a promising premise and since the novel was published in 2012, leading megachurch pastors including Bill Hybels and Carl Lentz have been outed for sexual misconduct. But this novel was a slog to get through. Not a single character (in a crowded book) is very likable; in the novel's narration, every character comes across as steeped in the deepest of cynicism (I suppose I should expect this much depravity from an ardent Calvinist; this is the same problem I experienced reading Os Guinness' 'The Last Christian on Earth').
How did this book win Christianity Today's Best Fiction Award in 2012? Were there literally no other novels submitted for consideration? Let's get Rourke and Bradford on the case. If you want to read a good satire on the church, forgo this one and pick up Sinclair Lewis' 'Elmer Gantry' instead.
EVERY
SINGLE
LINE
to have some kind of quip, punchline, or sarcastic ending. He thinks he is being satirical writing this way but it actually ends up giving the whole book quite an amateurish tone. It would've been a more effective satire if Wilson had exercised some restraint now and then. But meanwhile, Reformed Bros with think this is one of the finest novels ever penned by a Protestant.
It's too bad because 'Evangellyfish' has a promising premise and since the novel was published in 2012, leading megachurch pastors including Bill Hybels and Carl Lentz have been outed for sexual misconduct. But this novel was a slog to get through. Not a single character (in a crowded book) is very likable; in the novel's narration, every character comes across as steeped in the deepest of cynicism (I suppose I should expect this much depravity from an ardent Calvinist; this is the same problem I experienced reading Os Guinness' 'The Last Christian on Earth').
How did this book win Christianity Today's Best Fiction Award in 2012? Were there literally no other novels submitted for consideration? Let's get Rourke and Bradford on the case. If you want to read a good satire on the church, forgo this one and pick up Sinclair Lewis' 'Elmer Gantry' instead.
Read
April 19, 2020I'm still not quite sure what to think of this. It's definitely not what you would expect in a book written by a pastor (and not just because it's fiction!).
Wilson has a keen sense of humor and a winsome writing style. Throughout this book, Evangellyfish, Wilson uses both his wit and knowledge to illustrate the very clear line between regenerate and unregenerate "Christians".
Simply saying that you are a "christian" and going to church (or even being a pastor of one!) doesn't mean that you are "in Christ".
That being said, I wouldn't recommend it to just anybody.
In short, I get where he was going with the book, but I'm not sure I would have come at it from the same angle. I respect his results.
Wilson has a keen sense of humor and a winsome writing style. Throughout this book, Evangellyfish, Wilson uses both his wit and knowledge to illustrate the very clear line between regenerate and unregenerate "Christians".
Simply saying that you are a "christian" and going to church (or even being a pastor of one!) doesn't mean that you are "in Christ".
That being said, I wouldn't recommend it to just anybody.
In short, I get where he was going with the book, but I'm not sure I would have come at it from the same angle. I respect his results.
April 21, 2012
A fictional critique of the modern evangelical world, shot through with spiritual anemia, hypocrisy and adultery. A bit over the top in places, especially deep in cynicism, it still brings a smile every few pages. He does a good job showing how sexually charged the world is, and how self-deceived about this the church can be.
The book actually wound down right when I was expecting further development (first book read on a Kindle, and didn't check how far I was). This was a little dissatisfying on the surface. But then I realized the point being made: resolution doesn't come to those who don't repent. They just stumble on in their confusion. Repentance and forgiveness is central at the end, and results in a stark contrast to the rest of the book. Healthy sexuality briefly and discretely portrayed in the last 1% of the book, in contrast to the other 99% where it is treated with tawdry and sardonic humor. This got old pretty fast, but it made the point, too. Sin erodes the joy from God's gifts.
The book actually wound down right when I was expecting further development (first book read on a Kindle, and didn't check how far I was). This was a little dissatisfying on the surface. But then I realized the point being made: resolution doesn't come to those who don't repent. They just stumble on in their confusion. Repentance and forgiveness is central at the end, and results in a stark contrast to the rest of the book. Healthy sexuality briefly and discretely portrayed in the last 1% of the book, in contrast to the other 99% where it is treated with tawdry and sardonic humor. This got old pretty fast, but it made the point, too. Sin erodes the joy from God's gifts.
August 7, 2023
God loves his people and he loves the lost, but he will not be mocked. He will set everything right in the end.
- - -
"Pastoral snarls are like the mercies of God - they are new every morning."
A book soaked in patient and optimistic eschatology.
- - -
This baby should be required reading in every evangelical seminary. A good lesson on man's depravity and God's mercy, but not the kind that becomes lecture. A much needed detox in a season of life under pressure.
- - -
Second reading was just as sharp as the first, also in one sitting. Burst out laughing from the first sentences. Life is a lot like junior high, although it doesn't have to be.
- - -
"Pastoral snarls are like the mercies of God - they are new every morning."
A book soaked in patient and optimistic eschatology.
- - -
This baby should be required reading in every evangelical seminary. A good lesson on man's depravity and God's mercy, but not the kind that becomes lecture. A much needed detox in a season of life under pressure.
- - -
Second reading was just as sharp as the first, also in one sitting. Burst out laughing from the first sentences. Life is a lot like junior high, although it doesn't have to be.
January 30, 2025
This is just great. Funny, exciting, pastoral, and very real.
June 13, 2021
What a fun read. Full of humor and whit but at the same time, very sobering. American evangelicalism has truly turned into evangellyfish! Squishy and slimy. This was a great reminder to keep our hearts and minds set on Christ.
November 18, 2025
funny, savage, and pointed.
April 13, 2022
I debated between 3 and 4 for a while on this. I still don't feel confident about my choice.
I enjoyed it. It's very unique in genre, style, humor, and content. Christian book, but also has language and content. I would have preferred if he'd refrained from the language bit. It seemed unnecessary. He's painting pictures of immoral people, and he didn't need those shades of black in the picture to convince me they were immoral. That goes for some of the content too. He didn't have to be quite as colorful as he was at times.
I honestly felt a little depressed by how awful everyone was? There are roughly 5 people in the whole story that I didn't actively dislike. And even in the end when things get resolved, it seems less than thorough resolution. I won't pose my questions here, because spoilers would happen, lol.
But! I love the willingness to address deep, hard issues like this. Sin happens in the church and we can't be under-the-rug-sweeping-Christians. I also laughed a lot. It is not a humor for everyone, but it is very funny to me.
There are more things I like and dislike, but I did find this entertaining and thought-provoking.
I enjoyed it. It's very unique in genre, style, humor, and content. Christian book, but also has language and content. I would have preferred if he'd refrained from the language bit. It seemed unnecessary. He's painting pictures of immoral people, and he didn't need those shades of black in the picture to convince me they were immoral. That goes for some of the content too. He didn't have to be quite as colorful as he was at times.
I honestly felt a little depressed by how awful everyone was? There are roughly 5 people in the whole story that I didn't actively dislike. And even in the end when things get resolved, it seems less than thorough resolution. I won't pose my questions here, because spoilers would happen, lol.
But! I love the willingness to address deep, hard issues like this. Sin happens in the church and we can't be under-the-rug-sweeping-Christians. I also laughed a lot. It is not a humor for everyone, but it is very funny to me.
There are more things I like and dislike, but I did find this entertaining and thought-provoking.
October 13, 2022
This book fit right in with the little that I’ve experienced of Doug Wilson’s fiction so far: engaging, witty, insightful, but lacking the subtlety of a great novel.
Case in point: in the first chapter (I think) one of the main characters finds himself in a situation mirroring that of Jonah. The book tells us so. The author doesn’t want us to miss it, but he does himself a disservice - things like this work better when allowed to work in the background of the imagination. But I nitpick. It’s a good story.
Case in point: in the first chapter (I think) one of the main characters finds himself in a situation mirroring that of Jonah. The book tells us so. The author doesn’t want us to miss it, but he does himself a disservice - things like this work better when allowed to work in the background of the imagination. But I nitpick. It’s a good story.
March 10, 2022
A fun audio listen for a road trip. Not as thrilling as Flags out Front, in part because of the sheer number of minor characters that weave in and out of the story, but an entertaining read nonetheless.
April 29, 2024
Listened to the audiobook. Wilson has very witty metaphors. It has the incisive mockery of Twain, without the despairing ending. The scandals just didn’t hold much interest for me. Maybe that’s my fault.
May 7, 2022
Filled with Jane Austinian insights into the people you run into in the evangelical world (paired with the Austinian conviction that what Wilson is writing about applies to you too) and artful Wodehousian turns of phrase. The writing is clever, and the story is satisfyingly interwoven into an artful tapestry that's not too hard on the eyes. Wilson also has an affection for his characters that shows throughout, their virtues and vices and the predicaments they get themselves into. The subject matter is discouraging at times (are people really this bad? Well, yeah) but the ending is ultimately encouraging. Really an excellent book.
April 29, 2021
Pretty funny at times. Suffers from too many story plots, the end of it got pretty confusing. But still Wilson writes genuinely Christian stories in a fun way.
October 15, 2022
Very entertaining and insightful of human behavior within the Evangelical church culture. Read this when it came out, and this time listened to on CanonPlus as an audiobook. Enjoyment grows with each time through.
December 2, 2019
Haven't read any fiction from Wilson before, and he's not half bad there either. Enjoyed reading this probably because I don't know any other novels that are so close to the church world and culture that is like the oxygen I breathe. I suspect most writers would get it wrong if not writing from "the inside." I don't know enough about mega churches though, to know if the complete mess of debauchery and faithless enterprise is normal, or even a little bit possible. If it is, it's very sad.
September 3, 2021
This book is sort of like one of those treats from Mexico that are, technically, candy, but they also contain chile powder and a ton of citric acid.
In other words, it's funny, shrewd, and a quick read, but also super misanthropic.
The narrative voice is Douglas Wilson's own, which is to say, full of sardonic psychological observations, bon mots, and silly but deep metaphors. The plot is P.G. Wodehouse-esque.
My biggest problem with it, and the reason I gave it only four stars instead of five, is that almost all the characters talk kind of alike, both in the dialogue and in their internal monologues. And the way they talk is also very similar to the narrative voice. This isn't realistic, and it sometimes makes the characters harder to keep track of in a comedy of errors that has a very large ensemble cast. Also, they sound too educated. What teenaged daughter says to her father that Costco was "a perfect madhouse"?
As for the expose part of it, I have been in the evangelical world my entire life but I have never been in a mega-church -- at all, really, but certainly not a mega-church like this one, where the pastor originally wanted to run for governor, has never been to seminary, doesn't read the Bible, seduces all the women he "counsels" and then pays them off, has bestselling books written by ghost writers and sermons written by same. If this kind of thing is truly widespread, that explains why Wilson is always chiding evangelicals. And why, perhaps, I shouldn't take his chiding personally, as it is apparently not directed at me.
In other words, it's funny, shrewd, and a quick read, but also super misanthropic.
The narrative voice is Douglas Wilson's own, which is to say, full of sardonic psychological observations, bon mots, and silly but deep metaphors. The plot is P.G. Wodehouse-esque.
My biggest problem with it, and the reason I gave it only four stars instead of five, is that almost all the characters talk kind of alike, both in the dialogue and in their internal monologues. And the way they talk is also very similar to the narrative voice. This isn't realistic, and it sometimes makes the characters harder to keep track of in a comedy of errors that has a very large ensemble cast. Also, they sound too educated. What teenaged daughter says to her father that Costco was "a perfect madhouse"?
As for the expose part of it, I have been in the evangelical world my entire life but I have never been in a mega-church -- at all, really, but certainly not a mega-church like this one, where the pastor originally wanted to run for governor, has never been to seminary, doesn't read the Bible, seduces all the women he "counsels" and then pays them off, has bestselling books written by ghost writers and sermons written by same. If this kind of thing is truly widespread, that explains why Wilson is always chiding evangelicals. And why, perhaps, I shouldn't take his chiding personally, as it is apparently not directed at me.
September 2, 2015
I have mixed feelings about this book. It captured my attention and was enjoyable in some ways, but in other ways the author took things a little too far and bordered on inappropriate. To be honest, there was way too much innuendo and I personally couldn't stomach it. The amount of controversy going on within the church seemed unrealistic. There were a lot of characters in the book and I don't think he wrapped up and connected all of their individual stories very well.
It seems that he managed to sample the problems and downfalls of mistaken churches and combine all of them into one corrupt mega church. The goal of the author is not to give justification for the sins of this church, but rather to reveal the absurdity of maintaining the title of a Christian while living immorally. It's certainly necessary to read this book in light of the truths presented in the Scriptures. Though by reading this book backed by true morals I've been able to both see the destructive repercussions and discern what the better alternative is, but I do believe that to come to the conclusions of what is destructive, simply learning the truth is a method more sure.
It seems that he managed to sample the problems and downfalls of mistaken churches and combine all of them into one corrupt mega church. The goal of the author is not to give justification for the sins of this church, but rather to reveal the absurdity of maintaining the title of a Christian while living immorally. It's certainly necessary to read this book in light of the truths presented in the Scriptures. Though by reading this book backed by true morals I've been able to both see the destructive repercussions and discern what the better alternative is, but I do believe that to come to the conclusions of what is destructive, simply learning the truth is a method more sure.
May 14, 2024
Fun to have this in audio now too.
January 11, 2023
This is one of those "can't believe I have never read it before" books. Listened to the audio, read by DW himself.
Quick sum: One pastor is a total scumbug, erroneously accused of a homosexual fling. Another pastor – in a Jonah role – is called to minister to him.
The pros:
Wilson has a Wodehousian, delightful way with words. Allusions and metaphors are long, pleasant, and snort-inducing.
Wilson can put plot pieces together in a way that surprises (often) and pleases (always).
Wilson has a finger on the pulse of motivations behind human action and sin.
The cons:
Once again (as with all other Wilson books) the dialogue is a real weak point. This was aggravated by the fact that I listened to it. Often, I had no, nada, zero idea who was speaking. Everyone sounds the same. A real faux-pas.
The surprising:
People think Ride Sally Ride is spicy. They obviously haven't read Evanjellyfish. It's far, far higher on the jalapeno scale. Brothels, homosexuals, dirty church financial officers, etc. This one packs a punch.
The Jonah allusions are very, very, very on the nose. They are up the nose. There are no easter eggs.
Quick sum: One pastor is a total scumbug, erroneously accused of a homosexual fling. Another pastor – in a Jonah role – is called to minister to him.
The pros:
Wilson has a Wodehousian, delightful way with words. Allusions and metaphors are long, pleasant, and snort-inducing.
Wilson can put plot pieces together in a way that surprises (often) and pleases (always).
Wilson has a finger on the pulse of motivations behind human action and sin.
The cons:
Once again (as with all other Wilson books) the dialogue is a real weak point. This was aggravated by the fact that I listened to it. Often, I had no, nada, zero idea who was speaking. Everyone sounds the same. A real faux-pas.
The surprising:
People think Ride Sally Ride is spicy. They obviously haven't read Evanjellyfish. It's far, far higher on the jalapeno scale. Brothels, homosexuals, dirty church financial officers, etc. This one packs a punch.
The Jonah allusions are very, very, very on the nose. They are up the nose. There are no easter eggs.
November 30, 2025
I expected this book to be more edifying, probably because it’s written by Doug Wilson and I’ve been encouraged in some way by everything I’ve read of his. This fictional book takes a satirical stab at the “megachurch culture” in America and presents the worst of the worst of the sin issues of this particular church’s staff and the chaos and fallout that ensues from these sins coming to light. It’s well written, but I didn’t enjoy it so much as I thought, “Are churches actually run by people like this??” And if they are, please help us, Lord! I appreciated the reformed pastor’s character and his journey of being called to be a “Jonah” to this megachurch pastor. But overall, this book was an odd read for me.
Listened on Cannon+.
Listened on Cannon+.
August 2, 2018
A great book that exposes the mess that is the culture of American Evangelicalism and also the grace that still shines through. The major weaknesses are that the world Wilson describes is definitely limited to his own geography and sociology. Its not particularly cosmopolitan nuanced. Its a world that is probably typical of the suburbia or exurbia in the West (and maybe the Midwest?), but it limits the otherwise interesting narrative Wilson weaves. The contrived Reformed-ish identity Wilson wants to make exist certainly exist in Evangellyfish. Not sure where else.
November 25, 2025
Very funny! Not too long. Some great satirical jabs. The theme means this is only for adults. Sexual promiscuity is the primary compromising sin for the mega church pastor Lester who is the foil to John the down to earth reformed Baptist small town pastor. Despite the heavy content the book moves quickly and keeps things funny by taking potshots at how people respond in various situations both mundane and highly unlikely. Also be aware some characters who are deep in sin use language and phrases that would not be proper for believers to use. I liked it better than “How to stay married: the most insane love story ever told.” In my mind they fit on a similar shelf. This is of course all fiction and satire though.
January 11, 2022
Really enjoyable. Doug Wilson demonstrates that he has an excellent understanding of the depravity of man. He does not try to “get to the gospel” as contemporary Christian fiction typical does. The moral flaws in his characters are evidence of the need for the gospel. Hence there is no real resolution at the end of the book, just the insight that even God’s generals can be some of the lewdest of men. Only criticism is that he gets a bit too excessive with his grammar in certain areas.
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