Elmer Gantry

by Sinclair Lewis

"Elmer Gantry" by Sinclair Lewis is a satirical novel published in 1927. It follows a charismatic but morally corrupt preacher who rises through American evangelical and fundamentalist circles despite his hypocrisy, womanizing, and thirst for power. As Gantry climbs from small fringe churches to become a major force in the Methodist Church, his manipulations and scandals destroy lives around him while he barely escapes ruin himself. The novel offers a biting critique of 1920s religious culture and created enormous controversy upon publication.