Elmer Gantry (1927) by Sinclair Lewis is a scathing satirical novel that exposes the hypocrisy, corruption, and moral decay within American evangelicalism during the early 20th century. The novel follows the rise of its titular character, Elmer Gantry—a charismatic but ruthlessly ambitious former college football player who becomes a fraudulent yet wildly successful preacher.
Gantry begins as a heavy-drinking, womanizing seminary student who stumbles into revivalist preaching under the influence of a manipulative evangelist, Sharon Falconer. Despite his complete lack of genuine faith, he masters the art of religious spectacle, exploiting the emotional fervor of his congregations for money, power, and sexual gratification. After Falconer’s death in a tragic fire, Gantry reinvents himself as a Baptist minister, climbing the ranks of organized religion while indulging in hypocrisy at every turn—denouncing sin in public while engaging in it privately.
Lewis’s novel is a brutal critique of religious charlatanism, portraying how piety can be weaponized for personal gain. The book mercilessly dissects the commercialization of faith, the gullibility of believers, and the moral compromises of those who preach virtue without practicing it. At the same time, it offers glimpses of sincere believers, contrasting them with Gantry’s shameless exploitation.
Upon its release, Elmer Gantry was met with outrage from religious groups and was even banned in some cities. Yet it became a critical success, further cementing Lewis’s reputation as one of America’s foremost social satirists. Today, the novel remains a provocative and darkly humorous examination of the intersection between religion, power, and human weakness—its themes still resonant in an era of televangelism and megachurch scandals.
A controversial masterpiece, Elmer Gantry is both a gripping character study and a fearless indictment of organized religion’s darker impulses.
