Book Review: Towing Jehovah

James Morrow’s 1994 book Towing Jehovah is a satirical fantasy dealing with the death of God, literally. The book focuses on Captain Anthony Van Horne, a disgraced ship's captain who was responsible for a notorious oil spill. Captain Horne is charged by the Archangel Raphael to take the body of God to its final resting place, a monumental task, as the cadaver is over two miles in length and needs to be shipped to the arctic to be laid the rest.

The novel is incredibly satirical, dealing with how the catholic church would deal with both certifiable proof of Gods literal existence, as well as his demise, and focuses on themes of free will, religious and environmental extremists and how the death of God could effect mankind.

I found the novel to be a lot of fun, but have to admit I think many people would find the concept (or some of it's effects) to be offensive. Well worth the read, and leads to many interesting questions.