Kody Blackwell's "Whatever Gods May Be" is the story of a man, Thomas Abrams, appointed to lead a congregation after the previous pastor steps down. The conflict arises as he studies the Bible more and begins to lose his faith following his wife's announcement that they are expecting a baby. Though Abrams chose to take the job as pastor, by the end of the piece, he cannot deal with preaching something he does not truly believe in and leaves the church.
The plot of this piece is very interesting, as well as the setting. We haven't seen a piece yet that deals with the faith of a church leader, and I think that setting the story in a non-urban area emphasized the importance of the church in the lives of those in the congregation. The character of Thomas Abrams was also very strong - he had a past, and was a character I found easy to connect to. His struggle with is faith had a discernible cause and steady progression. I also found the tactful use of imagery when the Abrams were "having relations" to result in the pregnancy to be very good - it's very easy to be cliched or tactless when writing something inexplicit.
The story seemed to rely heavily on Abrams' study of the Bible, and I think that placing more of an emphasis on the things he studies as well as his reactions to them would make the piece stronger. I would also advise showing more of Bethany's pregnancy - his concerns as a father-to-be are what start him questioning his faith and the stories in the Bible, so it would make sense that her pregnancy could be used to mark time or remind the reader of how everything began. I would also like to know more about Mrs. Johnson, the grandmother in the nursing home. Abrams goes to her for advice about being a new father, but we never find out why. Is it just because she's old and has raised her own children? Even if so, I'd like to know.
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