eb·en·thol·o·gy
ɛb ən ˈθɒl ə dʒi
(noun)
a collection of nonfiction essays
by a particular author that
emphasize personal landmark
moments in support of confirming
the doctrine of God’s benevolence;
from the Hebrew word for “stone”
American soldier Nathan Geist may be the weakest of his infantry unit, but that doesn’t stop him from going on a series of dangerous missions in Afghanistan to live up to his somewhat-ironic nickname. The young, idealistic Sergeant wants to serve his tour with honor, but is conflicted after he feeds his family a lie about what his wartime responsibilities actually consist of. After surviving his deployment, Nathan finds out that the danger he faced in Afghanistan is unlike the Danger he faces in the United States.
His own war is just about to start.
Danger is about to finish his internship and graduate from his Master’s Program to become a professional counselor until his hidden vice is revealed in a most embarrassing series of events. After being fired from his job, dismissed from church leadership, kicked out of school, and barred from professional counseling, Danger’s mental health spirals as his once-dormant obsessive-compulsive disorder takes hold of his life, turning him into an abusive husband and father. Recognizing that he can never escape his new role as a villain, Danger realizes that the most heroic thing he could possibly do for his family is end himself before he inflicts any further pain.
Danger has 40 days in Israel and Palestine to conduct enough interviews to earn his doctorate, but the trip becomes more transcendent than scientific as he’s increasingly distracted by the rich religious history of the land. Danger returns home feeling like he finally understands God, at least until he accidentally kills a beloved member of his family. After Danger’s most earnest prayers only inflame his catastrophe, he abandons the most fundamental precepts he thought he knew about God and turns to the ancient wisdom found in the Holy Land.