Metta Valley Gospel: Book 1

by Zachary Helton

“For anyone healing from fundamentalism, this book feels like freedom.”
—Cindy Wang Brandt, author of Parenting Forward

A story for those done with church, but not spirituality.Raised in a world of rules and shame, Jesus has always questioned what others accept. He’s sharp, restless, and tired of being told who he’s allowed to be. When his defiance finally erupts in a clash with the rabbi who trained him, he is forced to leave his home behind. Angry and unmoored, he wanders the ancient world in search of a new beginning—stumbling instead into a journey that will overturn everything he was taught to believe.

His path leads him east, into a remote Buddhist monastery tucked in the mountains. There, as he faces the voices of shame and fear within him, he begins to unlearn the stories that once held him captive and to imagine a freer, more compassionate way of being.

Metta Valley Gospel is a work of literary, philosophical, and historical fiction about Jesus—an engaging, imaginative retelling for anyone healing from fundamentalism or reconstructing their spirituality.

Perfect for fans of The Book of Longings, The Alchemist, Lamb, and other character-driven, historical and spiritual fiction.

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“Helton’s engaging adaptation of Jesus’s story… opens the imagination to the depths of our shared histories.”
—Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness and Real Life

“Not since Christopher Moore’s Lamb has there been a fictionalized retelling of the Jesus story that had this much imagination, style, and punch.”
—Rev. Dr. John R. Mabry, author of The Worship of Mystery

If you're ready for the Jesus story they never taught in Sunday School, this is a good place to start.

334 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 4, 2025

About the author

Zachary Helton is an author and board-certified spiritual care counselor whose work speaks to exvangelicals, mystics, and seekers reimagining their relationship to the sacred. A former pastor raised in evangelicalism, he now writes stories and reflections that blend emotional depth, spiritual insight, and narrative craft. His debut novel, Metta Valley Gospel, reimagines the Jesus story through the lens of healing, liberation, and interspiritual wisdom. His work has appeared in Braided Way, Flash Fiction Magazine, Baptist News Global, and Nurturing Faith. He lives with his partner, two kids, and the world’s cutest Cavapoo—and when he’s not writing, he’s probably getting way too into a new series or re-reading something by Thich Nhat Hanh.

Reviews

[Nicola · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Any religion can be co-opted by narcissists, fearful people, and power-grabbers,’ Zachary Helton says in his author’s note, ‘They (religions) can be vehicles for abuse and harm, just as they can be vessels for justice and love. I hope this novel embodies both.’

It does. Powerfully and entertainingly.

Fleeing his home in Judea after a vitriolic encounter with his rabbi, Jesus becomes a homeless exile in Kashi, on the Ganges River. Weak and hungry, he is offered employment by the luminous character of Abraham, a vineyard owner and fellow Judean exile, whose history echoes Jesus’ own clash with the hierarchy of their religion. Years before, trained as a Pharisee but banished for rebellion, Abraham had been cared for by a Buddhist community in Metta Valley. There he regained his faith in the essential humanity that lies beneath scripture, and made it his mission to share that humanity. Jesus’ disenchantment with his faith is soothed by Abraham’s wisdom, but when he too travels to Metta Valley, he faces an uphill battle to reconcile himself with his damaged history, the shame of his birth, and the flaws of his volatile nature.

Arrogant and impulsive, Jesus makes an effective Everyman – which is infinitely arguably what he should be – both experiencing and exhibiting the prejudice, self-doubt and anger that all of humanity knows.

And then there is the devastating, crushing, terrifying, scene of the Temptation, where the voice in the wilderness debases Jesus and inflames his grievances, alternately urging him to submit to religious and temporal authority, or to take up a sword against it.

Metta Valley Gospel can and should be read by everyone – especially by those who shy away from religion – if only to remind us of the power that can be wielded by those who are inclined to wield it.

Nicola Belluomo

[Kylie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never read a book about Jesus "finding himself", and it was refreshing to see a version of Jesus that seemed more fully human, not knowing who he really was and struggling with anger and other normal human feelings while looking for purpose. Growing up Christian, I was taught to view other religions with caution, so reading about a Jesus who studied at a Buddhist monastery while gaining wisdom and understanding from doing so was both challenging and eye opening. Zach's playful speculations on the origins of many of Jesus's parables and stories were cleverly written too. I'm really looking forward to reading Book 2 and seeing how Jesus comes into his own.

[Brittany Wade · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story felt thoughtful, creative, and surprisingly accessible (for someone who knows little to nothing about Buddhism). It expanded how I think about Jesus and spiritual practice. This was a great way to go into 2026.

I’m so ready (and not ready in some ways) for the next one!

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite read of 2025! I did not want the story to end.

[Julia Helton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I might be bias because my cousin wrote this but though-provoking with a good mix of humor. Go, Zach!!