In which Elmer Gantry settles into a small-town pulpit with a mixture of social charm and theatrical innovation, endeavouring to enliven the sleepy congregation through novel prayer-meeting techniques and literary allusions. Meanwhile, he supplements his theological studies with a curious and somewhat haphazard exploration of literature and philosophy, guided by both earnest ambition and a certain impatience, while cultivating a growing attachment to Cleo Benham.