Rewriting the sacred
Reconnecting with the Ultimate

Zachary Helton

A new novel that asks:
What if there was a different way to tell the Jesus story?

Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness and Real Life

"Helton’s engaging adaptation of Jesus’s story, 'The Metta Valley Gospel,' opens the imagination to the depths of our shared histories, emphasizing the interconnected and universal nature of wisdom and compassion."

About Zach

I offer resources for spiritual seekers, exvangelicals, and story-lovers who are reexamining religion and exploring what brings them to life.

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Featured Articles & Short Stories

Jesus 2024

A comedic short story featured in The Braided Way Magazine.

Oct 31, 2024

Do We Need Fewer Eco-Prophets and More Eco-Chaplains?

An article featured in Nurturing Faith Magazine.

May 30, 2024

How to Love Anyone (Even White Supremacists)

An article featured in Braided Way Magazine.

May 9, 2024

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Talks

Rewriting the Self: Finding Freedom in Bigger Stories

The problem is, when we get too attached to one particular story—a story about who we are… and what kind of world we’re living in… what kind of people are around us… we lose perspective. Our perception gets narrow. In short, we suffer, and we cause suffering to those around us.

Jul 27, 2025

Mary the Tower: What Mary Magdalene Scholarship Taught Me About Authority and the Wisdom of Multiplicity

A talk given on June 8, 2025, for the Unitarian Universalist Church of Pensacola.

Jun 7, 2025

The Spirituality of E Pluribus Unum: Out of Many, One

E pluribus unum is one of those catchphrases we hear so often that it can sometimes become meaningless—a collection of sounds as familiar as “Just Do It” or “I’m Lovin’ It.” But, at its heart, it encapsulates a wisdom that reminds us just what the United States is.

May 3, 2025

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Latest Posts

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Teaching

Monthly Liturgies for those deconstructing Faith

Each month, I send a brief “liturgy” of readings, reflections, and resources for anyone reexamining religion & exploring what brings them to life.

I'll also keep you up to date on any new projects I'm working on new content released.

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Rewriting the sacred Reconnecting with the Ultimate