FARMINGTON — A reading and book-signing by local minister and author Doug Walrath of Farmington to highlight his work, “Displacing the Divine, The Minister in the Mirror of American Fiction,” will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 17, at Devaney Doak & Garrett Booksellers on Broadway.

After tracking changing patterns of beliefs and church participation in American society for over 40 years, Walrath’s research revealed that portrayals of ministers in American fiction mirror changing perceptions of the Protestant church and a Protestant God.

As religious leaders, ministers are often assumed to embody the faith of the institutions they represent. As cultural symbols, they reflect subtle changes in society and beliefs, or people’s perception of God and the evolving role of the church, Walrath said.

Walrath studied novels written by different authors and a variety of fictional ministers including religious misfits, harsh Puritans, incorrigible scoundrels, victims of belief, phony preachers, social activists and more.

He concludes his work with the 19th and 20th century images of ministers that highlights the ongoing challenges of skepticism, secularization and science that today’s religious leaders face.

Walrath is a Lowry professor emeritus of practical theology at Bangor Seminary. He has served has served as pastor, church executive, seminary professor and church strategy consultant in the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom.