Euliss "Sonny" Dewey is a popular Pentecostal preacher who breaks down when he hinds out that his long-suffering wife, Jessie, has fallen in love with Horace, a young minister. Fed up, Jessie also manages to wrest control of Sonny′s church. in a burst of rage, Sonny strikes Horace with a baseball bat, putting him into a coma. Sonny leaves Texas for Louisiana, and by forging a new identity as "The Apostle," he finds redemption in building a new congregation in a mostly black bayou town. He preaches daily on the radio, takes to the street with bible in hand, and begins a romance with the secretary at the radio station. Through covert phone calls, however, he learns that both his beloved mother and Horace have died. Although the church flourishes, the Apostle cannot escape his own inner demons, his longing to see his children, and the desire to reclaim the life he left behind. Veteran actor Robert Duvall wrote, directed and financed this film that depicts with realism and compassion the religious world of America′s Deep South, without resorting to condescension or stereotyping of this distinctive subculture. The casting of many non-professionals adds to the authentic appeal of this film. (Im Hyun-Ock)