Messiah is a satirical novel by Gore Vidal, first published in 1954 in the United States by E.P.

The novel is written as the memoir of Eugene Luther (Vidal's birth name), one of the first followers of Cavism, founded by John Cave, an American undertaker.

The founder John Cave is himself killed by his followers when he proves inconvenient for the new religion's development.

Eventually, Cavism is successful in completely displacing and exterminating Christianity, even to the extent of all Gothic Cathedrals being systematically blown up and destroyed in order to erase any memory of the tradition.

The narrator, having quarrelled with the other religious leaders, finds refuge in Egypt – Islamic countries having forbidden Cavism any access to their territory.