The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Condé, Maryse. The Gospel According to the New World. World Editions, 2023.

Maryse Condé's novel is primarily set in contemporary Martinique and in the present day. The novel is written in the past tense and from the third person point of view. The following summary abides by similar formal rules.

Maya gave birth to a baby boy. Because she did not have the support of the child's father Corazón or her parents, Maya felt she had no choice but to abandon her infant son.

Shortly thereafter, Jean Pierre and Eulalie, a couple living nearby, found Maya's baby in a shed. They brought him home, named him Pascal, and adopted him as their son. Because of the mysterious circumstances surrounding Pascal's appearance in Fonds-Zombi, rumors began to spread about his origins. Many believed that he was the second son of God the Father and that he had been sent to change the world.

When Pascal was five, Eulalie informed him she and Jean Pierre were not his birth parents. Over the course of the years following, Pascal began to pay more attention to the stories about his birth and his potentially divine parentage.

Some time after graduating from school and leaving his parents' home, Pascal began to develop followers. Among them was a young man named Judas. These disciples admired Pascal's mission to promote peace and equality, and even began to spread his teachings.

Then one day, Judas informed Pascal that his birth mother was living nearby. Pascal was thrilled to meet Maya, now going by the name of Fatima. Although the two developed a deep kinship, Pascal still longed to meet his biological father.

With Fatima's blessing, Pascal headed to Brazil to find Corazón. Upon arrival, Corazón's brother Espíritu informed Pascal that Corazón had left town in an attempt to avoid Pascal. Pascal was devastated.

When Pascal returned to Martinique, he found his familiar hometown changed. He did his best to reorient to his life here. However, Judas's shifting political alliances complicated Pascal's ability to maintain stability. He was soon jailed for a week and received death threats upon his release.

Per Espíritu's recommendation, Pascal fled to Caracalla, a colony in West Africa. At first, life here seemed idyllic. When Pascal's friends were arrested, evicted, or killed without cause, however, Pascal realized he had to leave.

Over the course of his twenties and early thirties, Pascal did his best to not only spread his teachings, but to promote love and equality. Faced with constant tragedy and suffering wherever he went, however, it was easy for Pascal to despair. When his friends’ little boy drowned, Pascal was particularly overtaken by emotion. He decided to leave the island where he was living. However, on his flight back to Fonds-Zombi, Pascal's plane crashed at Saint-Sauveur and he died at 33.

Pascal resurrected after the crash at Saint-Sauveur. He donned the new identity of a man named Monsieur Gribaldi. He and his wife Madame Gribaldi adopted a little boy they named Alfa. They raised him at home and embraced an unconventional lifestyle. Although many were unsure about their origins and their beliefs, the family was contented with their peaceful and isolated life.