I have a question that, I am having a (very) hard time identifying themes such as Gospel According to Larry. I am pretty much terrible doing theme statements.

One important theme in THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LARRY is that of relationships. Josh's relationships play a key role in his actions and thoughts. The most important relationship in the novel is between Josh and Beth. They are best friends, but Josh has been in love with Beth since sixth grade. He is irritated that she dates Todd, and this causes several arguments between them. Larry's Sermon 97 talks about whether relationships are meaningful, and Beth says she is done with Todd and is going to focus on important things now, like the Larry club. After Josh admits to the reader that he is Larry, he complains "it was a Catch-22. I was happy that what I did was interesting to others, but because Larry's identity was unknown, I couldn't take any credit for the phenomenon, couldn't use it on my resume, or more importantly, brag about it to someone like Beth. I could, I suppose, but there's something pretty slimy about a philosopher seeking attention for personal gain" (p. 43). At Larryfest, their relationship seems to become a bit more romantic as they hold hands, but after they return home, Josh kisses Beth instead of telling her that he is Larry. He kicks her out when she confesses that she is dating Todd again. Beth is furious when she learns that Josh is Larry, and she ends the friendship because, "Friendship is based on honesty. And let's face it, you were living a giant lie" (p. 164).