Godsent

Author: Richard Burton
Publisher: Arcade Publishing
Genre: Thriller
ISBN: 978-1-61145-706-3
Pages: 464
Price; $24.95

When Kate finds herself pregnant, her immediate thought is, “How can that be? I’ve had no relations with a man.” Confirmation from the angel, Gabriel, lets her know she’s carrying God’s son – the second son. Based on Mark 8:38, which states that the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with the holy angels, this is interpreted to mean that her son, Ethan, is the second son of God.

It’s a lot harder to announce yourself as the son of God in today’s technologically advanced society, especially when there are those who would like to see you perish quickly. Caught in the crossfire between the Congregation – a modern version of the Inquisition by the Catholic Church, and Conversatio – a group eagerly awaiting the second son, Ethan is forced to rely on his great-grandfather, Papa Jim, for protection. But Papa Jim is not the man he pretends to be, and he is more concerned about himself than Ethan. Using a whirlwind tour around the country and podcasts from his website, Ethan proclaims his message to the world. But what really is his message? Filled with compassion for the hurting people he encounters, he struggles with his desire to help, while also allowing them free will.

As a devout Catholic, I was really disappointed with this book. First, I don’t interpret this Bible verse in the way the author did. But more importantly, I felt that there was a wonderful opportunity to reinforce and uphold traditional Christian values through Ethan, but instead he chose to lean toward a much more liberal interpretation of morality. Ethan actually has the audacity to say that God was wrong, and that he had made mistakes! And he rejected, for all of humanity, the ultimate gift Jesus gave us, in offering Himself as the sacrifice for our sins.

Reviewer: Alice Berger