The Clowns of God [Unknown Binding]

I am an out and out atheist who believes that the second coming is utter tosh but this is one of my all time favourite books.

Whatsup Beth is right when she(?) says the geopolitical situation of the plot has changed but I do not think that undermines the issues raised by the book, ie how would the Christian church authorities and self professed believers in Christ react to "the second coming", what would the likes of the TV evangelists, like Jerry Falwell, say when confronted with the son of god again incarnate? Would those who claim to claim to live their lives according to Christian values believe him? Would they take his message on board or would they condemn him and try to ignore or silence him because he is an effective and inconvenient political agitator who challenges their way of life? And, taking religion out of it, does humankind, believer, agnostic or atheist, have the ability to rise above personal interest when the very ground beneath his/her feet is in danger?

In itself it is a good story and, if you want to take it to another level, it asks some interesting questions about one's own openess.

Now and then, authors decide to write books, going into great depth to outline their own religious beliefs, which are fundamental to the particular faith they belong to. One such book is Clowns of God by Morris West.
Outlining these beliefs and trying to bring it to the readers attention, can at times be very difficult for many writers. Obviously, not everyone has the same beliefs and this can be an underpinning hardship that needs to be overcome. Writers need to write in such a manner that draws its intended audiences attention but at the same time doesn’t overdramatise or try and force religious ideas upon someone.
Not just with its story or language but also with the passion it can engender, Clowns of God is one such book. Possibly the situation is rather out-of-date now, with geopolitical associations entirely reorganized. Nevertheless, when the novel was initially produced some decades before, the type of doomsday developments it pointed to was not all that improbable. Numerous people who lived throughout the Cold War will remember the prevalent apprehension caused as a result of the lunacy of “Mutual Assured Destruction - MAD” presumptions.
Situated in the heart of the Catholic Church, the novel dejectedly loses some of its power and forte when interpreted by other religious communities not familiar with the Catholic faith. Unfortunate but unavoidable, as the theological foundations are seen as significant contributions to the story. In short, while the Western World along with the Communist World compete for superiority, a grain shortage within the Soviet Union provides the West a salvation with the aim of being used to assist or obliterate. This window of opportunity forges in the minds of the advocates who already show a leaning to destructive behaviour the need for drastic measures to be put in place. Into this perilous cauldron appears an urgency to restructure the power of the then current Pope and his role as papal leader of the Catholic Church. Confident in the certainty that a apparition from God has been established in which the world will come to a dramatic conclusion, the Pope is recommended to sermonize in view of that belief, or he faces the confrontation of vested interests. Stripped of his papacy by the anxious hierarchy, he unsteadily walks and confronts his believers, praying for a signal that he is correct whilst trying to incorporate information from friends and associates.
Interestingly as it may seem, the novel, intended for older audiences along with all its inspiring opportunities is subsequently minor. Morris is a master not simply at content but at crafting individuals that are essentially and perceptibly human, through burdens and weaknesses that accentuate their prominence. The depiction he spreads of immense authoritive competitions while his believers’ race in the direction of a precipice is certainly frightening. What is left over in the mind nonetheless are the inscriptions intended for God, time aged issues in which everyone wishes to raise but whose response is a dilemma that so many have a hard time discovering. At the level in which Morris has written, those who may be foreign to the Christian faith will value the revelations this book raises and gain an insight into Christian theology.

Morris West was a superior popular novelist and The Clowns of God shows him at his very best. The novel grips you from the first sentence and moves along briskly with excellently believable characters. It is set against the background of the cold war and nuclear confrontation between east and west: although this scenario no longer pertains in the same way the novel has lost none of its power as its themes are universal. This is the only novel I know where God himself makes a realistic appearance as a convincing character. The novel is quite superb, well beyond the norm and a really enjoyable and memorable read.