A New Direction for Pastor Stephen Grant

Keating, Ray. Vatican Shadows: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel. Long Island: Keating Reports, 2020. 359 Pages. Paper. $19.99.  https://raykeatingonline.com/products/vaticanshadows

In our most recent review of a Pastor Stephen Grant book, I wrote:

The new Epilogue to the first novel gets some payoff in The Traitor, which I think of as a short novel or long short story. The Traitor is a game-changer for the Warrior Monk series starring Pastor Stephen Grant. It is in many ways a return to the worldbuilding Ray Keating did with Warrior Monk, and is an excellent jumping on point for new readers. (Read the Second Edition of Warrior Monk first!)

I smiled to see these promotions: 

And:

"How about a Lutheran-Catholic thriller trilogy ... and signed by the author?"

New to the series? Wonder where to begin?

There are two ways to get caught up with the Pastor Stephen Grant series. 

• Read Warrior Monk, The Traitor, and Vatican Shadows (as in the photo above) and then read every adventure in between.
• Read everything in order (as in the photo at the bottom of this post).

What do I mean by "A New Director for Pastor Stephen Grant?"

So much of Ray Keating's world has presented our world with a few minor changes. Skip forward just a few years...

Vatican Shadows introduces more. Is it a better world than ours? In some ways, yes, and in others, no. Take for example the people lurking in the shadows in this particular novel. The USA has a different President. The LCMS has a different President. The Roman Catholic Church has a different Pope (the second different from our timeline). And the Lutheran University of New York (LUNY) still exists...

The new direction is a major breakthrough in ecumenical relations. In brief, the Pope needs the help of Pastor Stephen Grant. He has a plan to rehabilitate Jan Hus and Martin Luther in the eyes of the Roman Church. Lurkers in the shadows want to prevent this, hence a series of assorted murders. 

Author Ray Keating has earned the right to ask for my willing suspension of disbelief. Readers are rewarded with a good plot, character development, fascinating theological and moral conundrums, and more than one payoff when the subplots are resolved.

• What should be the role of a Pope in the Catholic Church today?
• How much force is justified to end a threat?
• When do those who wish to "protect the Church" go too far?
• Why do villians always think they are the good guys, and what can that teach us about our sinful human nature?
• What will it take for the Roman Church to reverse its position and agree with Scripture when it comes to clergy marriage, the role of works, the Gospel, papal supremacy, and the call to reform from Hus and Luther?
• How can a husband and wife build, maintain, or rebuild trust within marriage?

Fiction takes this reviewer more time to digest than nonfiction. 

Reading book review copies of Pastor Stephen Grant novels never feels like homework. It's a reward for me as a book reviewer. It's amazing how theological tension, detailed action scenes, and personal riddles can be so relaxing to read!

What is next for Ray Keating's Pastor Stephen Grant? Past Lives, another short story. 

And then? Stay tuned!

Rev. Paul J Cain is Senior Pastor of Immanuel, Sheridan, Wyoming, Headmaster of Martin Luther Grammar School and Immanuel Academy, a member of the Board of Directors of the Consortium for Classical Lutheran Education, Secretary of the Wyoming District of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and a member of its Board of Directors, Wyoming District Education Chairman/NLSA Commissioner, and Editor of Lutheran Book Review. He has served as an LCMS Circuit Visitor, District Worship Chairman and District Evangelism Chairman. A graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Rev. Cain is a contributor to Lutheran Service Book, Lutheranism 101, the Hymnal Companion hymn and liturgy volumes, and is the author of 5 Things You Can Do to Make Our Congregation a Caring Church. He is an occasional guest on KFUO radio. He has previously served Emmanuel, Green River, WY and Trinity, Morrill, NE. Rev. Cain is married to Ann and loves reading and listening to, composing, and making music.