Godlust: Facing the Demonic, Embracing the Divine

I knew Dr. Walters decades ago. Fate seemed to propel me to reading this book. This book is very well written. While it is a scholarly examination of, perhaps, our frequent tendencies to mis-understand and mis-use religious principles, I found that it, too, was somewhat of a practical tool for inspiring me and helping me to examine my personal faith and the exercises therein. His thinking really matured in two decades and he offers brilliant insights into our spiritual growth and diversions from our spiritual path. I don't see this as a treatise on spiritual growth or religion as much as I see it an examination of some of the ways that our own psyche can push us to diversions of which we are so often blind. I found one typo. It's only 153 pages. Font size is ok to a bit small - (I might invest in bifocals). This book is easy to read, but, in chunks. While most history books twice this size I can pour through in an afternoon, this book is best read over time. It took me a week, although elections took away some of my time ... I know that he would blush to hear me say that he did a brilliant job. While scholarly, as I read this book, I could envision his own faith and journey and humility. Since the personality - psychological factors are such important considerations, I might have liked to see him explore some of the psychological literature. I feel like this might be less of a how to book than it is a how not to book. For me, it's right! Solid A. Well worth the price, used or new.

When I first read the subtitle, I thought this was going to be another one of those crazy fundamentalist books about demons and exorcism. Wrong. The "demonic" is our own psychological drive to imagine that we're God, totally in control of our lives and the final authorities on everything under the sun. Old-fashioned idolatry is the fundamental human sin that holds us back from finding God and finding ourselves. Reading this book helped me see the different ways that I act like God. It's frightening to realize just how infected we all are with "godlust." PS--another reviewer said the book was hard to read in places. Yeah, it is. The author doesn't act like we're morons.

Finally someone has written the book that brings the Bible alive by explaining through the life of King Herod the age-old struggle of good and evil, truth and lie, beauty (wholeness) and our shattered, fallen nature. This book is for the intellectual seeker who longs to see the face of God and understand why the world is what it is. As an author, I've perused its pages more than once, recommended it to fellow writers, and even quoted it in a book on loss (Dare to Trust, Dare to Hope Again--Living With Losses of the Heart--Fall 2001 release) that I just finished writing. Godlust deserves to be on the bookshelf of every pastor, priest, and theology professor and in the hands of all who seek the Truth. It gave me a clearer view not only of the Creator but of life's losses and why people do what they do.

Walters claims that many people are infected with the lust to be God, and that this drives us to try and conquer truth, beauty, and goodness. The chapter on our war against nature is especially good. The discussion of the flick "Citizen Kane" in the last chapter makes me want to see it again. A great book, but watch out--if the author is correct, a lot of what he says may hit too close to home.

"A probing insight into the origins, deep within the human soul, of our present disturbed relationships with the primordial source of our being...[Walters] indicates the way in which to seek a remedy deep enough and sufficiently powerful to deal with the issue at its proper order of magnitude." Thomas Berry, author of "The Dream of the Earth""One will appreciate the lucid, theopoetic way in which Walters elucidates original sin not only as the human lust to be God but also as the demonic attempt to devour all truth, beauty, and good. The way he proceeds from the eating in the Garden of Eden to the Eucharist is especially instructive." Harvey D. Egan, S.J., Professor of Systematic and Mystical Theology, Boston College"Kerry Walters' book is a remarkably fresh, readable, and, above all, insightful interpretation of timeless religious wisdom. The use of themes from literature and film adds color and character to a work deeply rooted in classic Christian spirituality and theology. Strongly recommended." John F. Haught, Professor of Theology, Georgetown University