"Operation Screwtape" by Andrew Farley [w. Author Interview]

About the Book:

(Fiction) Expert linguist Dr. Andrew Farley has discovered a device containing thousands of archived files that reveal a worldwide spiritual conspiracy. Operation Screwtape, the largest of these files, details an intelligent scheme to steal, kill, and destroy.

At great personal risk to himself and his reputation, Dr. Farley has translated this document and made it available to the world. What you do with this information is up to you.

My Thoughts:

I have to be honest- when I picked up this book I didn't expect much. Not because of the author or the theological content- I have been a fan of Dr. Andrew Farleys books for quite a while. But I always get nervous when people write Christian fiction, especially that is based off of other Christian Fiction (The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis) and when people write about Spiritual Warfare. So when I heard about Dr. Farleys new book I was very skeptical to say the least. It took me a while to actually pick it up and read it once I had received my review copy. But once I did, I couldn't put it down.

In this short work (184 Pages in all), Dr. Farley takes us through a hidden manuscript that has recently been revealed- a training manual of sorts- for demons. The manual is divided in to three sections: Steal, Kill, and Destroy, and outlines Satans plans to distract, distort, and destroy the follower of Jesus Christ. I know that sounds a little hokey, but I promise you, this book is filled with wit, theological depth, and Gospel-centered teaching that will challenge, convict, and entertain all who pick up this book. I should not that this book isn't actually on the topic of Spiritual Warfare at all- the topics Farley addresses are broad, from Baptism, to the Bible, to Celebrity Pastors, to the idea of an angry and condemning God- and how all these things (and many others) are actually tools of the enemy to distract the follower of Christ. I found myself cringing and saying "Ouch!" out loud as I read through some of the sections where Dr. Farley takes a no-nonsense approach in addressing the various topics that can cause Christians to be divided, discouraged, and disoriented. Yet the "Ouch" was not one of hurt but conviction and caused me to rethink some of the issues that have caused the body of Christ so much harm for so long.

Of course, no one will agree with everything Dr. Farley says, but I guarantee that if you take the time to read this book that your faith will be the better for it. This was a new genre for Dr. Andrew Farley and he has hit a home run with this book. The only criticism I can offer is that some parts of the book don't quite flow- but it's supposed to be a manual for spiritual war by demons, so I really can't be too critical. With all of that said:

 I give Operation Screwtape by Andrew Farley a 4.5 out of 5 Stars.

Operation Screwtape is published by Baker Books and will be available wherever books are sold on January 15th, 2013. (Available in E-Book NOW)

Author Interview:

Review for the Patheos Book Club Roundtable Discussion

For more information about the Patheos Book Club, click here.