"The goal is for this to be a place for respectful discussion; informed criticism; Christian orthodoxy; sound economics; traditional conservatism; civilized politics; interesting reviews of books, movies, television and streaming shows, and other artsy stuff; sports analysis; humor; fun; and more." - Ray Keating, editor, publisher, columnist and economist at the Keating Files
For about 20 years, Ray Keating wrote a weekly column - a short time with the New York City Tribune, more than 11 years with Newsday, another seven years with Long Island Business News, plus another year-and-a-half with RealClearMarkets.com. As an economist, Keating also pens an assortment of analyses each week. With the Keating Files, he decided to expand his efforts with regular commentary touching on a broad range of issues, written by himself and an assortment of talented contributors and columnists. So, here goes...
The Alliance of Saint Michael brings together men and women with varied backgrounds and talents to work covertly against the two most significant threats to Christianity and civilization at the dawn of the 1930s - communism and fascism.
In Moscow, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour is going to be obliterated to make way for the Palace of the Soviets. The Alliance of St. Michael readies itself for its first mission – find and salvage a rare item of great significance from the cathedral before the building is lost.
Regarding CATHEDRAL…
"A stellar depiction of time period and tension. With so many swirling motives and three-dimensional characters in the mix, there is inherent tension for readers, as they eagerly anticipate one of Keating’s classic twists. The depth of historical detail is notable; a good deal of research went into the crafting of this novel, which gives it an authentic and immersive feel. The complex puzzle makes for a page-turning and unpredictable ride, and a firm foundation for Keating’s enticing new series." - Self-Publishing Review, ★★★★
“…many of you will enjoy Cathedral and the new series that it launches… Ray Keating is working with an explicitly Christian moral and theological framework, demonstrating the freedom that Lutheran novelists have in their vocation.” - Gene Veith, Cranach: The Blog of Veith, and author of many books including The Spirituality of the Cross
“A sophisticatedly crafted and exhilarating read, the intrigue and thrills begin from the very first page and don’t stop till the end as Keating delivers an absolute corker of a Historical Thriller! … Cathedral proves an addictively entertaining five-star read and is unreservedly recommended.” - BookViral Reviews
“This new Alliance of St. Michael series continues Keating's already demonstrated mastery and skill in writing, character development, and accelerating the interest level of the reader throughout… As with all Keating novels, this newest venture is worth your interest, reading and gifting.” - Pastor Rod Zwonitzer, retired host of KFUO radio's “BookTalk”
“A Catholic, a Lutheran, and an Anglican walk into an auditorium, all surprisingly ready for action and adventure. Ray Keating’s newest series, ‘An Alliance of Saint Michael,’ is an action thriller starring various Christians, of various denominations, coming together to fight ideological evil… a good summer read, quite in line with Keating’s other works.” - Mary J. Moerbe, “Meet, Write & Salutary” blog
Facing Threats and Murder, a Pope Calls on a Lutheran Pastor and Former CIA Operative for Help
Long Island, NY –Ray Keating returns with his latest page-turning thriller titled Vatican Shadows: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel.
More than 500 years ago, two men – Jan Hus and Martin Luther – tried to bring about change in the Catholic Church. They suffered, with one burned at the stake. Could a modern-day pope transform these reformers from heretics to heroes in the eyes of the Catholic Church? Shadowy figures inside and outside the Vatican oppose Pope Paul VII’s efforts, and stand willing to do anything to stop him. For help, the pope turns to Stephen Grant, a Lutheran pastor, former Navy SEAL and onetime CIA operative.
The action is intense and unrelenting. The characters and relationships are captivating and filled with complexity, commitment and betrayal. The twists and turns are fun. The dialogue is lively. And the story serves up reflections about faith, love, conflict, history, and friendship that are thought-provoking.
Ray Keating said, “First and foremost, I hope readers – whether they be longtime or new Pastor Grant readers – enjoy Vatican Shadows as a page-turning thriller. In addition, I think Vatican Shadows could serve as an ideal book for all kinds of book clubs and discussion groups.”
About Keating and his Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries, Kirkus Reviews simply says “exhilarating.” Lutheran Book Review says, “I miss Tom Clancy. Keating fills that void for me.” The retired host of KFUO radio’s BookTalk declares, “Ray Keating is a great novelist.” David Keene of The Washington Times calls these novels “great reads.” And another reviewer observes, “How I'd love to see Pastor Grant on Netflix!”
Keating’s previous Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers/mysteries – The Traitor (2019), Deep Rough (2019), Shifting Sands (2018), Heroes and Villains (2018), Reagan Country (2018), Lionhearts (2017), Wine Into Water (2016), Murderer’s Row (2015), The River (2014), An Advent For Religious Liberty (2012), Root of All Evil? (Second Edition 2020), and Warrior Monk (Second Edition 2019)– have received widespread praise from all kinds of readers.
Review copies, and author interviews and appearances are available upon request.
Season 4 of FX’s anthology series Fargo offers some timely commentary on issues of crime in America, racial divides, the legacy of families, and faith.
Each season of Fargo provides a self-contained story with a new set of characters and locations loosely inspired by the tone and narrative style of Joel and Ethan Coen, who directed the original Fargo in 1996. While the television series has never been a ratings smash, it does give audiences something different in the crime genre.
The characters contained in the show are often more than just quirky, Coen-esque figures. Instead, they give voice to complex aspects of human life and experience through the lens of this darkly comic world crafted in the show.
One particular aspect of season 4 that interested me involved the role of faith and the family. In this season, the narrative focuses on two crime syndicates located in Kansas City, Missouri, as they vie for control over the criminal empire located there. The season begins a series of montages in which we see power transfer over the course of decades from The Moskowitz Syndicate, a Jewish crime family, to The Milligan Concern, an Irish crime operation. After some time, the balance of power transfers from The Milligan Concern to the Fadda family, an Italian group of immigrants. The viewer follows the rise of the Fadda family until eventually the Italian group comes into conflict with an African-American gang, known as Cannon Limited. The conflict that emerges between the Fadda family and Cannon Limited is the main focus of the show. The montage underscores how waves of immigration help form American history and culture.
In the close of episode 2, “The Land of Taking and Killing,” the audience is shown two separate dinner scenes. Loy Cannon (the patriarch of Cannon Limited, played by Chris Rock) sits down for dinner with his family and begins to pray. His prayer reads as follows, “Lord, we know the road is long. We thank You for that road because the journey makes us wise. We know the climb is hard, we thank You for that climb because climbing makes us strong. You made the land and the sea and You filled it with injustice so that we would have work to do and we thank You for that work. You made the meek so that the meek could inherit the earth and you made the mighty so that we could defend the meek.” At the end of this prayer, we transition to the Fadda family sitting down to dinner and their patriarch Josto Fadda (played by Jason Schwartzman) begins to pray.
What do I find so interesting about these two families and their prayer life? I think it gets at the tendency to see faith as something connected to the life and rhythm of the family. Prayer brings together and connects the individuals in the household to a greater cause and something outside of themselves. It unites brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers as they gather for a meal. Prayer brings together people who may have differences among themselves, and it has the ability to unite them in a shared identity. It helps to give voice to the struggles of a group as they present their thanksgiving, lament, and hopes to God.
That’s the benefit of prayer, but what’s the downside presented to us in this scene in Fargo? It underscores how ugly it can be when Christianity only unites inside the home, but remains silent outside of the household. Despite both the Faddas and the Cannons being religious households, they remain at war with one another. Their dispute leads to bloodshed and death both in their families and in their communities. When faith becomes nothing more than just about that sense of unity and familial bond, it can actually become a dangerous thing that creates tribal alliances and divisions. Faith necessarily has to be about more than just the legacy of one individual family or nationality. In other words, faith should force the individual to turn their gaze outside the self and outside the family, toward those around us.
This is, after all, St. Paul’s encouragement when he says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”(Galatians 3:28) The point here is that faith can be something that binds a family together in a common cause, but there are many other things that are able to do that as well. Things like duty, honor, or a care for one’s future descendants can create a common cause in the family unit. What Christianity does, or at least should do, is bring together people from very disparate backgrounds who normally would be at odds with one another into a common faith and a shared sense of identity. St. Paul pushed back against the idea that there were divisions along racial lines within the Church, and he would push back against the kinds of familial identities that divide Christians we see at play in Fargo. Is faith good for the family? Absolutely. But it never stops there, remaining as only a good for the family. Instead, the Christian faith actually branches out and seeks to bring together very different people from all different backgrounds, creeds, and ethnicities.
Think for a moment about global Catholicism. There are Irish Catholics, Italian Catholics, Polish Catholics, African Catholics… the list goes on and on. Many of these groups would have nothing in common in a normal social situation, yet they all bear the name Catholic. The enmity which they may normally have for one another is erased by their shared religion. The same is true of global Christianity more broadly. Christianity is about far more than a familial identity. Instead, it is about a newfound family which is the Church. This family is founded not upon parentage, but instead upon a common confession about who Jesus Christ is and what he does for each individual sinner. It is through this new birth of faith that a global community and family is formed that is unlike any other social organization found in our day-to-day lives.
So, if we want a positive take away from these dinner scenes in Fargo, we can look to the fact that people, both audiences and creators, still see prayer as helpful in giving voice to our dreams and ambitions, our suffering and our hurt. But we should be reminded that prayer never exists for the benefit of the self alone. Instead, prayer always looks out for and seeks out the neighbor, those different than ourselves, in order to pray for their wellbeing and benefit as well.
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The Reverend David Keating is pastor at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Curtis, Nebraska.
Ray Keating’s VATICAN SHADOWS: A PASTOR STEPHEN GRANT NOVEL is coming this summer!
Want a chance to win a FREE copy?
Buy anything at www.raykeatingonline.com during the month of May 2020, and you’ll be automatically entered into a prize drawing to win a FREE copy of VATICAN SHADOWS.
And make sure that you’re caught up on all of the Pastor Stephen Grant novels and short stories!
