The Twelfth Imam by Joel C. Rosenberg

I’m attempting more brevity in my book reviews. I’m assuming most people prefer short and sweet to long and rambling. Let me know if this works for you or if you would like me to return to my long-winded ways. :-)

Read on my Kindle!

Genres: Christian Fiction, Political Thriller

Book Summary: David Shirazi is a CIA agent who is working to dismember Iran’s growing nuclear arms program.  But when he finds out that Iran’s most influential leaders are convinced that the Twelfth Imam, Islam’s version of the messiah, is returning and they must usher him in with a third world war, his clandestine efforts become a lot more dangerous. That, coupled with personal  struggles and  becoming aware of a spiritual battle that he never expected, makes for an exciting, fast-paced read in this first of a series.

Indulgent Book Talk: I have really enjoyed Rosenberg’s fiction and non-fiction, mostly because he’s smart and he knows what he is talking about it. He’s worked in political circles dealing directly with Middle East issues, so he knows his stuff. I think sometimes he understands more about the climate than recent presidents have…maybe I’ll write him in next election! Nevertheless, while not super-literary, this book was exciting, fast-paced, interesting, and best of all, God-glorifying.

Glorifying Elements: One of my favorite things about Rosenberg is the compassion with which he handles his characters, especially his Muslim ones. He made me as a reader see them as human and fallible and very much in need of Jesus. I think inspiring in Christians a compassion and heart for the Muslim community without downplaying their error and the evil of their extremist thought is a balance he maintains skillfully.

Worldly Elements: Very little. There is a brief scene of an extramarital sexual encounter but nothing graphic, and its effects are shown to be negative later in the book. Additionally, I recently learned that Rosenberg may be somewhat sympathetic to the Insider Movement, which, if you are unaware, is a Bible translating philosophy that changes the references to God as Father and Jesus as Son with the aim of not offending potential Muslim coverts to Christianity (ie, avoiding implying God had sex with Mary, or some such thing). If this is true, then Rosenberg is certainly in error, but I saw no indication in this book that he believes this.  Perhaps this is a more recent development. I will keep you updated as I learn more.

General Recommendation: If you are interested in politics, the Middle East, and how all of that fits into God’s grand plan for the world and fulfilling His promises to the nations, I imagine you will be entertained and encouraged by this book and other Rosenberg novels and nonfiction. I’m looking forward to reading the sequel, The Tehran Initiative!