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Common Ideals Betrayed By Prejudice, Fanaticism
and Greed
Book Review by Grace Vuoto
Book Review: Jonathan Slevin and Charles Sutherland’s
Clash of the Gods.
Abington House, 2008, $24.95 hardcover, 465 pages.
The gripping spy thriller, Clash of the Gods, highlights
many of the most vexing religious and foreign policy
issues of our time. The authors, Jonathan Slevin and
Charles Sutherland, have both previously written or
co-written several books and have extensive experience
as international businessmen and political analysts.
They skillfully combine both fact and fiction in an
illuminating journey inside the world’s most influential
and tumultuous citadels of power.
Clash of the Gods is remarkable for the depth of the
erudition and research which underlies the plot. The
authors conducted hundreds of interviews over two decades
with various individuals, both citizens and government
officials, in Russia, the Middle East and the United
States. The novel therefore provides a startling view
of the inner sanctum of political power in the world’s
capitals; the many cynical maneuvers of world leaders
are both intriguing and astounding.
Moreover, the authors also draw on their extensive
knowledge of the world’s religions to reveal how
religious faith influences international crises. Intermingled
with a complex plot is rich debate among individuals
of faith—and their challengers. The authors thus
expose the intensity and validity of religious conviction—whether
Christian, Jewish, or Muslim—while demonstrating
how the failure to find common ground has dangerous
consequences in the international theater. Thus, the
theme of “gods which clash” is amply demonstrated:
characters clash on the basis of their innermost beliefs
while wielding international power which can precipitate
a nuclear conflagration. In other words, Clash of the
Gods reveals that in a nuclear age, intensity of belief,
fueled by the failure to negotiate and compromise, leads
inexorably to a clash of civilizations—which portends
potential destruction for all.
In Clash of the Gods, readers follow three American
characters while they are embroiled in an international
crisis. Nuclear weapons are found missing from a Russian
stockpile: this might lead Israel to attack Iran in
self-defense. The American President, James Caufield,
is an evangelical Christian who seeks to protect Israel;
however, he can easily be manipulated to launch an unwarranted
attack on Iran. His close friend, an agnostic and cynical
CIA director named Michael Reilly, curtails the President’s
more earnest and straightforward approach to foreign
affairs. President Caufield also relies on his secretary
of state, Rebecca Bauer, to help him navigate the delicate
situation. Ms. Bauer demands calm and patience as she
fervently upholds her faith in international law. As
the three forge American policy, they also challenge
one another’s core convictions. In this manner,
the characters simulate many of the contemporary American
debates on religion and foreign affairs.
Clash of the Gods is full of complexity—both in
depicting government activities in the Middle East and
in the portrait of ordinary citizens who are catalysts
to the international drama. For example, the novel reveals
how deeply divided are members of the Israeli elite
in dealing with Arab terrorists. Simultaneously, the
authors are perhaps at their finest in explaining the
despair of Palestinian youth.
Among the most gripping scenes in this political thriller
are those of young Palestinian suicide bombers such
as the beautiful Fatima. In following her to the depths
of her despondency, the reader can begin to understand
why even those in the full bloom of their youthful promise
might be tempted to resort to violence as their ultimate
escape—and with the hope of finding redemption
therein. Clash of the Gods does not therefore merely
present a simple viewpoint, either Israeli or Arab.
Each perspective is explained in painstaking detail
in order to illustrate the depth of the moral and religious
clash which leads to violence.
The novel also chronicles the activities of greedy
businessmen who seek to exploit the religious and ideological
tensions in the Middle East in order to further their
self-interest. The authors draw attention to Russian
capitalists such as Alexander Goloskin, who is the president
of Gazprom and seeks to control the nation’s natural
resources. Capitalists manipulate their government in
order to gain greater access to oil and wealth. These
corrupt entrepreneurs work in tandem with their nation’s
leaders in an effort to restore the country’s international
hegemony. The hard-drinking, often chauvinistic Russians
are vulgar and ruthless in pursuing their global ambitions.
The most entertaining, shocking and memorable passages
of Clash of the Gods are the episodes of espionage and
murder. Characters are eliminated through ingenious
and sophisticated methods. It is evident the authors
relied on meticulous research to devise these scenes:
they sparkle with originality. These events convey the
ease, intelligence and insidious aspect of murder which
is committed in the realm of international espionage.
Who can therefore be truly safe from such prowess and
treachery?
The complexity and density of Clash of the Gods is
both its greatest strength and greatest weakness. The
novel is so rich, it merits multiple readings. The characters
and events are placed in historical, cultural and philosophical
context. The novel is clearly based on reality—and
as such it is a treasure-trove of information and insider
knowledge.
Yet, it is precisely the book’s ponderous quality
which might discourage the reader who seeks simply to
be entertained. The characters are on occasion vehicles
for larger themes, rather than self-sustaining and complete
entities. Moreover, the dialogue appears at times to
be strained to suit the authors’ attempt to make
more general points. Also, there is not one protagonist
which can clearly be identified as the hero from start
to finish. Hence, at times, Clash of the Gods can leave
the reader cold and isolated rather than embraced as
an intricate member of the unfolding drama.
The bird’s eye view, or the omniscient voice which
the authors use, is deliberate in order to convey the
central message that each protagonist’s perspective
is buttressed by complete faith in his or her principles.
As such, the novel can easily be misunderstood as advancing
a form of moral relativism—the idea that every
theological and philosophical system can be justified
and that there is no objective right or wrong. Despite
its many nuances, critics might lament that Clash of
the Gods occasionally appears to reinforce some of the
national stereotypes which lead to the very clashes
the authors seek to prevent: Americans leaders can be
naïve, idealistic and meddlesome; Israelis are
duplicitous and self-seeking; Arabs are fanatical and
Russians are drunk, nationalistic and greedy.
However, this would be a simplistic reading of Clash
of the Gods. The novel essentially advances the common
morality which can be distilled from the world’s
religions and the common humanity and individuality
of the world’s citizens; the book broadens our
understanding of the people who inhabit the nations
which appear to be on a collision course. Clash of the
Gods therefore ultimately recognizes and celebrates
many unifying and international ideals—such as
the pursuit of truth; goodness and honor in foreign
policy agreements; respect for diverse cultures; and
the sanctity of life. In the final analysis, Clash of
the Gods acknowledges the value of the world’s
great religious traditions but ponders the extent to
which these faiths can be distorted to contradict their
most sacred injunctions to love one’s neighbor
and to live in peace.
Clash of the Gods is essential reading for all those
who seek to better understand how in the 21st-century,
the mixture of religion, politics and nuclear weapons
can become a lethal cocktail for all.
-Grace Vuoto is the Executive Director of the Edmund
Burke Institute for American Renewal. The views expressed
are her own.
From World and I Online
www.worldandI.com
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