Review of The Veritas Conflict
Shaunti Feldhahn’s Compelling Novel about Spiritual Warfare
Jun 11, 2008
Shaunti Feldhahn’s freshman novel The Veritas Conflict explores the idea of spiritual warfare. Particularly, the form of warfare that seeks to subvert the way American’s think. She places The Veritas Conflict and the battle it portrays in the center of America’s cult of intellectualism, Harvard. In the story, Feldhahn explores the ideas of generational sin and salvation, the power of prayer, and the God’s unseen warriors.
Generational Sin and Salvation
The Veritas Conflict begins with account of those seeking religious freedom landing on the soil of America and imagines the spiritual oversight of their angels. The novel moves quickly forward to the mid-1600’s to reveal the seeds of a conflict that will continue to the present and forward; it is the battle for the minds of Americans. The novel makes several more leaps establishing the presence and spiritual identity of two families whose influence at Harvard not only effects the education of the schools students but the intellectual and cultural atmosphere of the whole country.
When the novel reaches the present, which it does by Chapter Two, the reader is introduced to Claire Rivers a bright young Christian about to go to college.
The Power of Prayer
Before Claire, the power of prayer is already evident in the story but through Claire and the intervention of her mother’s prayers and her own growth as a praying child of God the need for prayerful Christianity becomes apparent.
Unseen Warriors
Throughout The Veritas Conflict, Feldhahn shares her idea of what the spiritual battle might look like. She describes imagine angelic warriors and demon warriors and shares how they interact with each other, humans, and God. She maintains that they are restricted by prayer and God. Her realization of them is both convincing and comforting.
Fast-Paced and Interesting
Feldhahn’s writing style is good enough to hold the reader’s interest and the plot of The Veritas Conflict is fast-paced and interesting. While the book certainly doesn’t stand as great literature, it is a fascinating read that should make serious Christians reconsider certain aspects of Christianity and rededicate themselves to obeying God and praying constantly. It also reminds Christians to analyze what culture and the intelligentsia tell us is the logical way of doing things and to investigate the assumptions behind what we are told.
The Veritas Conflict is a good novel for those who want to escape reality, yet want to return their life with lessons that they can use.
Feldhahn, Shaunti. The Veritas Conflict. Multnomah Publishers, Inc. 2001.
