Customer Reviews

The Amen Heresy

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4 star:		(2)
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2 star:		(1)
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Initially, The Amen Heresy, W.H. Muhlenfeld, put me in mind of a Daniel Silva kind of international thriller set partly in Jerusalem. It is that, but as I read on, I found echoes of other thrillers I've enjoyed, particularly those with a bent toward exploring religious or spiritual traditions: Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, of course, as well as Kathleen McGowan's The Expected One.

But, uniquely, The Amen Heresy is set in the Holy Land, the "source" of what are termed the Three Great Religions of the Book, the three Monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Then Muhlenfeld adds a twist: What if there were solid evidence that way back, even before these religious traditions sprang forth, there were another more fundamental source: ancient Egypt? Actually, that's not at all far-fetched, as religious scholars have uncovered a number of such bits of evidence: even the Ten Commandments and elements of Genesis echo the Egyptian Book of the Dead. For more intriguing ideas, check out some of the links to the early Gnostics as well as the Nag Hammadi scrolls found after World War II.

But don't let me mislead: these deeper elements are in The Amen Heresy, but, fundamentally, it is a thriller.

Who would have reason to grab and suppress this evidence? If you think "churchly-bureaucrats," you've got only part of the answer. True, that solid evidence, in the form of an authenticated document, would "change mankind's understanding of religious history and alter the future of spiritual belief." And it would make all too evident how organized, hierarchical religions -- more particularly the empire-builders within them -- have taken the simple, fundamental spiritual truths and "cloak[ed] them with heavy drapes of dogma [in order to embellish their] control with the mighty pull-cords of ritual."

At least the leaders of the established religious traditions only want to maintain the status quo. Muhlenfeld adds a deeper level of evil: think very rich, very narcissistic, very powerful, and very determined to set up his own personal cult-religion.

Who can stop him? A former Catholic priest, a too-attractive Israeli agent, and a street-smart street-urchin. Tough odds.

But a great story, particularly the final confrontation in an underground grotto beneath an ancient monastery in the Egyptian desert. Definitely worth a read!

Chapter 1 of The Amen Heresy is more prologue and back-story than story continuity. It's a bit difficult to absorb because of the personal and locale names of the early Christian period. The author may have recognized this when he described his own character's difficulties in translating and transcribing ancient scrolls from Aramic to Greek. Chapter 2 begins the modern times of the tale; two millennia later than the opening. Chapter 73 is the Montana denouement of an excellent story that encompasses Israel and Egypt, geographically, and thought-provoking holy and unholy ties binding Judaism, Islam and Christianity.

In between, and not at all surprising since religion is the driver of such, faith based hate, destruction and murder are the unwelcome companions to an unlikely alliance composed of a stalwart former priest, an American; a female antiquities protective agent, an Israeli; and the Palestinian boy of the Jerusalem streets.

The prize for their quest is a missing Dead Sea Scroll that if published could have believers questioning their faith and agnostics becoming believers. Such a powerful document, especially when augmented with its reputed treasure map, brings out the worst in several malevolent organizations, all fronted by the facade of service to the Lord, however identified in their beliefs, as well as an array of self-serving and malicious individuals concerned only with money and power.

The multiple antagonists steal, plot, scheme and kill to serve their ends, while the trio of protagonists steal, plot, scheme and kill to thwart them. The Amen Heresy is a complex, intriguing, rousing, thoughtful, compassionate and sometimes romantic adventure to not be missed, but only if you're a world traveler, a historian, a philosopher, a teacher, a student, a scholar, religious, non-religious, or simply a bystander to the world.

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Jim Woods, author and editor:[...]
Gunshot Echoes, a collection
Assassination Safari, a novel
Parting Shot, a memoir
She Serpent, a novella
The Diamond Exchange, a novella
Cabbages and Kings, a collection
So You Want To Be An Author, a tutorial

Good thriller with location, history and religion all mixed in. I thought the character development was good and I particularly liked this guy's style of writing. Don't have the book in front of me to give an example of what I mean but a few times I found myself saying wow! or interesting! over he grouped and phrased certain sentences. I guess I like words :-)

Worth the money, story moves fast and enjoyable. I will definitely read this author again.

The Amen Heresy by W.H. Muhlenfeld is a great book. Very insightful and gets you thinking.


Ex-Priest, Jack Fisher, is led to Jerusalem after he receives a strange package from his colleague Dr. Dvir Gottlieb. Inside the package is a medallion with some sort of code on it. Unsure of what it is that Gottlieb is trying to tell him, he decides to make his way to Israel.


After arriving to Israel, Jack becomes acquainted with a Palestinian boy, Sami, that Gottlieb has prepared to meet Jack. Sami then explains the meeting time and place of the code on the medallion, which Sami has also received. Together they try to decipher the rest of the code on both medallions, unbeknown to them they are being watched from several angles.


Jack finds himself in a full blown mystery after a murder, a kidnapping, the introduction to a "lioness" (Ariel) , and a beating to Sami. In the fight to survive, Jack must help Khalid, a Neurotic Egyptian, find the missing Copper Scroll from the Dead Sea Scrolls. It seems Khalid has found the work and research of Dr. Dvir Gottlieb and Jack Fisher very intriguing, only Gottlieb was onto something much more serious in his findings that he wasn't able to share with Jack as of yet.


Jack, Ariel, and Sami end up in Egypt trying to find the missing scrolls while trying to outwit their followers and stay alive. Follow their story through Israel to Mt. Sinai.


Muhlenfeld proved his research in The Amen Heresy. It was an informative read, though a little slow getting into the action. Once Muhlenfeld hit the excitement, it held my attention wanting to know what happened next. I especially loved Jack Fisher, who had so much turmoil in his own mind! I give it ****(4)Stars, BK Walker-Author of "Near Suicide" and "Dares And Dreams".

Fans of Dan Brown will definitely be drawn to The Amen Heresy.

The overall premise is one that automatically gets your attention: What if everything you thought you knew about your faith was based on lies? Author W. H. Muhlenfeld reminds us of a simple truth: our very faith is based on our belief in what we have read, been taught and believe. Has it been misguided? How open are we to exploring other possibilities.

Take your time and wrap your mind around this one---and be prepared to discuss it with others you come in contact with afterwards. A real page-turner.

This is great read. Hard to put down.
If you liked the DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons you'll love this book.
It's full of action, suspense and mystery with a dash of romance thrown in.

The book title got me ready for a Dan Brown type novel, which I enjoy, and I was not disappointed. As a "progressive" Christian - one who incorporates new scholarship into traditional faith - I was impressed by the amount of research that went into a good story. The history did not bog down the fast paced action but added to it. I enjoyed the idea of a common thread between the major faiths, which made sense to me before reading the book but makes even more sense now. I liked putting a believable love story in the midst of the intrigue. There was a little more blood than I usually care for, but I think it is there to emphasize the fervor of the participants of a belief system who will do anything not to have their views disturbed by facts. Enjoy.
Lorraine from sunny Cal

I'm not usually a mystery fan, but this book was a great read. It was entertaining and the story moved quickly, with short chapters that had a lot of action. There are two lead characters, one a smart, take-charge woman and the other a likeable former priest with a painful past. The story challenges long-standing beliefs about the origin of three major world religions, with a plot that is not at all far-fetched, but actually rather probable.

I found it fascinating! Whether your're a believer or not, check it out.

I really enjoyed the historical pathway into the fictional present, while the beginning seemed slow it was more the understanding of how this could come to pass. The rest of the book went quickly and was very entertaining. The current world challenges our religious and historical dogma, which I enjoy and I thought about the book and some ideas for a few days afterwards. It was unfortunate in a way to have Dan Brown's come out at the same time but this I enjoyed more as this has more historical intrigue.

Jack Fisher is a dyslexic ancient languages expert. He used to be a priest and is now trying to help a friend solve the puzzle of the Dead Sea Scrolls. These scrolls may prove that three of Abraham's religions were a sham. Together with an agent and a young boy, they embark on the journey of a lifetime, determined to unravel a web of lies and set the truth free.

Astounding! This a brilliant read that will exercise your mind.