The Promise of God [Paperback]

David Shapiro (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2000

Mysterious events are happening. Five of the most powerful corporate chairmen in the world have suffered heart attacks and had the same exact vision during their near-death experiences, a word written in an arcane, ancient language they cannot identify. Cold fusion, an unlimited source of energy, has been achieved in Israel but the scientists responsible for it refuse to reveal the formula for its use.

Isaac Benda Cortes, a passionate, outspoken Brazilian Cardinal who is one of the two likely candidates to succeed the elderly ailing Pope, is targeted by the drug cartel that he condemns. Cortes' passionate thirst for justice leads to a search for his own origins--a search that leads him to discover the future of Western faith.

And, Grant Tyler, the head of the worlds' most powerful media network watches distraught as his beloved wife dies of cancer. What she whispers to him on her deathbed sends him spiraling through an epic odyssey that will unite all the mysterious strand of events and enlighten the world to its destiny.

In David Shapiro's first work of fiction, and the first work of fiction for Simcha Press, readers will take an edge-of-their-seat journey into the religious and powerful structures of Brazil, Israel, Rome and the United States. A certain bestseller, The Promise of God is packed with suspense, mystery, romance and intrigue.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The appearance of the Jewish messiah within the leadership ranks of the Catholic Church creates a spiritual and political crisis in Shapiro's heavy-handed first novel. The man in question is a humble South American cardinal named Isaac Benda Cortes, a rising candidate for the papacy. As the election draws closer, Benda Cortes not only discovers that he has Jewish ancestry, but also learns that he may well be the long-awaited messiah of the Jewish people. Cortes's family history attracts the attention of a number of powerful figures, including a South American drug lord, a quartet of wealthy American executives visited by mystical visions after suffering heart attacks, a professional basketball star who shares those visions and a Turneresque media mogul who seeks to promote Cortes as the new pontiff after a prominent Israeli rabbi informs him that the cardinal's rise to prominence matches a prophecy predicting the arrival of a Jewish messiah. The secular situation is complicated when a group of Israeli scientists discover the formula for cold fusion, then take the world to the edge of Armageddon when they refuse to share their work until the messiah is revealed. Shapiro's prose style is strictly by the numbers, and despite his attempts to erase the long-standing antagonism between Judaism and Catholicism, the gist of Cortes's message is that the Jewish faith should assume primacy because longevity gives it the greatest historical validity. In a spiritual world in which most readers have lost their tolerance for interfaith squabbling, such a conclusion may strike most as simplistic and divisive. (Mar.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Rich in Jewish theology, this book's theme is at once inspiring and challenging for both Jew and Gentile. Drawing on Orthodox teachings, Shapiro makes the case for the Jewish Messiah while implicating Christianity in centuries of Jewish persecution.

Theological perspectives notwithstanding, The Promise of God is an enjoyable book. Well-developed characters, an action-packed plot, intriguing sub-plots and thought-provoking themes all go to make a full-bodied story. As The Promise of God races to its conclusion, Shapiro skillfully draws together all the elements for a jaw dropping close. "All over the world, hundreds of millions of people watching reacted in identical fashion. And two brothers separated by seven thousand miles knew their efforts to alter the history of the world and save their people rested on the shoulders of one man, and one moment...the human beacon who light the path for the world to follow" -- ForeWord Magazine, March 2000

"The Promise of God unlocked areas of my imagination that I never had the courage to explore. From the outset, I was struck by the author's unflinching sense of purpose. An enthralling, visionary work." -- Rabbi David Adatto, Former Chief Sephardic Rabbi of the State of Texas

"There are times when I've wondered if there was something out there in the universe that could persuade followers of the world's prominent religions to step back from their own rigid beliefs and take a fresh look at God from someone else's point of view. Of course, whenever most authors attempt to take us on such an excursion, the journey is generally derailed by the flurry of zealots who stop reading and start crying foul as soon as their religious practices are questioned in any way."

"It is my hope that the highly entertaining story line Mr. Shapiro has utilized to deliver his message in The Promise of God will allow people of every faith to come along for the entire ride, and maybe, just maybe come to the realization that we all answer to the same God. And if that's the case, we would all do well to show more respect and tolerance for the beliefs of everyone... not just the beliefs of those who attend our own particular church, mosque, or temple." -- Reverend Dave Wollert, Practicing Minister and Consultant to UCLA Writers Program

David Shapiro is not merely telling an amazing story, he is guiding you on a breathtaking expedition! -- Rabbi Bentzion Kravitz, Founder, Jews for Judaism International

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 335 pages
• Publisher: Simcha Press (March 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558747443
• ISBN-13: 978-1558747449
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,139,494 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Impact beyond the pages - a wonderful work, May 13, 2000

By 

S. Zakar "-- always on a journey --" (Baltimore) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: The Promise of God (Paperback)

This book kept me up until after 3 in the morning because I couldn't put it down until I finished reading it. And it had an impact that continues beyond the pages: One is left reconsidering old assumptions, dreams are transformed into possibilities.

The insights into both Jewish and Christian theologies and history are enlightening. Controversial? Maybe. But truth sometimes is. And in this work of fiction there is ample measure of Truth.

Kudos to the author on a great job.

I highly recommend this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A book for the open-minded, May 12, 2004

By 

James (Manhattan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Promise of God (Paperback)

I enjoyed this book immensely. I was most intrigued by the author's explanation of Judaism's tolerance for other religions. I had never heard of the seven Noahide Laws before, which explain that the non-Jewish world must only abide by seven simple rules in order to gain admittance to Heaven. It made sense to me as it was explained, that the 613 laws required of Jews are far more stringent than what Judaism expects of others. I grew up a Catholic, and the impression I had received of my own faith was that it was intended to be universal. Thus, when I encountered those of other faiths who were righteous individuals, I could not reconcile what I had learned, that non-Catholics are denied admittance to Heaven, with the people I had come to know and love. This book was a revelation because it made clear that there is another way to view the world: that a religion attempting to teach about God by modeling behavior needs to be more stringent with its own adherents and less harsh with those of other faiths. In an age where some faiths insist that theirs is the only way, it was refreshing to hear that Judaism expects others to come to God in their own way.

The other facet of the book I enjoyed was its perspective on Jesus; that he was an Orthodox Jew is undeniable, (after all the Gospels say he wore phylacteries just as Orthodox Jews do today)but I had no idea that the only concept of the Messiah that existed in his time was that of a man who would lead the Jews to religious freedom, not a man who was God. Interestingly, that is still the Jewish perspective, and the God-concept of Christianity was a later invention.

These perspectives, as well as the beautiful explanations of the separation of meat and milk for keeping kosher and the laws of the mikvah, gave the book a depth, as well as the vast tragic history of the Jews, which the author delineates very well.

Lastly, it's a heckuva story. It kept me flying until the finish. The only books I give five stars can be found in the classics section at the bookstore, but this book rates four stars, which places it at or near the top of all the recent books I have read.

Apparently, some readers who are not so open-minded may have hads a problem, but any new fresh perspective tends to take a while to be accepted, so I have hopes for this book long-term.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Extraordinary!!!!!!, February 20, 2001

By 

E. Balogh "Truth Lover" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Promise of God (Paperback)

Other reviewers have already written about what an impossible-to-put-down thriller this is. That is absolutely true, but David Shapiro's book is much more than that. It is also a fascinating and well-researched work that in novel (in both senses of the word) form illuminates Christianity's deep Jewish roots. Certainly, there are many dry historical tomes that point out how Christiantity arose from Judaism and the many misinterpretations of Jewish theology that were necessary for Christianity to be established and flourish. David Shapiro's book puts forth the same information in a fast-paced narrative that fairly screams to be brought to the silver screen. Make no mistake, this is an important book that will certainly serve to disturb some and enlighten others. Truth always does that. At the same time it is a delight to read! My copy has made the rounds of my family and I heartily recommend it to all my friends.