The Visitation (book)
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The Visitation is a 1999 novel by author Frank Peretti. It takes place in the fictional town of Antioch, eastern Washington.
[edit] Plot
The story centers around a former pastor in a small town called Antioch, Washington. Told from the first person, the book narrates how Travis Jordan - the protagonist - struggles to reconcile his former life as a small-town pastor with a present-day Messiah wannabe.
The story begins with a man calling himself Brandon Nichols arrives in Antioch and begins performing miracles. A man who lost the use of his legs in Vietnam regains the ability to walk after an encounter with Nichols. Various other "healings" take place and most of the towns-people - who are portrayed as a dissillusioned, post-pentacostal farmers - begin to believe in Nichols as a Messiah.
Brandon Nichols begins to hold "revival meetings" on a large ranch outside of town every sunday, and many church-goers in town stop going to sunday morning mass/services and instead listen to Brandon talk and watch him "heal." It is at this point that the ire of one of the local ministers, Kyle Sherman. Enslisting the help of Travis Jordan, he seeks to prove that the so-called Brandon Nichols is not in fact a "better" Christian Messiah, but a puffed-up ego-maniac.
In the end, the team (along with the help of a few others) uncover a host of psuedonyms and a hefty helping of deception surrounding Nichols's past. Startling paralells are revealed with the life story of Travis Jordan, all of which come to light as the story progresses.
[edit] Parody
A suprising number of "in jokes" are to be found within the book, most of them referencing some Pentacostal belief or practice. For example, the entire life story of Travis Jordan is one of disillusionment with idilic Charismaticism. The entire book is rife with slightly humorous stories of "leg-lengthening services" and long nights of wailing in toungues.
There is also a reference to a fictional "Bishop of the Island." This parodys some charasmatic youth groups which spend all their time "praying in the Spirit" and "casting out demons" while never examining scripture or applying its precepts to their lives.
While some people might find such parody inappropriate at best, and sacriligious at worst, many individuals who have grown up within the charismatic sub-culture find it quite humorous. As such, The Visitation has been considered somewhat lighter in nature than Peretti's other fiction.
[edit] Film
A film based on The Visitation has been released by Twentieth Century Fox and stars Martin Donovan and Edward Furlong. (See The Visitation (film)).
| Books by Frank E. Peretti | |
|---|---|
| Fiction: |
This Present Darkness | Tilly | Piercing the Darkness | Prophet | The Oath | The Visitation | Monster | House |
| The Veritas Project (teen fiction): |
|
| The Cooper Kids Adventure Series (youth fiction): |
The Door in the Dragon's Throat | Escape from the Island of Aquarius | The Tombs of Anak | Trapped at the Bottom of the Sea | The Deadly Curse of Toko-rey | The Secret of the Desert Stone | The Legend of Annie Murphy | Flying Blind |
| Non-fiction: |
The Wounded Spirit | No More Victims | No More Bullies |
| Video Series: |
The Wild and Wacky World of Mr. Henry |
