The Kingdom of Cain: Finding God in the Literature of Darkness by Andrew Klavan is a non-fiction book that examines three murders that have been re-created many times in novels, plays, and films. He says his book is about “murder and the imagination”. According to Klavan the arts reveal the heart of any culture and these horrific examples of human morality gone wrong uncover hidden truths about the culture’s ideologies. Sometimes the art reflects truth, but at times artistic expression proclaims lies, like evil is really good. Klavan is a fine writer, and I enjoyed this book. However, I had to re-read large chunks of it before I could understand some of his points well enough to write this review.
Klavan is a believer in Jesus Christ, and he quotes Philippians 4:4 where the apostle Paul says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” Klavan sets out to prove God intends for his people to always rejoice in the beauty and wonder of this material world even though it’s drenched in evil. Klavan claims artistic creation gives us the tools to respond constructively to our sinful world.
Klavan says, “It’s my belief that, in the light of those revelations, we can form a response to corruption that goes beyond condemnation, sorrow, and outrage and instead answers wickedness with creativity and joy.” (page 9)
One recurring idea in this book is if there is no God, then it makes sense to live only to satisfy our own desires and to exert power over others without regard to their feelings or wellbeing. Our desires become our identity, and the suffering of others is meaningless. Klavan had been an atheist but rejected this ideology long before he became a Christian. He reasoned that the logical conclusion of atheistic thinking is a life harmful to everyone involved and doesn’t match the way real life works. Klavan reasoned that there are universal moral values that reflect reality. Therefore there had to be a God who established right and wrong.
The Kingdom of Cain affirms that the world is an exceedingly dark and sinful place, and the art these murders inspired show how “humanity gets lost within the moral maze”.
God’s existence and the rightness of the biblical moral vision expressed in Jesus Christ provides reason for hope and rejoicing. This is a thought-provoking book that can help Christians respond to the evil that surrounds us. Teaching that shows the joy and creativity a godly child, man, or woman can answer the corruption of this world. Check out The Kingdom of Cain here.