Assessment:
Idea: In its preface, Dorcas Massanga Germaine's The Heart of God announces that the manuscript is a "transcription on the inspiration and direction of the Holy Spirit" and that the pages that follow represent the direct thoughts of "the LORD" as divinely sent through the vessel of the author. Evaluation of such a book of course depends upon the faith or credence any individual reader has in Germaine's claim to be writing on behalf of God. With that caveat, it must be acknowledged that a book in which God updates and clarifies the biblical texts for contemporary life is a welcome idea, and this particular volume is in tone, approach, and language appropriate to the conceit.
Prose/Style: The language in The Heart of God is in an appropriate biblical English. The voice is authoritative, demanding, repetitive, and baldly declarative, but also contemporary in the way it would be channeled through a present-day scribe. Outside of the acknowledgements, author Germaine includes no text in her own voice; instead, the book is dense with the word of the God that she is presenting, in long paragraphs riddled with comma splices. Her approach is explained by one of the countless divine exhortations she reports: "Analyze nothing and write only." This God declares, and so Germaine does, informing readers that her God remains the same jealous demanding God of the Old Testament, hostile to homosexuality and organized religion, and allowing Black people to suffer because their ancestors worshipped Baal. The book would benefit greatly from heavy copyediting.
Originality: Setting down the commands of a divine being is one of the oldest forms of writing. What's most unique here are the subjects that this God expounds upon, as solicited by Germaine; many of this God's pronouncements seem to come from questions she has asked – questions not explicitly spelled out in the text. So, God discusses questions like why in the West, Jesus has so often been painted as white, what repentance should actually entail, the history of the Vili tribe, and why God considers "organized religion" a "blasphemy."
Character/Execution: This score, naturally, would be much higher for any reader who is persuaded that Germaine has channeled the creator of the universe. The book's typographical errors and frequent incoherence limit its power. That said, believers may find wisdom and guidance in many passages.
Date Submitted: October 11, 2020
This work is incredibly honest and the writer's voice is so authentic. It is clear that Dorcas Massanga Germaine's mission is to selflessly pass along God's truth to the world, and she succeeds in a direct, kind and empathetic style that draws the reader in more and more with each impassioned section. Important reading for those of devout faith as well as for those wishing to learn. Highly recommended.
A Christian spiritual exhortation, related in a prophetic voice.
Massanga Germaine states at the outset that this debut work is not merely inspired by God, but also dictated by him, “given to me word for word by the Holy Spirit.” As such, its statements seem to be directed both to the author and to the Christian community at large. The work covers a wide array of topics, with most of the material conveying theologically traditional Christian teachings concerning the worship of the triune God, one’s personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and the presence of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of believers.
An intense, provocative, and conservative religious treatise.
