The Miracle Detective

By: Randall Sullivan

Narrated by: Jeremy Arthur

Length: 18 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's Summary

In a tiny, dilapidated trailer in northeastern Oregon, a young woman saw a vision of the Virgin Mary in an ordinary landscape painting hanging on her bedroom wall. After being met with skepticism from the local parish, the matter was officially placed "under investigation" by the Catholic diocese. Investigative journalist Randall Sullivan wanted to know how, exactly, one might conduct the official inquiry into such an incident, so he set off to interview theologians, historians, and postulators from the Sacred Congregation of the Causes for Saints. These men, dubbed "miracle detectives" by the author, were charged by the Vatican with testing the miraculous and judging the holy.Sullivan traveled from the Vatican in Rome to the tiny village of Medjugorje in Bosnia-Herzegovina, where six visionaries had been receiving apparitions of the Virgin Mary. Sullivan's quest turns personal and takes him to Scottsdale, Arizona, site of America's largest and most controversial instances of Virgin Mary sightings, culminating an eight-year investigation of predictions of apocalyptic events, false claims of revelation, and the search for a genuine theophany - that is, the ultimate interface between man and God.

©2004 Randall Sullivan. Recorded by arrangement with Grove Atlantic, Inc. (P)2014 Audible Inc.

Excessively emotive and lacking objectivity

As others have noted, this book does not provide what its subtitle suggests. If you are looking for that, try John Thavis' excellent book, The Vatican Prophecies.

I found the writing to be puerile, overly emotive, and absolutely lacking in any sense of objective investigative technique. It is a very poor piece of journalism. Sadly, it is also self-indulgent and tedious, and the author's quest to find himself, if you will, overshadows the purported goal of the book. He seems to have come to a crisis where he was looking for something, anything, to give his life meaning. Devotion to the Blessed Mother would be a wonderful thing....wouldn't it? But is that what Medjugorje is?

I read this book long before Donal Foley's Medjugorje Revisted, which thoroughly convinced me that these apparitions are, if not an intentional hoax, at least a dangerous delusion. Anyone who still has an open mind might examine what he has to say, along with the words of St Louis de Montfort on false devotion to Mary, and those of the great Carmelite saints, Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross regarding the way the adversary can produce good fruits for a time.

Those who are devoted to Medjugorje do not, in my experience, have any interest in hearing the other side. For those who are undecided, I recommend looking into the subject thoroughly and prayerfully. It is easy to be deluded and led by emotion. True faith is accompanied by reason.

I will leave you with the words of soon-to-be sainted Pope Paul VI:

It is a strange thing that our incredulous world is never so curious about anything as it is about miracles. The Lord wishes to draw us to Himself by other ways that means of marvelous sense experiences. He wants to attract us by spiritual and moral ways, the way of faith, the way of love, and the way of the examples of the saints, through whom he shines the light of a relationship with God. And He wants to draw us also by means of the authorized voice of the Church. (1975)

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Fascinating book on the study of miracles

A well written account of the struggle to reconcile faith with fact. I sat in my driveway listening to this one-even after getting home from work.

3 of 6 people found this review helpful

Misleading Title

This book is much more a history of the politics, history, and mystery surrounding Bosnia and Medjugorje than anything else. The author does explore many other miracles, mostly Marian apparitions, but spends such an extensive amount of time on the area around Medjugorje and its historical context that his thesis gets lost.

1 of 3 people found this review helpful

interesting

Chapter 13 about 17 minutes in, actor asked to re-do a word. Never encountered poor editing. made me smile. we're all human. story is very good.

1 of 3 people found this review helpful

Reflective and inspiring

This is an inspiring story, told with deep understanding of eternal truths. Great wisdom here

1 of 3 people found this review helpful

I really enjoyed this book<br />

It was factual and had meaning. The writer was caring towards the people he was investigating.
I liked the writer as a person which made tne book a very worthwhile read.
You have to find your own answers but people like mr Sullivan can only help to inform you with the facts.

0 of 2 people found this review helpful

inspirational!

I did love it. I was disappointed when it was finished. it does make you think.

0 of 2 people found this review helpful