What do you think?
Rate this book
Reluctant Prophet
The Warning: The Story of a Reluctant Prophet Chosen by God
Award winning author T. Davis Bunn's latest novel, The Warning concerns Buddy Korda and the decisions he must make. The result of two weeks of nightmares, Buddy begins to make sense of disjoinged images. They meld together like an image projected on a screen coming into focus.
And then, unmistakably, a message.
It is coming. Forty-one days
The message leaves Buddy dazed and confused. He must decide between sharing this message or jeopardizing his job, family and possibly even his life. And who would listen to this horrific prediction about the economic collapse of America? Through this conflict, Buddy cannot avoid God's call on his life. The futures of people he didn't even know-the future of the nation-were at stake.
328 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 15, 1998
21 people are currently reading
186 people want to read
About the author
T. Davis Bunn
80 books148 followersAlso writes under the names Thomas Locke and Davis Bunn.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
September 20, 2022
The story itself may be slightly unrealistic, but T. Davis Bunn spun a good yarn with this one nonetheless.
EDIT: I enjoyed this one a bit more the second time around.
EDIT: I enjoyed this one a bit more the second time around.
May 31, 2010
I read The Warning and The Ultimatum this weekend, and neither disappointed. I feel as though I'd had a mountaintop retreat experience, leaving me feeling closer to God, or at least in recognition of needing to draw nearer. Both served to point out to me, through the experience of the characters, the need to LISTEN - to be still and not give God a litany of my own wishlist but to WAIT upon the Lord and listen to what He has to say...now to put it into practice!
February 19, 2020
Published in 1998, this is a book that posits a global financial collapse, and a reluctant prophet who, as for Joseph in the story in Genesis, receives a prophecy from God about the coming financial "famine" and knows how to solve it. Unashamedly Christian (of a Charismatic persuasion) in outlook, this plot seems to have a lot of potential, but unfortunately the execution is pretty terrible.
Some pluses first though. Firstly, the author clearly had some knowledge of financial markets and the global financial system. His description of derivative trading, for instance was not wrong, and nor was his analysis of the risks inherent in the financial system. This was written before the global financial collapse, and one might be tempted to say he correctly predicted it. That would be pushing it though. The collapse he describes is not the one that happened, and at the time the book was written he was one of very many people raising concerns about derivative trading. Best not let hindsight bias make us think the author was a prophet, but the risks he talked about in the book were very real nonetheless.
The collapse, when he wrote it, was implausible in many respects, but I did not find myself objecting strongly to the technical content of the book.
What really let this novel down was the really atrocious characterisation. The author had to dump lots of financial explanation, for instance, so he puts in a Wall Street Journal reporter who interviews Korda, the reluctant prophet. The reporter is basically clueless and has to be taught some basics about financial markets by Korda. This is a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, and it sounds like a conversation with the pizza delivery guy. So that was one minor character who seemed badly thought out. He was just a prop to which the author could attach dialogue, and he was not the only example of that.
Then there are all the Christians who hear Korda give his message and immediately just accept it, in some kind of miraculous way. At one point, Korda holds a meeting to tell people of his vision and he talks a bit and then says "is there a stockbroker here?" Sure enough there is. So Korda asks if the stockbroker will help all the people in the meeting to sell up their portfolios and invest all their money in Put Options. These options are not an investment, but a bet on a market fall. The description of them is again correct, and Korda warns the audience that no broker would suggest such risky investments to ordinary investors. So he asks the stockbroker whether he will help and the broker says yes because he acknowledges the truth of the message Korda has brought. Just like that, all the Christians sign up to gambling all their money, and no one stands up and says "wait! what?"
Now here is the thing: in fiction the author can posit that the prophet's message is true, and naysayers are wrong. That is okay. It is fiction. You can do that. What is not right is to have all the characters behaving in such an unnatural way. It stretches the bounds of credulity beyond breaking point that this message would just be accepted on face value, and that everyone would then just accept Koprda's solution: bet all your wealth on a stock market fall on a specific day. There was some opposition, but it was from evil money grabbing non Christians, who were heavily typecast and really not much of a threat. A nasty show down in a back alley was a total damp squib.
In the Bible story of Joseph, Joseph only needed to persuade Pharoah of the truth of his words and then Pharoah's authority oversaw the preparations for famine. In this book Korda manages to persuade pretty much everyone we come across that he is a genuine prophet, unlike all the other prophets that came along from time to time, and that they should all do exactly as he said. Nope, this just does not fly.
There was little human interest either. The author tried some but it was all a bit flat, and these characters were just boring. Attempts to give Korda some flaws seemed to be just for the sake of it. He was not quite a Mary Sue, but there was little interesting going on there.
So really, the book could have had so much more conflict. Instead it was just a count down with repeated descriptions of financial markets. The climax was described clinically, but I was just glad to get it over by that point.
Another point arises as to the overall polemic of the book. This is not really the story of Joseph in Egypt, preparing for famine. No, this is the story of a global financial collapse in which all the Christians who listen to the words of the modern day prophet get rich quick, and give half of all their profits to the church. They get rich quicjk by gambling. Sure, in this world it is not a gamble because God told them to do it, but to be honest this story is no better than one where God says "buy a lottery ticket, the numbers are x, y, z..." It is a get rich quick story for the people who do what the prophet tells them. And that looks like the prosperity gospel. The book is all about money and riches and making sure that American Christians (because Korda did not go on a world tour after all) get rich at the expense of everyone else who gets wiped out.
Wouldn't a better story be about one that calls people, Christians included, to repentance for their love of money?
Maybe the prosperity gospel aspect was unintentional, but it was also wholly inescapable.
So in summary: preposterous story, flat and boring characters, poor execution, some very dodgy theology. One to miss.
Some pluses first though. Firstly, the author clearly had some knowledge of financial markets and the global financial system. His description of derivative trading, for instance was not wrong, and nor was his analysis of the risks inherent in the financial system. This was written before the global financial collapse, and one might be tempted to say he correctly predicted it. That would be pushing it though. The collapse he describes is not the one that happened, and at the time the book was written he was one of very many people raising concerns about derivative trading. Best not let hindsight bias make us think the author was a prophet, but the risks he talked about in the book were very real nonetheless.
The collapse, when he wrote it, was implausible in many respects, but I did not find myself objecting strongly to the technical content of the book.
What really let this novel down was the really atrocious characterisation. The author had to dump lots of financial explanation, for instance, so he puts in a Wall Street Journal reporter who interviews Korda, the reluctant prophet. The reporter is basically clueless and has to be taught some basics about financial markets by Korda. This is a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, and it sounds like a conversation with the pizza delivery guy. So that was one minor character who seemed badly thought out. He was just a prop to which the author could attach dialogue, and he was not the only example of that.
Then there are all the Christians who hear Korda give his message and immediately just accept it, in some kind of miraculous way. At one point, Korda holds a meeting to tell people of his vision and he talks a bit and then says "is there a stockbroker here?" Sure enough there is. So Korda asks if the stockbroker will help all the people in the meeting to sell up their portfolios and invest all their money in Put Options. These options are not an investment, but a bet on a market fall. The description of them is again correct, and Korda warns the audience that no broker would suggest such risky investments to ordinary investors. So he asks the stockbroker whether he will help and the broker says yes because he acknowledges the truth of the message Korda has brought. Just like that, all the Christians sign up to gambling all their money, and no one stands up and says "wait! what?"
Now here is the thing: in fiction the author can posit that the prophet's message is true, and naysayers are wrong. That is okay. It is fiction. You can do that. What is not right is to have all the characters behaving in such an unnatural way. It stretches the bounds of credulity beyond breaking point that this message would just be accepted on face value, and that everyone would then just accept Koprda's solution: bet all your wealth on a stock market fall on a specific day. There was some opposition, but it was from evil money grabbing non Christians, who were heavily typecast and really not much of a threat. A nasty show down in a back alley was a total damp squib.
In the Bible story of Joseph, Joseph only needed to persuade Pharoah of the truth of his words and then Pharoah's authority oversaw the preparations for famine. In this book Korda manages to persuade pretty much everyone we come across that he is a genuine prophet, unlike all the other prophets that came along from time to time, and that they should all do exactly as he said. Nope, this just does not fly.
There was little human interest either. The author tried some but it was all a bit flat, and these characters were just boring. Attempts to give Korda some flaws seemed to be just for the sake of it. He was not quite a Mary Sue, but there was little interesting going on there.
So really, the book could have had so much more conflict. Instead it was just a count down with repeated descriptions of financial markets. The climax was described clinically, but I was just glad to get it over by that point.
Another point arises as to the overall polemic of the book. This is not really the story of Joseph in Egypt, preparing for famine. No, this is the story of a global financial collapse in which all the Christians who listen to the words of the modern day prophet get rich quick, and give half of all their profits to the church. They get rich quicjk by gambling. Sure, in this world it is not a gamble because God told them to do it, but to be honest this story is no better than one where God says "buy a lottery ticket, the numbers are x, y, z..." It is a get rich quick story for the people who do what the prophet tells them. And that looks like the prosperity gospel. The book is all about money and riches and making sure that American Christians (because Korda did not go on a world tour after all) get rich at the expense of everyone else who gets wiped out.
Wouldn't a better story be about one that calls people, Christians included, to repentance for their love of money?
Maybe the prosperity gospel aspect was unintentional, but it was also wholly inescapable.
So in summary: preposterous story, flat and boring characters, poor execution, some very dodgy theology. One to miss.
March 11, 2024
It just didn’t achieve the momentum it was striving for and ended rather abruptly.
March 11, 2018
A Bunn book was in an auction win/after reading it, I was curious about the author , checking out The Warning and The Ultimatum from the library. Fast reading for both; I'm about half way through the Ultimatum.
I choose my words carefully here. I did need to look at the date of the book as someone who got caught big time by the real estate crash of the 2000's. Terrible financial hit at a time when my life was spiraling out of control as well. Obviously, the story of a predicted financial collapse was relevant, even reading the book 10 years later. Today, I view the world through much more jaded eyes, including the present rise of the stock market. I don't feel secure in trusting in anything financial any more.
Bunn's characters were fairly boring people to me. I don't know how else to say it. A little too dull or whatever; too churchy; but also it was nice to read a book devoid of the trash found in so many. I just had a hard time warming up to Barney or his wife. This was the second book I have read recently that involved someone covering up terrible physical scars from a tragedy , causing me to check to see if this was a trend with the author (but no, this was another Christian fiction writer....facial scars on women seems to be a modern theme). The high neck frilly collars just seemed highly dated (yes, the book was written in 1998 but still...). Then she gets over it and let's them be seen. Imagine my disappointment when I started reading the Ultimatum and Molly was back hiding her scars again. Not sure what happened there.....
For Barney, I keep seeing the actor from the Fargo series on TV some years ago. The lackluster guy that actually plays the younger Bilbo Baggins in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. In the Fargo series (which I do not recommend for any spiritual enhancement - bleak, ugly series - well-acted but not good for the soul) Back to Barney, a bland, lifeless individual being pulled along into something he does not desire. Good for showing how God can use the least among us but frankly, he was bland but he was also moping so much that I wanted to give him an antidepressant. It was just very weighed down. I also was somewhat put off by the invest in the stock market and then pull out, giving what I thought was 1/2 although the Ultimatum said 1/3 to the church. That felt like the Prosperity teachings one sees. I realize the association with Joseph and preparing for the famine years. Very wise. But like Joseph, gradually acquiring the lands of the people for the government was rather papa government feeling in this day and age. An uneasy feeling there as perhaps I don't have that much faith in today's churches to actually use their money wisely and not just for bigger stadiums to become mega churches with large parking lots.
This also begs a point about provoking a situation. From the initial explanation of buying into the stock market and then betting on its failure; purposely encouraging people to do something at a particular time, both buying and selling and going very public with it; well, I can see how that could crash the market. There are people that purposely undermine financial situations in countries and then increase their wealth by the collapse. These are evil people. I'm not sure that employing that mode to break the back of the financial system is exactly what God's people should be instructed to do. True, it was given to Barney as a vision by God but could not someone argue that George Soros is not trying to help people by his actions? I have problems with this. When the housing market was teetering, I watched AOL and other internet sources constantly beat the entire Florida real estate market into oblivion. I've watched articles on sources about which retailers people wish would fail become reality. How much "suggestion" causes something to happen? We have fiat money; we have propped up values on many things; we're not exactly playing soundly in any field and thus life is precarious. Our national debt is a disaster. I don't have much hope for a country gone rogue on the Bible, the Constitution and the dictates of a Republic, but I'm not sure Christians should be undermining the finances by purposeful action.
Back to Barney's nemesis, the evil former trader & present boss of Barney , here too, the bad guys are just too one-dimensional and too nefarious. My head was somewhat spinning as I met his cohorts , higher and lower, and tried to believe in the reality of any of them. Perhaps I expect too much of today's fiction , particularly the Christian fiction, which has as much depth as most Hallmark Channel movies.
The book held my attention because it was so easy to read. And while I figured I knew exactly what would happen, it still was fast to get to where that conclusion would be. I'll finish the Ultimatum today. Luckily , one can fly through these books. I would assume that these are written as a post-millennial perspective as I don't see a Rapture coming at any point here so that is an angle different than the Left Behind series but I haven't seen any articles on line about Bunn's eschatology. And I have always told people that one should be prepared for God doing things differently than they expect and to recognize that just because a bad time comes, it is not necessarily THE bad times. But since Bunn chose to use the seven year option in this and some other things that lend to a tribulation sort of period, I'm curious how he views that entire time. Pre/Mid/Post.
I see no harm in reading the two books but will return when I finish the Ultimatum. I don't think I have given a spoiler here as it would be hard to even start the first book and not predict what will happen by book's end. There are diversions along the way and ups and downs. I must say that while the Mitford series made me think I wanted to find my Mitford in the western part of North Carolina, I don't think the Bunn books will spur a rush to buy property in Aiden, Delaware. No offense, Delaware , but it was hard falling in love with you.
I choose my words carefully here. I did need to look at the date of the book as someone who got caught big time by the real estate crash of the 2000's. Terrible financial hit at a time when my life was spiraling out of control as well. Obviously, the story of a predicted financial collapse was relevant, even reading the book 10 years later. Today, I view the world through much more jaded eyes, including the present rise of the stock market. I don't feel secure in trusting in anything financial any more.
Bunn's characters were fairly boring people to me. I don't know how else to say it. A little too dull or whatever; too churchy; but also it was nice to read a book devoid of the trash found in so many. I just had a hard time warming up to Barney or his wife. This was the second book I have read recently that involved someone covering up terrible physical scars from a tragedy , causing me to check to see if this was a trend with the author (but no, this was another Christian fiction writer....facial scars on women seems to be a modern theme). The high neck frilly collars just seemed highly dated (yes, the book was written in 1998 but still...). Then she gets over it and let's them be seen. Imagine my disappointment when I started reading the Ultimatum and Molly was back hiding her scars again. Not sure what happened there.....
For Barney, I keep seeing the actor from the Fargo series on TV some years ago. The lackluster guy that actually plays the younger Bilbo Baggins in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. In the Fargo series (which I do not recommend for any spiritual enhancement - bleak, ugly series - well-acted but not good for the soul) Back to Barney, a bland, lifeless individual being pulled along into something he does not desire. Good for showing how God can use the least among us but frankly, he was bland but he was also moping so much that I wanted to give him an antidepressant. It was just very weighed down. I also was somewhat put off by the invest in the stock market and then pull out, giving what I thought was 1/2 although the Ultimatum said 1/3 to the church. That felt like the Prosperity teachings one sees. I realize the association with Joseph and preparing for the famine years. Very wise. But like Joseph, gradually acquiring the lands of the people for the government was rather papa government feeling in this day and age. An uneasy feeling there as perhaps I don't have that much faith in today's churches to actually use their money wisely and not just for bigger stadiums to become mega churches with large parking lots.
This also begs a point about provoking a situation. From the initial explanation of buying into the stock market and then betting on its failure; purposely encouraging people to do something at a particular time, both buying and selling and going very public with it; well, I can see how that could crash the market. There are people that purposely undermine financial situations in countries and then increase their wealth by the collapse. These are evil people. I'm not sure that employing that mode to break the back of the financial system is exactly what God's people should be instructed to do. True, it was given to Barney as a vision by God but could not someone argue that George Soros is not trying to help people by his actions? I have problems with this. When the housing market was teetering, I watched AOL and other internet sources constantly beat the entire Florida real estate market into oblivion. I've watched articles on sources about which retailers people wish would fail become reality. How much "suggestion" causes something to happen? We have fiat money; we have propped up values on many things; we're not exactly playing soundly in any field and thus life is precarious. Our national debt is a disaster. I don't have much hope for a country gone rogue on the Bible, the Constitution and the dictates of a Republic, but I'm not sure Christians should be undermining the finances by purposeful action.
Back to Barney's nemesis, the evil former trader & present boss of Barney , here too, the bad guys are just too one-dimensional and too nefarious. My head was somewhat spinning as I met his cohorts , higher and lower, and tried to believe in the reality of any of them. Perhaps I expect too much of today's fiction , particularly the Christian fiction, which has as much depth as most Hallmark Channel movies.
The book held my attention because it was so easy to read. And while I figured I knew exactly what would happen, it still was fast to get to where that conclusion would be. I'll finish the Ultimatum today. Luckily , one can fly through these books. I would assume that these are written as a post-millennial perspective as I don't see a Rapture coming at any point here so that is an angle different than the Left Behind series but I haven't seen any articles on line about Bunn's eschatology. And I have always told people that one should be prepared for God doing things differently than they expect and to recognize that just because a bad time comes, it is not necessarily THE bad times. But since Bunn chose to use the seven year option in this and some other things that lend to a tribulation sort of period, I'm curious how he views that entire time. Pre/Mid/Post.
I see no harm in reading the two books but will return when I finish the Ultimatum. I don't think I have given a spoiler here as it would be hard to even start the first book and not predict what will happen by book's end. There are diversions along the way and ups and downs. I must say that while the Mitford series made me think I wanted to find my Mitford in the western part of North Carolina, I don't think the Bunn books will spur a rush to buy property in Aiden, Delaware. No offense, Delaware , but it was hard falling in love with you.
July 14, 2009
Just finished this book. It was published in 1998 however it is so relevant to the economic situation our country is in today
February 19, 2019
Pretty predictable and too much financial talk.
February 5, 2022
It had a Christian theme which I appreciated but the plot was somewhat unbelievable.
Good triumphs over evil.
Good triumphs over evil.
June 29, 2023
Heart and Spirit warming read, as one solitary man hears and obeys God, and changes everything!
December 27, 2021
If you want to read at least 100 pages of the same speech being said 15 different ways, and another 50 getting a history lesson on the stock market and banks, by all means, read this book. Personally, I would rather watch paint dry. It's a shame, because the rest of the book was quite enjoyable. By the time I was halfway through I found myself skipping huge chunks that really just didn't have ANYTHING to do with the plot.
August 20, 2013
I have read several of T. Davis Bunn's books. This is the first one that wasn't that great. It almost seemed as if someone else had written it! I found the characters to be dull and uninteresting. The only thing that kept me reading was the plot, just to see how it ended. I'm not sure if I want to read the next one in this series: The Ultimatum.
April 25, 2021
An exciting financial roller coaster ride written by someone who knows the field.
What a pleasure to read a novel in which intense financial dealings are matched by intense faith experience. All written by an author who clearly writes not only from a position of knowledge but also reflecting personal experience.
What a pleasure to read a novel in which intense financial dealings are matched by intense faith experience. All written by an author who clearly writes not only from a position of knowledge but also reflecting personal experience.
February 27, 2009
The first book of the two book Reluctant Prophet series, about Buddy Korda, a small town banker who receives a message from God about an impending stock market crash. And of course, now I will have to read the second book to find out how it all ends.
October 11, 2014
Some of the specific financial jargon went over my head but you get the idea of impending financial doom.
Interesting way to see him and his family affected. I could see the biblical prophets being weary, worn out but a sense of peace in their stories.
Interesting way to see him and his family affected. I could see the biblical prophets being weary, worn out but a sense of peace in their stories.
March 4, 2014
Buddy Korda had a message from God and put his life on hold to deliver it.
July 5, 2014
A good book about both listening to God and appreciating silence from God. The contemporary story of economic collapse creates an interesting twist and the evil greed battles with good.
October 8, 2014
I thought it was an excellent book - very easy to imagine all this truly happening.
I find this writer very enthralling and readable and highly recommend him.
I find this writer very enthralling and readable and highly recommend him.
January 25, 2015
Ok story of a dry banker receives a message regarding banking stock options from God and prophecies a financial collapse.
February 5, 2016
I loved this book! Really action-packed. Will keep you in constant suspense.
July 17, 2022
Modern day Joseph story. Very encouraging.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews