Huh!? A Christian Novel about Occultist Hauntings?

NO SPOILER: This author's accounting of The Wizard Clip Haunting contains no spoilers.

After 10 years of on-and-off again effort, I recently finish writing an historical novel based on the well documented Wizard Clip Legend out of what is now West Virginia. 

The resulting book, now available in several editions, is titled The Wizard Clip Hauntings: A True Early American Ghost Story. The novel is necessarily long, due to the Early American history that pervades the time and place of the events that shocked many, and even involved the first United States bishop, John Carroll, S.J. 

At the time, what Adam Livingston and his family experienced was disturbing. Remembering them, (especially in fictional form) can likewise raise disturbing questions. So it was, that I received a sincere email from a Catholic friend who asked an honest question. Here is an excerpt of her letter (the bold emphases are hers).

Hi Stan, 

I hope we can buy your book soon. But I have some questions before we do. I am curious about the topic of hauntings. Just to be clear, and forgive me of my ignorance, but I assume this is safe for a good Catholic to read. I avoid anything that would lead to the occult. And any of its dealings. How do you justify the topic as a devout Catholic? 

I am sure that it is me who is not clear on this, and not you. But could you touch on helping me understand the purpose of writing this book and its benefits?

My husband is intrigued by a bit of this type of topic usually, I am not. But I seem to be this time. 

Hope my question makes sense to you. Thanks for any clarification you might offer me. God bless! 

F. 

I wrote our friend back with an answer that I will expand here:

 Dear F,

Thank you for asking a very good question. I thought about this very dichotomy years ago when I started the project, but not recently. Your reminder prompts me to revisit my motivation. 

The Wizard Clip Haunting is, at its heart, a tale faithful to Catholic teaching. But, because the core story is true and unexpected in several ways, it has also become controversial. The combination of truth and controversy (a great dramatic irony) drew me to it.  Without fictionalizing the historical aspects of the story, a great truth of Catholicism is explicated, and hopefully, my fictional additions do it in an entertaining and narrative way. Professionally, I'm a storyteller. I would much rather explain truth by telling an ironic story than writing didactic apologetics or theology. While I have been accused many times of the latter, I much prefer the former. So I wrote the novel because it tells the truth and can inform readers about the reality of heaven, hell, angel, demons, and what we need to do to live successful under God's grace and within his mercy. 

THE HISTORY 

The core of the story is historically well-documented mostly by several Catholic priests, and the U.S. bishop who were involved in the events in the 1790s in what was then northeast Virginia.  Over the years, the story has been told over and over, and consequently has garnered the label of a legend because the various accounts recount the details differently. The core of the story, however, remains unchanged. 

The story, in real life and in the novel, is told by Fr. Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin, an eye witness to the Wizard Clip events who was known during his lifetime as the Apostle of the Alleghenies. Today, he is known by the Vatican as "Servant of God." A former Russian prince, he was the first U.S. Catholic priest to complete all his seminary training in the U.S. and be ordained by Bishop John Carroll. To fit in with early American society, he took the name Fr. Smith, but his thick European accent—from knowing five languages—gave him away. 

Without giving anything away about the novel, the story is not one, but four, woven into a single fabric no doubt by Providence. The first story, regards a 35-acre plot of land that today is known as Priest Field, a Catholic Retreat Center. The second, is the story of a resourceful but tragic farmer, a lapsed Lutheran, known to history as Adam Livingston. The third, is the story of a pioneering priest, Denis Cahill, who founded six parishes that exist today. He forged an heroic missionary path in the early days of the nation, but then lost his way. The fourth, is of a demonic spirit, which the locals to this day call the Clipping Wizard. 

 

The village where the events took place is known as Clip Town. Today, over 200 years later, the village of Middleway, WV, continues to celebrate its place in history with wood-block badges on the fronts of the historic buildings depicting a crescent moon and a pair of scissors. 

You can read more about the story, or buy one of the editions of the book, at the book's website: https://wizardclip.stanwilliams.com