CBB Review: Slubgrip Instructs: Fifty Days with the Devil

In 2009 Fr. Dwight Longenecker first introduced readers to the diabolical Master Templar Slubgrip. In the book The Gargoyle Code: Lenten Letters between a Master Tempter and his diabolical Trainee, Slubgrip writes daily to his trainee devil Dogwart. He gave advice to Dogwart on how to tempt a young Catholic. The book is clearly a tip of the hat to C.S.Lewis’ classic The Screwtape Letters. If you enjoyed your first encounter with Slubgrip you will be pleased with Fr. Longenecker’s latest book Slubgrip Instructs: Fifty Days with the Devil.

This time around Slubgrip has been demoted to teaching Popular Culture 101 at Bowelbages University. The book follows the daily classes Professor Slubgrip has with his students, effectively devils in training. You learn there has been a security breech at the school and transcripts of his lectures have fallen into enemy hands (that would be us). The lectures begin on Shrove Tuesday and last all the way through Easter Monday.

Fr. Longenecker uses this unique format to deliver timely teachings to the reader on the various “ism’s” prevalent in our society today. These secular ideologies, which we may or may not be aware of, come at us in every direction in an attempt to undermine our Catholic faith.  The first is relativism the misguided thought that there is no such thing as truth. Next up is individualism, the belief that each individual is their own arbiter of moral choices, political choices and religious beliefs. Eclecticism and sentimentalism round put the first week of Lent. In week two the lessons concentrate on hedonism, the love of pleasure. Week three plunges into the multiple trappings of sexuality. Atheism, historicism, progressivism and pessimism are covered in week four. Closing out the fifty days of lectures, Slubgrip discusses brainwashing, how sports can go bad, and during Holy Week “the imposter from Nazareth.”

Part humor, part irony and part serious, this book is sure to delight and entertain. Despite the fact that at times the instruction given by Slubgrip makes you feel somewhat “dirty” for being a part of it, the message throughout the book is clear. Coming at you in a somewhat backwards way there is much to learn here.  The lectures take the reader through a blow by blow of temptations and ideologies in today’s culture that undermine our Catholic Faith.  This approach worked for C.S. Lewis and it works for Fr. Longenecker as well. He has written a book that delves deep into the “dark side” that will scare you at times with a blunt look at reality, one you may not realize is happening around you. At other times it will make you laugh at the antics of the underworld. All the while you will be enlightened about the trappings of society today. A Lenten lesson we all could use.

Lent is indeed a time of reflection and renewal. Nowhere does it say we must be dark and broody. Fr. Longenecker has provided readers with an entertaining read with a message. The message is clear….do not fall for the tricks of the devil presented in our secular world today. How that message is presented is what makes this book so unique. Slubgrip Instructs delivers a  Lenten message coming at the reader in a one if a kind matter that is one worth reading this Lent and for many Lents to come.

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