Disaster brings out the writer in Shawn Murphy.

After 9/11, the American put pen to paper protesting in the local media the call for violent revenge against his country’s enemies.

In March, a week after a family member suffered a stroke, he started writing a book.

“For some reason at that time I had this strong feeling that I had this story to tell,” the Bermuda resident said. “I wasn’t stressed, and people were surprised by that.

“I just felt writing these books was part of my journey.”

He’s since published three: Torn Between Two Worlds ­— Material and Ethereal, Torn Between Two Worlds ­— Wisdom and Rhetoric and Torn Between Two Worlds ­— Science and Religion.

The books suggest that spirits occupy the ethereal world and can haunt humans in the material world. They also promote following the practices of early Christians, insisting that people started revising Christianity in the 6th century to suit political agendas.

The early Christians believed in reincarnation and didn’t allow images of saints and other heavenly beings in the church. “My belief in early Christianity gives me empathy and understanding for others,” Mr Murphy said. “It eliminates fear for the future.

“I have a closeness with nature and wonder for God’s creation. Being surrounded by angels and understanding their task among us gives great comfort. This all reminds me daily who I have to thank for these wonderful gifts.

“I am a fallen angel who has much work to do to get home, but I have plenty of help.”

Although he wasn’t an experienced writer, the words just poured out of him once he started his books.

“It wasn’t hard,” he said. “I have been having discussions about these things for 15 years, and been thinking about them for most of my life.”

He was raised Catholic in Texas, but grew disenchanted with the faith.

“I gave up searching for a religious answer at 21 and became a non-believer because the 18 religions I looked at did not make sense to me,” he said. “It was not until I was 35 that I learnt of early Christianity and started believing and understanding how things got so messed up in the 6th century.”

He admits the subject matter in his second book, Wisdom and Rhetoric, gave him pause.

“It is so hard to know the difference between wisdom and rhetoric,” he said. “They say the best lie is 95 per cent true.

“My main hope with this project was to reassure intellectuals, scientists and engineers that you can find reason and logic in religion.”

The books became available on Amazon last month; they now have a special place in his house next to his dining room table.

Mr Murphy studied aerospace engineering but left the field for investment management.

At 30, he ran investment team PRP Performa Ag. In 2000 he moved the company to Bermuda, and ran it for seven years.

He now splits his time between Los Angeles and Bermuda. His company MediaMine helps actors and other content owners manage their assets by creating digital media archives.