Anne Rice writes about the life of Jesus…
When writing a novel about someone who is already so prominently discussed, coming up with something new to say can be quite a challenge. And yet, Anne Rice has managed, using her style of writing a historical novel, which focuses on the younger years of Jesus of Nazareth, to give a new perspective and new insights. You can click here to order.
— Reb’s Review Continues —
Reb’s Review of “Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt” by Anne Rice.
So, my friends and family wondered, why is a Jew like me reading a book about Jesus? And I realized that for years I have been avoiding the writings and teachings of Jesus — while reading those of other spiritual leaders and philosophers — out of two fears. One fear was that by reading about Jesus I would be being “unfaithful” to my people. And the second was that by reading about Jesus I would be in some way affirming those who spread bigotry, hatred and war, in the name of Jesus. Because some of my ancestors were violated, beaten, and sometimes killed, by those who said they acted in the name of Jesus, and because to this day, some people promote bigotry, and claim they do so because they are followers of the teachings of Jesus — I had been scared away from reading his words, and reading about his life. But lately, neither of those has been feeling like a very compelling reason. Why wouldn’t I want to read about one of my ancestors — a young “idealist” who led a successful movement for peace, justice, and healing?
And, others asked – Anne Rice? The woman who writes vampire novels? Why is she writing about Jesus? Why not? Certainly her talent at depicting and bringing to life earlier historical periods is an incredibly useful talent to have when writing about the life of Jesus. By getting the flavor and the tempo of the time, the environment in which Jesus grew up — Anne Rice contributes an important understanding. Jesus’ message, and his urgent devotion to improving society, feel all the more real when understood against the backdrop of a young person growing up at a time of war, expanding violent and tyrannical empire, and mass displacements of people. She also successfully evokes his experience of living in a society of inequality, and struggling against injustice not only as a philosophy, but from a lived experience of injustice. Perhaps it is because Anne Rice has often written about those who were outcast, that she was able to capture what it was like to be a Jew at that time.
Of course, when discussing Jesus, even in the context of a historical novel, it seems important to at least address the inevitable question: what about the question of his divinity?
For this question, my favorite answer is the one given by Reverend Eloise Oliver, senior minister of the East Bay Church of Religious Science. When asked whether she believes that Jesus really is a divine being her answer was, “Yes, he is. And so am I. And so are all of you.”
Finally — I recently came across another brilliant book sharing insights about the life of Jesus. This historical and political analysis of the role of Jesus’ faith and social position and how it relates to contemporary struggles for justice is titled, “Jesus and the Dispossessed” by Howard Thurman, a book which has influenced many powerful people:
The American Civil Rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr., was a student at Boston University. The Dean of the University Chapel was Howard Thurman, the grandson of slaves. Years later, when King had been knifed in New York City, he asked to see Thurman. When Thurman arrived at the hospital, King was reading Thurman’s book, Jesus and the Dispossessed. [Source.]
To get Thurman’s book, 
click here.