A Novel About Jesus

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30823, 7 August 1965, Page 4

A Novel About Jesus

The Lord Jesus. By Robert Payne. Abelard Schuman. 314 pp.

It is rather strange that this biography of Jesus Christ should be written at a time when the battle in theology is still being waged between those who say that it is possible to obtain a reliable history of Jesus Christ and those who assert that the Bible gives us only the faith propaganda of the church. No theologian in the light of this would attempt to write any such biography, until the historicity of the New Testament is in some way made clear. However, such criticism does not mean that this book has no value. From a literary point of view, there is no doubt that the author has a lovely control of language and some of his word pictures are most exciting. Further he has a great love of the world of nature and this is adequately illustrated particularly in all the episodes associated with the Sea of Galilee and those within the environs of Jerusalem. Added to this, he gives an admirable presentation of Jesus as a person of courage and of high ideals together with a wisdom that surpasses that of natural man. Even Judas comes in for an honourable mention. As such he is presented as a devoted dis-

ciple, who longs so much for Jesus to lead an insurrection, that he betrays him in the endeavour to force his hand. Bearing all this in mind one still cannot help but smile when the author engages himself in fantasy. In absolute contradiction to the spirit of the Jesus of the gospel the author presents him trying to rescue John the Baptist from prison. He arrives at the outer gate of the prison where he forces a guard to surrender a box in which is enclosed the head of John the Baptist. Subsequently we are told that Jesus used this box as a pillow for his head. Later we are shown the confrontation between the temple authorities and Jesus, which leads to a slaughter of twelve men upon the altar of sacrifice. Nicodemus then hides Jesus in a booth hoping to escort him to safety in Capernaum. Such licence as is shown in these two examples which indeed carries us into the world of make believe, is unwarranted in the case of the life of Jesus Christ. In conclusion, one can state that we have here pleasant reading, poor theology, uncertain history and a work of high literary quality. However, if we keep in mind that it is a novel and not a factual literary work, then the mental exercise is worth the doing.