I finished reading Christ the Lord last night.

I ask myself if it is dangerous to speculate on things we do not know about Christ? Is it dangerous to delve into that which God did not see fit to reveal to us? I suspect it is dangerous (In fact I am certain of it). Dangerous in the way it is dangerous to handle high explosives; If handled improperly the damage to self and others can be extensive, and catastrophic, but – if handled properly the service it can render is invaluable.

In this instance I believe Anne Rice handled her subject with great care and reverence and the service this book might render may prove to be invaluable.

Let me start out by reminding people that this is a work of FICTION. This is not the Gospel According to Anne Rice nor is it an attempt to defend liberal theology by hiding behind a novel. Christ the Lord is historical fiction that desires to answer the question that many have had – what might it have been like to have been both God and Man? This is the way Anne Rice herself asks the question. This question leads to others – when would the self-awareness have been there? Was Christ somehow omniscient in the womb or did His awareness grow as He did? Were miracles a part of His life before His baptism?

From a faith perspective we are not required in any sense of the word to know or have an understanding of Christ’s first thirty years of life (if we were I am convinced it would be in scripture). Nevertheless it is an interesting exercise in trying to better understand the nature of Christ as both God and Man all at once. This is a major point of belief, doctrine if you will sometimes referred to as the hypostatic union). As Christians we assert our belief that Christ is God and Christ is Man in one, yet how many of us have deliberately meditated on what this actually means?

Back to the book –

Anne Rice is a good writer. She is addicted to research and detail and this comes through  in the novel (in a good way). If you have never read historical fiction you need to be warned that patience is required. The action is not the same as in other novels. Told in the first-person by the young Jesus himself (seven years old)the setting and culture are almost as important as the main character . This means that there are long, descriptive passages that detail the ritual, food, culture, economy, etc. of the era. Of course this is woven finely into the narrative of Rice’s novel. A good writer of historical fiction recognizes a desire in themselves not to simply entertain, but to educate – and that reader will trust that the author has done their research. In this instance it is clear that Rice has done her research (read the authors note at the end).

The novel flows well and the characters of Jesus and his family are well developed. It seems that Rice treats her characters with deep respect and handles them very carefully. She has not created caricatures but rather seems to recognize the significance of each in within the framework of faith and scripture and wishes to ensure that she does them justice. In essence she has created a novel that develops the characters as an extrapolation of what we find in scripture. Rice is not out to exploit myth and legend but rather to work backwards from the Gospel biographies of Christ and create a believable portrait of the growing Messiah. Rice’s story of Christ is the story of a Jewish boy, growing up in a Jewish family in first century Israel. The significance of the character is that He is not simply any Jewish boy, He is God in flesh working out His plan for the salvation of humanity.

Ultimately people will either love or hate this novel – there will be no middle ground. For many, an exploration of the life of Christ is a waste of time and dangerous. For others, there will be the hope that something outrageous appears that will shake the faithful. Still others will simply ignore the book entirely. Many, I believe will find the novel will strengthen their faith because it gives them a very personal way to view Christ – it is intimate.

I believe this novel is a work of faith written by a person who desires to honor God with her talent. It is written by a person who believes the Gospels are what they say they are and that Christ is who He says He is. It is an offering to God and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

As with all things if you are going to read Christ the Lord read it with a critical eye. Do not simply accept what is written but dig, ask questions and formulate a thoughtful position. The book would make an excellent book club/small group read because it triggers some deep and important questions about the nature of our Lord.

It would be wise to keep the following words of John in mind when reading the novel:

This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.  (John 21:24-25 NASB)

"The ultimate questions, the ones distilled from a thousand others were so obvious as to be frightening. What did it feel like to be Jesus? What did it feel like to be God and Man as a child? This is the Christ of the four gospels in whom I believe. — In a way, the novel is the story of Christmas told in a new way — from the point of view of Jesus Himself when he is old enough to start talking seriously about the mysteries surrounding His birth. — My life has led to this book."