Christ in Fiction and Film
Explore the best Christ-themed books, fiction, and films. Discover compelling stories and movies that depict the life, teachings, and influence of Jesus in literature and cinema.
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The Gospel According to Jesus Christ
by José Saramago
A wry, fictional account of the life of Christ by Nobel laureate Jos Saramago A brilliant skeptic, Jos Saramago envisions the life of Jesus Christ and the story of his Passion as things of this earth: A child crying, the caress of a woman half asleep, the bleat of a goat, a prayer uttered in the grayish morning light. His idea of the Holy Family reflects the real complexities of any family, and--as only Saramago can--he imagines them with tinges of vision, dream, and omen. The result is a deft psychological portrait that moves between poetry and irony, spirituality and irreverence of a savior who is at once the Son of God and a young man. In this provocative, tender novel, the subject of wide critical discussion and wonder, Saramago questions the meaning of God, the foundations of the Church, and human existence itself.
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The Gospel According to the Son
by Norman Mailer
A retelling of the story of Jesus in Jesus's own words--a penetration into Jesus's human heart--and a recreation of the world through which Jesus walked.
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Quarantine
by Jim Crace
Retells the story of Jesus Christ's forty-day sojourn in the wilderness and its impact on a small group of individuals.
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The Last Temptation of Christ
by Nikos Kazantzakis
In this story, Jesus is presented as both fully human and fully divine, free of sin but subject to all temptations.
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Lamb
by Christopher Moore
The birth of Jesus has been well chronicled, as have his glorious teachings, acts, and divine sacrifice after his thirtieth birthday. But no one knows about the early life of the Son of God, the missing years -- except Biff, the Messiah's best bud, who has been resurrected to tell the story in the divinely hilarious yet heartfelt work "reminiscent of Vonnegut and Douglas Adams" (Philadelphia Inquirer). Verily, the story Biff has to tell is a miraculous one, filled with remarkable journeys, magic, healings, kung fu, corpse reanimations, demons, and hot babes. Even the considerable wiles and devotion of the Savior's pal may not be enough to divert Joshua from his tragic destiny. But there's no one who loves Josh more -- except maybe "Maggie," Mary of Magdala -- and Biff isn't about to let his extraordinary pal suffer and ascend without a fight.
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The Shadow of the Galilean
by Gerd Theissen
Combining NT scholarship with the racy and readable style of a thriller, Theissen succeeds brilliantly in conveying the gospel story in the fresh and imaginative prose of a novel. Here is a wealth of information about Palestinian life and politics.
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The Nazarene
by Sholem Asch
The story of Jesus is told by three different witnesses: Cornelius, Pontius Pilate's governor of Jerusalem; the fragmentary gospel of Judas Iscariot; and the narrative of Joseph, a young student of Nicodemus, presenting a sweeping panorama of the Holy Land nearly two thousand years ago. Reprint.
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Man of Nazareth
by Anthony Burgess
The life and mission of Jesus Christ are the basis for a fictionalized account of the events in first-century Judea
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Gospel of Corax
by Paul Park
As seen through the eyes of Corax, a runaway Roman slave skilled in the healing arts, Jeshua is an unlikely traveling companion. ""The Gospel of Corax" is an uncanny blend of fantasy, romance, and historical fiction. Its Jesus will bother many and intrigue many others".--Harold Bloom. Paul Park is the author of four highly acclaimed works of science fiction, including "Celestis", a 1995 Nebula finalist.
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Three Marys
by Paul Park
The exposition of the faith of Mary, the mother of Jesus; Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus of Bethany; and Mary Magdalene and their lives after the crucifixion.
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Gospel
by Wilton Barnhardt
The search is on for a lost first-century gospel of the Bible, a document that could shake the foundations of Christianity. The narrative races through dozens of locales as a theologian and an ex-priest pursue rumors and clues about the gospel. In the end, what they discover will challenge and forever change the nature of faith.
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The Master and Margarita
by Михаил Булгаков
Mikhail Bulgakov's devastating satire of Soviet life was written during the darkest period of Stalin's regime. Combining two distinct yet interwoven parts-one set in ancient Jerusalem, one in contemporary Moscow-the novel veers from moods of wild theatricality with violent storms, vampire attacks, and a Satanic ball; to such somber scenes as the meeting of Pilate and Yeshua, and the murder of Judas in the moonlit garden of Gethsemane; to the substanceless, circus-like reality of Moscow. Its central characters, Woland (Satan) and his retinue-including the vodka-drinking, black cat, Behemoth; the poet, Ivan Homeless; Pontius Pilate; and a writer known only as The Master, and his passionate companion, Margarita-exist in a world that blends fantasy and chilling realism, an artful collage of grostesqueries, dark comedy, and timeless ethical questions.
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The Logia of Yeshua
by Guy Davenport
Jesus was a street preacher who taught through story and aphorism. Antedating the Gospels, these 105 sayings were recorded by his followers during and shortly after his lifetime. Through the immediacy of direct quotation, Davenport and Urrutia's bold translation shakes our preconceptions, reintroducing us to the living teacher whose powerful words ring anew. A new edition is available at ISBN 978-1640093454.
