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Scholars and the faithful have many honest differences about the authorship and authenticity of the Gospel stories. Were they revealed by God? Were they shaped, edited, and chosen by those who survived persecution and eventually organized the church? What might have been omitted from among all the events--known and unknown--that swirled around Jesus' short life?
This novel reimagines key aspects of the life of Jesus using sixteen "tales" told by minor characters mentioned or implied in the Bible. These witnesses tell of his birth, the development of his belief system, and their own roles in the miracles that later became glorified in the Bible.
What emerges is Jesus' humanistic ethic--compassion for the poor and marginal, primacy of love over hate and power, and essential worth of both sexes. The novel imagines conversations Jesus might have had with these witnesses, with his doubts, humility, and faith displayed in terms we might understand today. These forgotten stories help him emerge from the shadows as the true Son of Man.
About the author
This is the first novel written by Dr. Stephen Shanley, a retired Clinical Psychologist. Dr. Shanley is married with two children and four grandchildren. He is a lifelong, church-going Episcopalian. As a psychologist, he has witnessed some of the best and worst of humanity.
Dr. Shanley wants to thank family members, friends, editors, publishers, reviewers, and all who read the novel with an open mind. There is a mounting cost to blind adherence to religious dogma; all the good that Jesus did and preached in his lifetime is slowly being eroded by the beastliness that lurks in all of us. That beast is being fed, encouraged, and "weaponized" by those more interested in earthly power than heavenly reward, however defined. The battle for the good/God requires all our heart and soul, and I thank you for your efforts.
