THE DOUBTER'S TESTAMENT

Andreas and Edwards take readers on a journey from the crucifixion to Pentecost in a novel that puts a faithful spin on Gospel stories of Jesus’ life.

Biblical tradition holds that after the resurrection, Jesus spent 40 days on Earth preaching and performing miracles. The Gospel of John says that “the world itself could not contain the books” that might be written about this momentous time. Andreas, with co-author Edwards, has taken John’s words as a challenge. This book offers an extended, fictionalized account of Christ’s last days on Earth. The “doubter” of the title is Thomas, the apostle who initially refuses to believe in Jesus’ resurrection, and much of the tale is told from his perspective. But unlike such works as José Saramago’s The Gospel According to Jesus Christ (1991) and Norman Mailer’s The Gospel According to the Son (1997), both of which take huge liberties with the Bible, this book is a relatively orthodox elaboration on the stories about Jesus. It aims to build on, rather than chip away at, the solid foundation of Scripture. A few pressing questions drive the narrative: How did it feel to be there when Jesus died, or when he was raised, or when he appeared again? Andreas and Edwards, both practicing Christians, explore the disciples’ inner thoughts during this miraculous time. As such, the novel serves as a meditation on the Gospels—a Christian interpretation that lets believers nestle deeper into Bible stories. However, although the authors are sometimes clever, they’re always careful to toe the biblical line. Part of the allure of Mailer and Saramago is that they asked all the questions readers tend not to ask in church—and these are questions that this book doesn’t touch.

A capable but safe telling of biblical tales.