Hidden Victory; - A Historical Novel of Jesus
Price: $7.95
Place Published: Philadelphia
Publisher: Saint Joseph's University Press
Date Published: 1984
ISBN: 9780916101015
Book ID: 53
Description:
459 pages + introduction and index to scriptural references | 8.5 x 5.5 inches
This is a historical novel. It can be entered at different depths, as adventure, history, or revelation.
The novel is solidly rooted in the four Gospels. The theme is drawn from Mark's "Gospel of the Messianic Secret," the inner depths of Jesus from John; the Infancy accounts from Luke and Matthew. Interpretation is founded on a solid contemporary theology of Christ, which sums up 2,000 years of faith and meditation.
Descriptions of the social and religious environment, the land, and the flora and fauna are based on accepted research works and on the Holy Land today, where the author dwelt and traveled while writing the first draft.
What little is known of the twelve apostles is adhered to, but the imagination has fleshed it out. Certain minor characters are figments of the imagination. Incidental dialogue and minor events are fabricated to give flow to the drama.
In brief, the author has done for the reader what scholars and comtemplatives have long done for themselves - filled in the chinks of the Gospels. The reader interested in the substantive roots of thenovel should consult the Appendix of Scriptural References to compare the various episodes with their Gospel foundations.
Jesus is, in the words of St. John of the Cross, "a rich mine with many pockets containing treasures - however deep we dig we will never find their end." This novel attempts to dig deep. Whether it digs out the true ore is yours to decide.
Herbert Francis Smith, S.J.