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Available
Description
This is not a gospel. This is a story. In this ingenious and spell-binding retelling of the life of Jesus, Philip Pullman revisits the most influential story ever told. Charged with mystery, compassion and enormous power, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ throws fresh light on who Jesus was and asks the reader questions that will continue to resonate long after the final page is turned. For, above all, this book is about how stories become stories.
User reviews
LibraryThing member gaskella
Storytelling is something that Philip Pullman cares about very much - this is immediately apparent when you start to read this book. The language is very straight-forward, with few embellishments and descriptive touches – simple almost, as you might expect from an author who has written so much
'This is the story of Jesus and his brother Christ, of how they were born, of how they lived and of how one of them died.'
Pullman separates the dual-nature of Jesus Christ into twin brothers. Jesus is the firstborn rebel who will become the visionary teacher and healer, and Christ is the quiet and observant, questioning younger brother who stays mostly in the shadows. When Jesus goes into the desert, it is Christ that plays devil’s advocate, tempting him with the lure of being the front man of something big that will last forever.
‘…Won’t you be a part of this most wonderful work and help bring the Kingdom of God to earth?’
Jesus looked at his brother.
‘You phantom,’ he said, ‘you shadow of a man. Every drop of blood in our bodies? You have no blood to speak of; it would be my blood that you’d offer up to this vision of yours. What you describe sounds like the work of Satan. God will bring about his Kingdom in his own way, and when he chooses. …’
Pullman uses the device of a mysterious stranger who comes to visit Christ to make his question everything even more. The stranger suggests that Christ starts to chronicle Jesus’ acts, and Christ resolves to turn the truth into history, (as will the writers of the Gospels later). He also manages to put a great spin on the miracles. In that of feeding the 5000 for example – he has Jesus wave his food in the air and suggest everyone shares whatever they have, and only his five loaves and two fishes get remembered – this certainly raised a chuckle. But as we near the end, it becomes just as heart-breaking as the real thing, (Jesus’ rant at God in the garden of Gethsemane brought to mind Ian Gillan’s anguish on the original studio recording of Jesus Christ Superstar.)
But I mustn’t digress. I did love every word of this book, and it made me want to revisit the Gospels, if only to double-check my memory of certain stories within. Pullman is fascinated by the story, and how truth is made into history, which is converted into myth, legend, even religion. The title is certainly controversial and, of course, in making Jesus and Christ doppelgangers of a sort, he has taken liberties with the authorised version. Audacious that may be, but it’s done with reverence too, and for me it worked - it’s a brilliant story!
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fantastic fiction for children. Superfluities have been pared away to the plot only. As the back cover reminds us – This is a story – that’s all. This deceptive simplicity instead generates intensity and a longing to read on. From the very first sentence you know you’re in for something a little different …'This is the story of Jesus and his brother Christ, of how they were born, of how they lived and of how one of them died.'
Pullman separates the dual-nature of Jesus Christ into twin brothers. Jesus is the firstborn rebel who will become the visionary teacher and healer, and Christ is the quiet and observant, questioning younger brother who stays mostly in the shadows. When Jesus goes into the desert, it is Christ that plays devil’s advocate, tempting him with the lure of being the front man of something big that will last forever.
‘…Won’t you be a part of this most wonderful work and help bring the Kingdom of God to earth?’
Jesus looked at his brother.
‘You phantom,’ he said, ‘you shadow of a man. Every drop of blood in our bodies? You have no blood to speak of; it would be my blood that you’d offer up to this vision of yours. What you describe sounds like the work of Satan. God will bring about his Kingdom in his own way, and when he chooses. …’
Pullman uses the device of a mysterious stranger who comes to visit Christ to make his question everything even more. The stranger suggests that Christ starts to chronicle Jesus’ acts, and Christ resolves to turn the truth into history, (as will the writers of the Gospels later). He also manages to put a great spin on the miracles. In that of feeding the 5000 for example – he has Jesus wave his food in the air and suggest everyone shares whatever they have, and only his five loaves and two fishes get remembered – this certainly raised a chuckle. But as we near the end, it becomes just as heart-breaking as the real thing, (Jesus’ rant at God in the garden of Gethsemane brought to mind Ian Gillan’s anguish on the original studio recording of Jesus Christ Superstar.)
But I mustn’t digress. I did love every word of this book, and it made me want to revisit the Gospels, if only to double-check my memory of certain stories within. Pullman is fascinated by the story, and how truth is made into history, which is converted into myth, legend, even religion. The title is certainly controversial and, of course, in making Jesus and Christ doppelgangers of a sort, he has taken liberties with the authorised version. Audacious that may be, but it’s done with reverence too, and for me it worked - it’s a brilliant story!
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LibraryThing member antao
A few pointers:
Some of the examples are typical: first its Mary as having the child by a village lad (*fnarr fnarr*), so none of that god stuff, so Jesus is not the son of god so Redemption and Salvation have no meaning, he's just a bloke. ...hmmm do I see the very basis of Christianity being
I gave up on Pullman's ability to stand up as a credible writer when I finished the Northern Lights trilogy. With apologies to anyone who hasn't read them, his encroaching anti-religious message overwhelmed the narrative and effectively killed the book. "Golden Compass": Great story, fascinating characters in a bizarre and wonderful fantasy setting; "Subtle Knife": Great concept, the story arc of the characters continues to evolve but bringing the real world into the equation helps the story evolve. Slightly marred by the seemingly pointless addition of an expert biologist character for no obvious reason other than to crowbar in some Darwinian philosophy and "SCIENCE!!"; "Amber Spyglass": Story falls apart in favour of long non-narrative passages about the evolution of 'elephants with wheels' and some petty jibes about God, all wrapped up with a spot of underage sex in a field. At that point I genuinely wondered if he'd had some sort of mental episode between the writing of Books 2 and 3. Yes, Philip, we understand that you don't like organised religion, but there's no need to lay it on with a trowel. He slaughtered 'His Dark Materials' by the end of the series for the same reason - a great story ruined by spoonfeeding, in the same way that C.S. Lewis's worst Narnia book was 'The Last Battle' because the always-present God-bothering subtext strangled any pretence of story. Having someone shout in your ear with a megaphone is always unpleasant, whether the shouter be atheist or religious.
Bottom-line: I think it more likely that Christians, faced with Pullman's ill-thought-through tedium, will grimace, knowing perfectly well that Ernest Renan did this sort of thing far more effectively, and with greater intellectual substance, in the 19th century, and that there is little praiseworthy or noteworthy in Pullman's reheated seconds. I wonder whether Pullman knows about Renan's work...
Some of the examples are typical: first its Mary as having the child by a village lad (*fnarr fnarr*), so none of that god stuff, so Jesus is not the son of god so Redemption and Salvation have no meaning, he's just a bloke. ...hmmm do I see the very basis of Christianity being
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attacked here? Second, he presents a false dichotomy, between the simple moralist of Galilee - nothing divine, nothing special, there are plenty of moralists and always will be; and the Man Who Wants a Mighty Church to rule everything. This of course is a wild perversion of christian doctrine, the church is a means, not an end, only in Pullman's caricatures is the Magisterium a ruthless theocracy with power as its sole objective. Pullman offers its 'choices' on one hand just a nice bloke and on the other just a ruthless conqueror. This is not what the bible nor Christianity state, he is effectively misrepresenting the situation. The usual question then applies, if in order to abuse it he has to misrepresent the story of Christ, including Christmas, does it mean that if he had to deal with what it did say, he would have no answer? So utterly regardless of one's views on God, Pullman's work is yet another weary anti-christian tract of the millions churned out over the centuries.I gave up on Pullman's ability to stand up as a credible writer when I finished the Northern Lights trilogy. With apologies to anyone who hasn't read them, his encroaching anti-religious message overwhelmed the narrative and effectively killed the book. "Golden Compass": Great story, fascinating characters in a bizarre and wonderful fantasy setting; "Subtle Knife": Great concept, the story arc of the characters continues to evolve but bringing the real world into the equation helps the story evolve. Slightly marred by the seemingly pointless addition of an expert biologist character for no obvious reason other than to crowbar in some Darwinian philosophy and "SCIENCE!!"; "Amber Spyglass": Story falls apart in favour of long non-narrative passages about the evolution of 'elephants with wheels' and some petty jibes about God, all wrapped up with a spot of underage sex in a field. At that point I genuinely wondered if he'd had some sort of mental episode between the writing of Books 2 and 3. Yes, Philip, we understand that you don't like organised religion, but there's no need to lay it on with a trowel. He slaughtered 'His Dark Materials' by the end of the series for the same reason - a great story ruined by spoonfeeding, in the same way that C.S. Lewis's worst Narnia book was 'The Last Battle' because the always-present God-bothering subtext strangled any pretence of story. Having someone shout in your ear with a megaphone is always unpleasant, whether the shouter be atheist or religious.
Bottom-line: I think it more likely that Christians, faced with Pullman's ill-thought-through tedium, will grimace, knowing perfectly well that Ernest Renan did this sort of thing far more effectively, and with greater intellectual substance, in the 19th century, and that there is little praiseworthy or noteworthy in Pullman's reheated seconds. I wonder whether Pullman knows about Renan's work...
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LibraryThing member YossarianXeno
Pullman's re-imagining of the Jesus myth is simply, gracefully written. A short book, the ultimate conclusion echoes that of author's masterful Dark Materials trilogy - that the Christian church was founded by those who misappropriated the story of a good, charismatic individual, mythologised it
Central to the story is the idea the Jesus and Christ were actually twin brothers. The former was a good man, who eventually abandons his belief in god, the latter not so much nasty as sad and manipulated into betraying his brother.
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and used it as the basis for founding a vast bureaucracy that became increasingly corrupt as it sought to defend it's position of power.Central to the story is the idea the Jesus and Christ were actually twin brothers. The former was a good man, who eventually abandons his belief in god, the latter not so much nasty as sad and manipulated into betraying his brother.
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LibraryThing member John5918
This is a fascinating book. It's a retelling of the biblical story of Jesus, but with his twin brother, Christ, who acts as the primary chronicler of the life of Jesus (perhaps the Q source of biblical exegetes?).
The tension which Pullman creates between facts and the "truth" to be derived from
Pullman is an outspoken critic of the institutional church, so perhaps his intent is to discredit the church. If so, he does it cleverly and courteously. But in fact many within the church will identify with the tensions that he creates. Thirty years ago there was a lively debate over "mission" or "maintenance", and Pullman's book would have made an interesting contribution.
A very good read, whether the reader is religious or not.
The tension which Pullman creates between facts and the "truth" to be derived from
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those facts is instructive for any reading of history. His contrast between passion and calculation also goes well beyond religious boundaries.Pullman is an outspoken critic of the institutional church, so perhaps his intent is to discredit the church. If so, he does it cleverly and courteously. But in fact many within the church will identify with the tensions that he creates. Thirty years ago there was a lively debate over "mission" or "maintenance", and Pullman's book would have made an interesting contribution.
A very good read, whether the reader is religious or not.
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LibraryThing member msbosh
I knew I'd like this, and I was right. Imagine Jesus was a twin. He's still a very devout Jew who attracts followers wherever he goes because he's so sincere, so committed to spreading good news about the coming Lord, and knows how to tell a great story. But it's his twin brother, Christ who is
As in all Pullman's work, the whole point of the exercise is to tell a good story, and he accomplishes this quite well.
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responsible for Jesus going down in history as the son of God and founder of the Christian church. In Pullman's take, the resurrection is staged, historical events are embellished, and Christ is the real Judas. The Garden of Gethsemani scene is the heart of the book. Here Jesus asks god for a sign, any sign, to prove his existence. There is none, of course, and what Jesus thinks to himself then turns out to be incredibly prescient. In a way his worst nightmare has come true. As in all Pullman's work, the whole point of the exercise is to tell a good story, and he accomplishes this quite well.
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LibraryThing member fyrefly98
Summary: The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ is a gospel: a retelling of the life of Jesus... and his twin brother, Christ. In Pullman's version, Mary gives birth to not one but two boys in the stable in Bethlehem. As the boys grow up, Jesus becomes a famous preacher and radical, while
Review: This short little book was fascinating, and - given what I know about Philip Pullman's attitudes towards religion - very surprising. For a book whose basic premise is, if not blasphemous per se, at least counter-scriptural, I thought that it was actually very respectful. Its goal is not to denigrate religion in general or even Christianity in specific, nor to excoriate the Church (which was what surprised me, given Pullman's attitude towards the Christian-Church-analog the Magisterium in His Dark Materials), but rather to encourage thought about the power of the church, and where it comes from, and how the stories of the New Testament may have been shaped by time, and by their passage through human hands, and what lies at the heart of belief, and the reality and the truth (which may not always be the same thing) of Jesus's life.
I think this interplay between respect for people's belief system and the desire to think critically about that belief system is apparent in Pullman's treatment of Jesus's miracles. In every instance, Pullman gives a possible common-sense explanation for the miracle that does not involve invoking supernatural powers, but he almost always leaves it open, and rarely comes right out and says that it wasn't a miracle... because the point is not whether a given act was miraculous or not, but to understand why people might prefer the one explanation over the other. Of course, this does cut both ways: Pullman never outright names the mysterious stranger who is encouraging Christ to chronicle his brother's life, but the implication is hard to miss. Leaving the point open to interpretation, though, gives the story more subtlety and more power, no matter what the reader decides about the man's identity.
One of the most fascinating (and most surprising) aspects of this book is that the dichotomy between Jesus and Christ is a lot more complex than what is suggested by the title. Neither one is entirely a good man nor a scoundrel, but they both embody both the good and the bad. Jesus, when preaching, comes off as kind of sanctimonious (and his admonitions about abandoning your family are a lot harsher when his twin brother is standing in the crowd), but his hour of doubt in the garden of Gethsemene, where he questions his own faith in the face of a silent God, completely turned him around for me. Meanwhile, Christ is constantly wracked with doubts of his own; doing what he does out of love for his brother, but still secretly injured by his brother's aloofness, and his own frustrated ambition. Similarly, Pullman is not even 100% anti-Church; he recognizes the church's power to inspire great works of art and compassion, while also questioning its adherence to dogma and the perils of having a body with such absolute philosophical and political power. It was frustrating at times (morally frustrating, not frustrating as a reader), because in their arguments, both Jesus and Christ were so often right in their points of view, and simultaneously so wrong, that it made me wonder how we still, two thousand years later, haven't figured it out yet. 4 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: To come clean: Although I was raised as what I call "vaguely Christian", I'm a non-believer, so without question my enjoyment and my interpretation of this book was colored by that perspective. But I think that The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ should be accessible, and interesting, to believers as well. It's not pushing an athiest agenda, but rather encouraging independent and critical thought. Those Christians who believe that the Bible is the infallible received word of God may want to steer clear, but those who are willing to take a "what if" look at their own beliefs should find plenty of food for thought.
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Christ remains in the background, recording the things his brother says and does. But while Jesus seems unconcerned with the future, and preaches about the imminent arrival of the Kingdom of Heaven, Christ - at the urging of a mysterious stranger - has begun thinking about the long-term: the founding of a church that will carry his brother's truths (or at least Christ's version of them) throughout history.Review: This short little book was fascinating, and - given what I know about Philip Pullman's attitudes towards religion - very surprising. For a book whose basic premise is, if not blasphemous per se, at least counter-scriptural, I thought that it was actually very respectful. Its goal is not to denigrate religion in general or even Christianity in specific, nor to excoriate the Church (which was what surprised me, given Pullman's attitude towards the Christian-Church-analog the Magisterium in His Dark Materials), but rather to encourage thought about the power of the church, and where it comes from, and how the stories of the New Testament may have been shaped by time, and by their passage through human hands, and what lies at the heart of belief, and the reality and the truth (which may not always be the same thing) of Jesus's life.
I think this interplay between respect for people's belief system and the desire to think critically about that belief system is apparent in Pullman's treatment of Jesus's miracles. In every instance, Pullman gives a possible common-sense explanation for the miracle that does not involve invoking supernatural powers, but he almost always leaves it open, and rarely comes right out and says that it wasn't a miracle... because the point is not whether a given act was miraculous or not, but to understand why people might prefer the one explanation over the other. Of course, this does cut both ways: Pullman never outright names the mysterious stranger who is encouraging Christ to chronicle his brother's life, but the implication is hard to miss. Leaving the point open to interpretation, though, gives the story more subtlety and more power, no matter what the reader decides about the man's identity.
One of the most fascinating (and most surprising) aspects of this book is that the dichotomy between Jesus and Christ is a lot more complex than what is suggested by the title. Neither one is entirely a good man nor a scoundrel, but they both embody both the good and the bad. Jesus, when preaching, comes off as kind of sanctimonious (and his admonitions about abandoning your family are a lot harsher when his twin brother is standing in the crowd), but his hour of doubt in the garden of Gethsemene, where he questions his own faith in the face of a silent God, completely turned him around for me. Meanwhile, Christ is constantly wracked with doubts of his own; doing what he does out of love for his brother, but still secretly injured by his brother's aloofness, and his own frustrated ambition. Similarly, Pullman is not even 100% anti-Church; he recognizes the church's power to inspire great works of art and compassion, while also questioning its adherence to dogma and the perils of having a body with such absolute philosophical and political power. It was frustrating at times (morally frustrating, not frustrating as a reader), because in their arguments, both Jesus and Christ were so often right in their points of view, and simultaneously so wrong, that it made me wonder how we still, two thousand years later, haven't figured it out yet. 4 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: To come clean: Although I was raised as what I call "vaguely Christian", I'm a non-believer, so without question my enjoyment and my interpretation of this book was colored by that perspective. But I think that The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ should be accessible, and interesting, to believers as well. It's not pushing an athiest agenda, but rather encouraging independent and critical thought. Those Christians who believe that the Bible is the infallible received word of God may want to steer clear, but those who are willing to take a "what if" look at their own beliefs should find plenty of food for thought.
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LibraryThing member KeithAkers
If you read a lot of historical Jesus type of stuff (Crossan, Borg, that kind of thing) then you'll like this. It's a light romp through the turmoil of first century Palestine. You know the plot already, unless you are like totally and completely unfamiliar with the life of Jesus.The premise is
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that Mary has not just Jesus, but twins. The first twin is named Jesus, the second doesn't have a name until some guys arrive from the east looking for the "king of the Jews." Mary happens to be holding the second twin when they show up, so since they're looking for the Messiah, she names the second twin Christ. Jesus and Christ grow up together and when Jesus starts preaching, a mysterious stranger approaches Christ. It goes on from there.What I liked best is how Pullman retells the stories about Jesus, sometimes pretty much the same, and sometimes with a twist -- and sometimes, a major twist. Sometimes Jesus will tell a parable, and you'll say, "what's the big deal? This is exactly what's in the New Testament." But other times, it will be different. I liked the changes he makes to the parable of the ten virgins waiting for the bridegroom. Even when I don't like the changes (the passion story isn't quite satisfying to me), the story is interesting. What I didn't like is that Jesus seems to lack any passion. We don't get a sense of Jesus being driven by a sense of mission; instead it's as if Jesus said to himself, "well, I'm 30, so I guess it's time to do the preaching thing." Christ is a bit stronger figure, and definitely does not come across as a scoundrel, despite the title of the book. It's interesting to see how the stories develop. As scholars tell it, these stories got altered along the way; but as Pullman tells it, we get to see the original along with the modifications -- in fact, in some cases, the modifications are almost immediate. So if you're into historical Jesus stuff, I'd recommend this book, take a break from all that heavy scholarship, and you'll finish this in no time. Show Less
LibraryThing member Rhinoa
Another in the Canongate Myths series and this time it is Phillip Pullman taking on Christianity. It is a retelling of the life of Jesus Christ with the twist that Jesus and Christ are actually twin brothers. It begins with their conception and the idea is proposed that their father is a boy from
Lots of key events from The Bible are described but with the two boys taking on different characters. It goes right through to the death of Jesus on the cross and his resurrection as Christ and puts a whole new spin on some of the most famous stories ever told. It addresses some of the issues with the way the stories of Jesus were recorded and how they are open to misinterpretation.
It was an interesting read and it’s a shame so many seem to have got bogged down in whether it is blasphemous or not. Being part of the myths series rather than in the religious section along with copies of The Bible and Qu’arn etc, I feel that it is irrelevant whether people are offended or not. It’s Pullman’s fictional take on the stories as an artist and author and it poses some very interesting questions like many good books. It’s not anti-Christian, but it is very clearly anti-Church. Sometimes you do have to wonder though has Pullman written this just to live up to his reputation of being controversial as obviously he knew the types of response such a novel would elicit.
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the village posing as an angel. This is left up to the reader to decide and from there the boys grow up with very different personalities.Lots of key events from The Bible are described but with the two boys taking on different characters. It goes right through to the death of Jesus on the cross and his resurrection as Christ and puts a whole new spin on some of the most famous stories ever told. It addresses some of the issues with the way the stories of Jesus were recorded and how they are open to misinterpretation.
It was an interesting read and it’s a shame so many seem to have got bogged down in whether it is blasphemous or not. Being part of the myths series rather than in the religious section along with copies of The Bible and Qu’arn etc, I feel that it is irrelevant whether people are offended or not. It’s Pullman’s fictional take on the stories as an artist and author and it poses some very interesting questions like many good books. It’s not anti-Christian, but it is very clearly anti-Church. Sometimes you do have to wonder though has Pullman written this just to live up to his reputation of being controversial as obviously he knew the types of response such a novel would elicit.
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LibraryThing member Citizenjoyce
I just finished The Good Man Jesus and The Scoundrel Christ by Philip Pullman. I read somewhere on LT that His Dark Materials series wasn't atheistic but just anti catholic. Two thirds of the way through this book I thought maybe that was right. Jesus and Christ are twin boys born to an innocent
As Jesus goes preaching around the area, Christ begins to become his chronicler, writing down his sayings even though he makes god and salvation seem contradictory and arbitrary. At some point Christ is confronted by a stranger (whom you might think of as the devil, but he says he isn't, and since Pullman is an atheist I can only think this stranger is a farsighted entrepreneur). The stranger tells him that there is a truth that goes beyond time, that is the handmaid of posterity rather than its governor. Meaning, as you write down what Jesus says, feel free to edit it so that it makes sense of the larger picture, the worship that we want to bring about in the church we can create. Christ is a good editor.
In the Garden of Gethsemane finally the atheism becomes clear. Jesus is praying but doesn't know if there's anyone out there to pray to. He says, "I can imagine some smartarse of a priest in years to come pulling the wool over his poor followers' eyes, 'God's great absence is, of course, the very sign of his presence' or some such drivel...The priest is worse than the fool in the psalm who at least is an honest man. When the fool prays to god and gets no answer, he decides that God's great absence means he's not bloody well there."
Jesus then goes on to describe accurately all the evils that could be perpetuated by a church. "As soon as men who believe they're doing God's will get a hold of power...the devil enters into them. It isn't long before they start drawing up lists of punishments for all kinds of innocent activities...build great palaces and temples to strut around in...levy taxes on the poor to pay for their luxuries...start keeping scripture secret too holy to be revealed to ordinary people so that only the priests interpretation will be allowed... They will become more fearful because the more power they have the less they'll trust anyone...But any priest who want to indulge his secret appetites, his greed, his lust, his cruelty will find himself like a wolf in a field of lambs where the shepherd is bound and gagged and blinded."
Then he asks god "And where will you be? Will you strike these blaspheming serpents...To ask the question and wait for the answer is to know there will be no answer."
Then there's a rather expected description of the resurrection and its consequences. It doesn't leave much doubt that Pullman isn't just anti church.
This is an interesting book, part of the Myths Series, which I didn't even realized existed. Lots of myths rewritten, though I note no one has yet been willing to risk a fatwa by rewriting the myth of Mohammad.
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and easily confused young wife Mary who was tricked into bed by a local boy who said he was an angel. Jesus is healthy and lovable from birth, Christ is sickly and kind of a mamma's boy (this is not his usual feminist writing). Jesus gets into trouble with boyish pranks while he's growing up, and Christ has to get him out of it -- by performing miracles. Or by the end of the book one thinks perhaps those miracles didn't happen as first described but were tales concocted by Christ. As they grow, Jesus becomes so charismatic crowds of people are drawn to him. The loaves and fishes tale is shown to be less a miracle and more that Jesus was able to feed a large group of people by convincing members of the crowd to share what they had with others. He "heals" people by giving them hope and a new sense of self worth. Christ is only a little jealous, but wants to support Jesus in his preaching by maybe starting a church. He goes through the whole system of hierarchy explaining how it could bring about the kingdom of heaven on earth. Jesus wants nothing to do with it.As Jesus goes preaching around the area, Christ begins to become his chronicler, writing down his sayings even though he makes god and salvation seem contradictory and arbitrary. At some point Christ is confronted by a stranger (whom you might think of as the devil, but he says he isn't, and since Pullman is an atheist I can only think this stranger is a farsighted entrepreneur). The stranger tells him that there is a truth that goes beyond time, that is the handmaid of posterity rather than its governor. Meaning, as you write down what Jesus says, feel free to edit it so that it makes sense of the larger picture, the worship that we want to bring about in the church we can create. Christ is a good editor.
In the Garden of Gethsemane finally the atheism becomes clear. Jesus is praying but doesn't know if there's anyone out there to pray to. He says, "I can imagine some smartarse of a priest in years to come pulling the wool over his poor followers' eyes, 'God's great absence is, of course, the very sign of his presence' or some such drivel...The priest is worse than the fool in the psalm who at least is an honest man. When the fool prays to god and gets no answer, he decides that God's great absence means he's not bloody well there."
Jesus then goes on to describe accurately all the evils that could be perpetuated by a church. "As soon as men who believe they're doing God's will get a hold of power...the devil enters into them. It isn't long before they start drawing up lists of punishments for all kinds of innocent activities...build great palaces and temples to strut around in...levy taxes on the poor to pay for their luxuries...start keeping scripture secret too holy to be revealed to ordinary people so that only the priests interpretation will be allowed... They will become more fearful because the more power they have the less they'll trust anyone...But any priest who want to indulge his secret appetites, his greed, his lust, his cruelty will find himself like a wolf in a field of lambs where the shepherd is bound and gagged and blinded."
Then he asks god "And where will you be? Will you strike these blaspheming serpents...To ask the question and wait for the answer is to know there will be no answer."
Then there's a rather expected description of the resurrection and its consequences. It doesn't leave much doubt that Pullman isn't just anti church.
This is an interesting book, part of the Myths Series, which I didn't even realized existed. Lots of myths rewritten, though I note no one has yet been willing to risk a fatwa by rewriting the myth of Mohammad.
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LibraryThing member Devil_llama
In this fantasy for adults, the author sets up a situation where Jesus was born a twin. His twin, Christ, follows him around and chronicles his activities, reporting on them to the mysterious stranger who appears at crucial moments. An interesting twist on an old story.
LibraryThing member neiljohnford
In Phillip Pullman's post script for this he explains that he does not prescribe what the book means - it's up to the reader to bring their own meaning. I really enjoyed it as a work that explored some of the mythology of Christianity - and how there could be a rational explanation for some of the
Reading it as an agnostic it makes perfect sense but I'd imagine it would be a difficult read for anyone with religious beliefs. I think what I liked about it was that it wasn't deliberately provocative (as you might expect bearing in mind the church's reaction to His Dark Materials). Instead it offers a rational explanation for the actions of Jesus and explores the difference between this and the story as it's portrayed in the gospels. This is based on a historical approach to interpreting the (often contradictory) gospels, including the lesser known gospels that have been suppressed by the church.
This is a good read for anyone who's reflected that Christianity sometimes doesn't seem very Christian...
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miracles described in the new testament. It also got me thinking about the difference between faith and religion. That historically there was a man called Jesus who had a message on how people should treat each other, but that the gospels that make up the new testament take a dogmatic approach to recording this. Reading it as an agnostic it makes perfect sense but I'd imagine it would be a difficult read for anyone with religious beliefs. I think what I liked about it was that it wasn't deliberately provocative (as you might expect bearing in mind the church's reaction to His Dark Materials). Instead it offers a rational explanation for the actions of Jesus and explores the difference between this and the story as it's portrayed in the gospels. This is based on a historical approach to interpreting the (often contradictory) gospels, including the lesser known gospels that have been suppressed by the church.
This is a good read for anyone who's reflected that Christianity sometimes doesn't seem very Christian...
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LibraryThing member g33kgrrl
So, ok, you know how you see celebrities wearing atrocious clothing but not on purpose, or doing really weird shit that seems disturbing and possibly dangerous, but no one stops them, and you wonder about why none of their friends or relatives told them to maybe tone it down a bit or get a new belt
Guys, let's get this straight, I love me some Philip Pullman. His Dark Materials? Love them! Sally Lockhart? Love her! This book? DID NOT LOVE IT. This book is an... I don't know, almost a thought experiment. "What if Jesus was actually twins! And all the bad things I don't like about religion were thought up by one twin, and all these great things about faith and not having institutions like churches were actually said by the good twin! Which were then twisted by the bad twin into what we know today!" No, really. And then there was the anvil-licious part where he has the good twin (Jesus, natch) predicting the sex abuse scandals. NO, REALLY. I would throw in some quotes except I already returned this fucker to Amazon. I finished the book while lying in bed, looked at my shelves, looked at the book, said "I don't know where to shelve you," and for one of the first times ever availed myself of the option to not shelve the book and instead to return it.
It's just, Philip Pullman, really? I expected better from you. Something with less anvils and more nuance, and that didn't offend me. And I'm an atheist! Didn't you have any friends who told you this was a bad idea? Not because of any strawmen like "people might get riled up" or whatever, but because it isn't any good. What was your editor thinking?
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or wear underwear or go to therapy? Well I do believe there is a literary equivalent, and it showed up really well in some of Anne Rice's later works (from what I've heard), and now we have Philip Pullman's The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ.Guys, let's get this straight, I love me some Philip Pullman. His Dark Materials? Love them! Sally Lockhart? Love her! This book? DID NOT LOVE IT. This book is an... I don't know, almost a thought experiment. "What if Jesus was actually twins! And all the bad things I don't like about religion were thought up by one twin, and all these great things about faith and not having institutions like churches were actually said by the good twin! Which were then twisted by the bad twin into what we know today!" No, really. And then there was the anvil-licious part where he has the good twin (Jesus, natch) predicting the sex abuse scandals. NO, REALLY. I would throw in some quotes except I already returned this fucker to Amazon. I finished the book while lying in bed, looked at my shelves, looked at the book, said "I don't know where to shelve you," and for one of the first times ever availed myself of the option to not shelve the book and instead to return it.
It's just, Philip Pullman, really? I expected better from you. Something with less anvils and more nuance, and that didn't offend me. And I'm an atheist! Didn't you have any friends who told you this was a bad idea? Not because of any strawmen like "people might get riled up" or whatever, but because it isn't any good. What was your editor thinking?
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LibraryThing member patl
A very interesting take on the nature of story, as told through a moderately subtle shift in the retelling of the stor(ies) of Jesus. Read this for its metanarrative, not for its illumination of the Biblical characters.
LibraryThing member DSeanW
A story about how stories come to be. Much functions well as religious commentary but what impressed me most was the creativity involved, the splitting of the Biblical Jesus into twins, Jesus & Christ, and the interplay between them, using bits of proto-gospels and gnostic material.
LibraryThing member christinelstanley
An interesting reworking of a bible story! It will absolutely offend some, and I would say to anyone with faith not to read it. I, however, enjoyed it. As always, Pullman's story-telling is wonderful.
LibraryThing member JollyContrarian
I've read a number of retellings of the central Christian story recently: C K Stead wrote a fascinating and surprisingly faithful (irony intended) secular retelling from the eyes of Judas Hiscariot; I was fortunate enough to attend a performance of the famous, once-in-a-decade Oberammergau Passion
Pullman's licence is to pull Jesus Christ apart into two figures: Jesus (an idealist if naive populist) and Christ, his twin, a more introverted, but more intelligent, dark inversion.
Curiously, the Passion Play - which is entirely reverend to orthodox Christian doctrine in a way that Stead's and Pullman's works are not - also de-emphasises the spiritual in favour of the political machinations of the Sanhedrin and the political dimension of Christ's mission. All three, in some way, accordingly miss what's so special and clever about the passion. But we live in rational times - or so we like our chroniclers to tell us.
All three also bring the character of Judas into sharp relief: Stead and Oberammergau by his prominence, Pullman by his notable absence.
The thing is, unless read purely as a pantomime villain, Judas is the not only the central driver of the passion's narrative, but also the most interesting and recognisably human character of the lot: he means well, but is naivety/stupidity/vanity/self importance (delete as applicable) lets him down. His is the character arc which gives us lessons: if this were a Shakespearian Tragedy he would be the lead: a complex, brooding anti-hero in the vein of Macbeth. Jesus, by contrast, is a rather cardboard cut-out good guy not unlike the fated Duncan: At key points in the drama, Christ remains passive and stays pointedly silent. By contrast Judas agonises, soliloquises, and, for better or ill, acts.
While Judas is not represented by name here, his actions are, and it is telling how Pullman has re-designed the whole myth to accommodate them (it would spoil it to say more: you'll have to read the book to see what I mean). Much of Pullman's industry is to illustrate that there is no such thing as truth other than the compelling story contextualised and carved out of events which, in their unfinished natural state, don't have a moral or didactic dimension. Jesus provides the unshaped events, Christ the chronicle. Christ is, by turns, appalled by and drawn to the power he derives from his narrative talent.
This brief book is written stylishly and evenly in Pullman's curt and economical prose. He might seem a controversial choice to retell this particular story, yet despite his inventions Philip Pullman generally does not let his atheism get in the way of the thrust of Jesus' central message. Indeed, as a storyteller of the first order, you wonder whether he doesn't see a little of the tragic scoundrel Christ in himself.
If you like this, try C.K. Stead: My Name Was Judas
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Play in Bavaria, and now I've stumbled over the famously atheist Philip Pullman's take - which involves a fair bit more licence than Stead's but is otherwise of a similar demystifying disposition: rationalising miracles into ordinary materialistic phenomena, and rebasing Jesus from mystic to idealistic, but nonetheless political, historical figure. Pullman's licence is to pull Jesus Christ apart into two figures: Jesus (an idealist if naive populist) and Christ, his twin, a more introverted, but more intelligent, dark inversion.
Curiously, the Passion Play - which is entirely reverend to orthodox Christian doctrine in a way that Stead's and Pullman's works are not - also de-emphasises the spiritual in favour of the political machinations of the Sanhedrin and the political dimension of Christ's mission. All three, in some way, accordingly miss what's so special and clever about the passion. But we live in rational times - or so we like our chroniclers to tell us.
All three also bring the character of Judas into sharp relief: Stead and Oberammergau by his prominence, Pullman by his notable absence.
The thing is, unless read purely as a pantomime villain, Judas is the not only the central driver of the passion's narrative, but also the most interesting and recognisably human character of the lot: he means well, but is naivety/stupidity/vanity/self importance (delete as applicable) lets him down. His is the character arc which gives us lessons: if this were a Shakespearian Tragedy he would be the lead: a complex, brooding anti-hero in the vein of Macbeth. Jesus, by contrast, is a rather cardboard cut-out good guy not unlike the fated Duncan: At key points in the drama, Christ remains passive and stays pointedly silent. By contrast Judas agonises, soliloquises, and, for better or ill, acts.
While Judas is not represented by name here, his actions are, and it is telling how Pullman has re-designed the whole myth to accommodate them (it would spoil it to say more: you'll have to read the book to see what I mean). Much of Pullman's industry is to illustrate that there is no such thing as truth other than the compelling story contextualised and carved out of events which, in their unfinished natural state, don't have a moral or didactic dimension. Jesus provides the unshaped events, Christ the chronicle. Christ is, by turns, appalled by and drawn to the power he derives from his narrative talent.
This brief book is written stylishly and evenly in Pullman's curt and economical prose. He might seem a controversial choice to retell this particular story, yet despite his inventions Philip Pullman generally does not let his atheism get in the way of the thrust of Jesus' central message. Indeed, as a storyteller of the first order, you wonder whether he doesn't see a little of the tragic scoundrel Christ in himself.
If you like this, try C.K. Stead: My Name Was Judas
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LibraryThing member abbottthomas
Other reviewers have commented on Pullman's atheism - I thought he left quite a lot of room for God, even if it is a God with no concern about his creation or at least no interest in human-kind. The author can't, of course, accept the virgin birth, miracles or the resurrection so knocks the props
Pullman's explanations of the supernatural are neat, if not particularly original, and Christ is given the responsibility for writing up the history to ensure that Jesus' story will last through the ages. The one enigmatic character is the commissioner of the history who is never named: he visits Christ regularly and guides him in the manner of manipulation of the truth. This commissioner might have been one of the Sanhedrin but, if one didn't know better, he might have been intended to be Satan.
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from under Christianity despite approving Jesus' attitudes, teaching and integrity. His main dislike is for established religion, a creation of imperfect, if not greedy and power-hungry mortals.Pullman's explanations of the supernatural are neat, if not particularly original, and Christ is given the responsibility for writing up the history to ensure that Jesus' story will last through the ages. The one enigmatic character is the commissioner of the history who is never named: he visits Christ regularly and guides him in the manner of manipulation of the truth. This commissioner might have been one of the Sanhedrin but, if one didn't know better, he might have been intended to be Satan.
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LibraryThing member ASmallHolding
"This is a story." proclaims the back of the book, leaving the Reader in no doubt that the Author wants to make this clear and possibly in anticipation of reaction to the book.
The book quickly establishes that this is "the story of Jesus and his brother Christ" and even before we learn that these
I very nearly stopped reading at the end of the first short chapter. I felt as if I should be reading this aloud to a child. And, whilst there are some big words and bigger issues as the story progresses, I am still left feeling that I have been patronised.
The style is simplistic. Maybe the Author intends to provoke our own thoughts, but he promised me a story and I feel as if I have been short changed. If I had no knowledge of the Bible at all I would have been left totally bewildered as to what this story was about.
It is a story and has the makings of a good one but it is not well-rounded and I am left feeling as if I have read a synopsis.
The book quickly establishes that this is "the story of Jesus and his brother Christ" and even before we learn that these
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brothers are twins, the title has already suggested to me that we may be in "evil twin" territory. Sadly the book does not develop well enough to support my first impressions and it becomes, quite simply, a retelling of a well known story and of possibly lesser known Gospels. I very nearly stopped reading at the end of the first short chapter. I felt as if I should be reading this aloud to a child. And, whilst there are some big words and bigger issues as the story progresses, I am still left feeling that I have been patronised.
The style is simplistic. Maybe the Author intends to provoke our own thoughts, but he promised me a story and I feel as if I have been short changed. If I had no knowledge of the Bible at all I would have been left totally bewildered as to what this story was about.
It is a story and has the makings of a good one but it is not well-rounded and I am left feeling as if I have read a synopsis.
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LibraryThing member 06nwingert
I'm a bit disappointed in Philip Pullman's The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ. Maybe that's becasue I had too high to of expectation, maybe that's becuase I constantly compared the book to Pullman's other, highly-regarded series His Dark Materials, or maybe that's becasue I thought it
The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel takes the story of Jesus from the Bible and adds a twist: Jesus was the good guy, much like the Bible says he was, but he has a twin brother, Christ, who-- like the title suggests-- is a scoundrel and gets into trouble.
This book, unlike His Dark Materials, won't offend Christians becuase all of the material in this book comes from the Bible.
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would be mroe than what it was. No matter the reason for a slight disappiontment, Pullman's writing was a good as ever. The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel takes the story of Jesus from the Bible and adds a twist: Jesus was the good guy, much like the Bible says he was, but he has a twin brother, Christ, who-- like the title suggests-- is a scoundrel and gets into trouble.
This book, unlike His Dark Materials, won't offend Christians becuase all of the material in this book comes from the Bible.
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LibraryThing member kewing
This retelling of the New Testament is spare, pared to the bone, but far from simplistic, The dualism between sacred and profane, between truth and myth, between fact and fable, between Jesus the believer and the belief, become the central parable. I expected something more radical, more daring,
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but in the end was satisfied it was not. The last third of this quick read is the more daring. Show Less
LibraryThing member Beezie
A decent part of a fantastic series. Hopefully, Canongate will continue publishing them.
LibraryThing member dalla
Thinly written but with some clever twists on the Gospels.
LibraryThing member wiremonkey
I love Philip Pullman. I love His Dark Materials trilogy, which went a long way to show me how a book can be fantasy and deeply meaningful at the same time. He's a Milton scholar and based a lot of it on Paradise Lost- and it's a kids book! Not to mention all the parallels to the new physics, as
The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ is a re-telling of the story of Jesus. Of course, the big difference is that he splits Jesus into twin brothers: Christ is the rule follower, the one that never gets into trouble and always gets his erratic brother out of trouble. Jesus, of course, is the iconoclast, the shit disturber, the one people ultimately want around.
In the story Jesus is the preacher and Christ is the recorder, embellishing his teachings, editing them in order to make them more palatable. the controversial parts of the book (aside from making Jesus and Christ into two people) comes at the end, when Jesus actually dies on the cross. His resurrection is faked by having his twin brother pretend to be him. Thus, the myth is orchestrated and the path is laid for the Church to be born.
In his retelling, Pullman is revisiting a much-loved theme: there is nothing wrong with spirituality - it is the church and its dogma that are evil. Christ represents the dogmas, the order, the condescending belief that people need to have their sermons pre-chewed by the bureaucratic maw of the church in order to digest Jesus's words. And Jesus is just a teacher, of the kind that commonly roamed the area expounding on points of doctrine and better living.
Critique:
Although I love Pullman's works for children, I did not love this book. I didn't hate it either, but my expectations with this author are pretty high. He tells the story in such a blunt, straightforward manner (reminiscent of the dry prose of the New Testament - at least the little bits of the versions that I have been subjected to), that the reader is always wondering when something is going to happen. But nothing out of the ordinary does. Now, having said that, I realise that it is supposed to be a re-telling of the story, and that he was working with the material he had. But there is something that just fell flat. Maybe it is because I have already made up my mind about the church and its dogmatism, that the message didn't seem very revolutionary, I don't know. I am sure that in some circles it will cause a great deal of kerfuffle. But not for my little, secular bunch of heathens at book club. None of us were that impressed.
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well as a ripping good story with the evilest, scariest villain ever, Mrs. Coulter (no, I'm not talking about Ann Coulter, but she would be a runner-up). I even love his 19th century girl detective, Sally Lockhart ,series.The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ is a re-telling of the story of Jesus. Of course, the big difference is that he splits Jesus into twin brothers: Christ is the rule follower, the one that never gets into trouble and always gets his erratic brother out of trouble. Jesus, of course, is the iconoclast, the shit disturber, the one people ultimately want around.
In the story Jesus is the preacher and Christ is the recorder, embellishing his teachings, editing them in order to make them more palatable. the controversial parts of the book (aside from making Jesus and Christ into two people) comes at the end, when Jesus actually dies on the cross. His resurrection is faked by having his twin brother pretend to be him. Thus, the myth is orchestrated and the path is laid for the Church to be born.
In his retelling, Pullman is revisiting a much-loved theme: there is nothing wrong with spirituality - it is the church and its dogma that are evil. Christ represents the dogmas, the order, the condescending belief that people need to have their sermons pre-chewed by the bureaucratic maw of the church in order to digest Jesus's words. And Jesus is just a teacher, of the kind that commonly roamed the area expounding on points of doctrine and better living.
Critique:
Although I love Pullman's works for children, I did not love this book. I didn't hate it either, but my expectations with this author are pretty high. He tells the story in such a blunt, straightforward manner (reminiscent of the dry prose of the New Testament - at least the little bits of the versions that I have been subjected to), that the reader is always wondering when something is going to happen. But nothing out of the ordinary does. Now, having said that, I realise that it is supposed to be a re-telling of the story, and that he was working with the material he had. But there is something that just fell flat. Maybe it is because I have already made up my mind about the church and its dogmatism, that the message didn't seem very revolutionary, I don't know. I am sure that in some circles it will cause a great deal of kerfuffle. But not for my little, secular bunch of heathens at book club. None of us were that impressed.
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LibraryThing member eeio
this retelling of the story works pretty well. i has an undercurrent of humor that blends really well with the more serious tone. a friend (ann) recommended this book to me and initially i wasn't entirely convinced about reading another jesus story, although i was curious about Philip Pullman's
it took until the conversation between jesus and christ where the latter is describing the future of the church to convince me. funny and dark. pretty irreverent. the language is simple but well crafted.
although i don't care much about it, this story manages to be respectful. in a way the author seems to really like aspects of the jesus character and there is homage paid.
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version since he has been known to have an anti religious streak. it took until the conversation between jesus and christ where the latter is describing the future of the church to convince me. funny and dark. pretty irreverent. the language is simple but well crafted.
although i don't care much about it, this story manages to be respectful. in a way the author seems to really like aspects of the jesus character and there is homage paid.
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LibraryThing member Glorybe1
I have just finished this book and have to say that by the end I quite enjoyed it! When I started I have to admit I was very disappointed, it read very much like a book for children, being very simply written, but I suppose the fact that Philip Pullman has written a lot for children and young
The Story is about the theory that Jesus and Christ were twins, with Jesus being the GOOD one whilst Christ is a bit more 'realistic' in his views.
It takes you through most of the well known stories told in the bible about healing, changing water into wine and the money changing in the temples etc.. with a sight twist! Christ is the one noting down all that Jesus says and does, without his knowledge and it is Christ that eventually betrays Jesus to the Romans.
I am not a religious person myself, but found the story very clever, although it did take me until over halfway to appreciate it as just that, a story.
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adults I shouln't be too surprised!!The Story is about the theory that Jesus and Christ were twins, with Jesus being the GOOD one whilst Christ is a bit more 'realistic' in his views.
It takes you through most of the well known stories told in the bible about healing, changing water into wine and the money changing in the temples etc.. with a sight twist! Christ is the one noting down all that Jesus says and does, without his knowledge and it is Christ that eventually betrays Jesus to the Romans.
I am not a religious person myself, but found the story very clever, although it did take me until over halfway to appreciate it as just that, a story.
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