Jessie: A Novel

by John Killinger

A young woman artist travels through the South painting religious paintings of great power and changing the lives of those she meets, but ultimately gets caught up in the media's need to create celebrities

289 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

The Rev. Dr. John Killinger lives with his wife, Anne, in Warrenton, Virginia. A former pastor in Baptist, Presbyterian and Congregational churches, he also taught for fifteen years at Vanderbilt Divinity School and was Distinguished Professor of Religion and Culture at Samford University in Birmingham. He is the author of over 50 books, among them God, The Devil, and Harry Potter. Because Dr. Killinger's interests are broad, his writings have touched on many subjects: Christian history, personal spirituality, world religions, preaching, worship, church politics, a female Christ figure, the Gospels as devotional literature, secular writers and artists, the nature of pastoral ministry, and the relationship between theology and contemporary culture. His prayers and utterances often find their way into Sunday church bulletins and other ministers' sermons. You will find inspiration and spiritual sustenance within.

Reviews

[Sharon Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed reactions. It was a fast read. I admired Jessie' ability to calm down people and make them happy, whether they were old friends, or just met. I liked where she lived and hiked, and that she had a dog. I liked that she always asked God what she should do, and went with her sense of the response.
But, why was it that she could not calm down people who judged her even before they met? God knows she tried. And all these people she met along the way, well, I could not keep track of who was who. Sometimes there was a follow-up that made the connection, sometimes not. But mostly, how come NOBODY saw the fire, and there was so little investigation by the police? And, why did the author not make up a name for the town, since it is fiction. I fully expect to find buildings with identical names, should I go there someday.

[Leroy Seat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book for the second time, and I was impressed again with Jessie--and with John Killinger for writing such a powerful book about gender equality.

[Manuel Barrios · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesante análisis, bastante crítico, sobre la ideología de José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero