Theophilos: A Novel

by Michael D. O'Brien

St. Luke addressed his Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles to a man named Theophilos. Who was Theophilos? Scripture scholars do not know, making him a fit subject for Michael O'Brien's vivid imagination. In this fictional narrative, Theophilos is the skeptical but beloved adoptive father of St. Luke. Challenged by the startling account of the "Christos" received in the chronicle from his beloved son Luke and concerned for the newly zealous young man's fate, Theophilos, a Greek physician and an agnostic, embarks on a search for him to bring him home. He is gravely concerned about the deadly illusions Luke has succumbed to regarding the incredible stories surrounding Jesus of Nazareth, a man of contradiction who has caused so much controversy throughout the Roman Empire. Thus begins a long journey that will take Theophilos deep into the war between nations and empires, truth and myth, good and evil, and into unexpected dimensions of his very self. His quest takes the reader into four ancient civilizations, the Greek, Roman, Jewish, and that of Christianity at its birth, where he meets those who knew this man that some believe is the Messiah. Though Theophilos is a man of the past ages, he is as familiar as the men of our own times. This is a story about the mysterious interaction of faith and reason, the psychology of perception, and the power of love over death. Schooled in the empiricism of both medicine and philosophy, Theophilos is well suited to speak to our own times, in which seeing cannot be the basis for faith, but rather hearing the witness of those who have been touched by God and opening ourselves to the possibility of an encounter with the living Christ.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Catholic, Christian Fiction, Religion, Christian, Christianity

445 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Michael D. O'Brien is a Roman Catholic author, artist, and frequent essayist and lecturer on faith and culture, living in Combermere, Ontario, Canada.

Reviews

[booklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I was reading the Gospel of Luke in the Word on Fire Bible: The Gospels, I thought it a good time to read this fictional account of the life of the Evangelist St. Luke and the unknown person he addresses in his Gospel and the Book of Acts, Theophilos.

Personally, I have always thought there was no actual Theophilos, that St. Luke intended every reader of his writing to see him or herself as a ‘Theophilos’, which in Greek means ‘lover of God’. Anyway, that is how I have taken the name for many years now. Still, I was happy to go along with author Michael D. O’Brien’s interpretative version in this novel.

Here, Theophilos is the maternal uncle of St. Luke who raises him on the island of Crete and comes to love him as the Evangelist’s own father. Like Theophilos, Luke-Loukas is trained as a medical doctor. When he is grown he goes off in search of answers. After a lapse of ten years he sends his writings about what he has learned (presumably an early copy of the Gospel of Luke) back to his father-uncle who reads them but is not convinced of their veracity. What is this new sect/cult all about and who is this man, Christos, who is supposed to be dead yet not dead?

Thus, Theophilos leaves his home, wife, daughters and their families and goes to Judea himself to track down Loukas to learn what he can about this cult which has swallowed up his intelligent son. He finds Luke and then is offered a guide through the areas where those who can, witness to this Yeshua, where he lived, and what he said and did. There is the groom from the wedding of Cana, a leper healed by Christ, a woman from the town of Nazareth, just to name a few. This was the most enjoyable part of the book for me.

The only hard part for me was to accept that Theophilos remained unconvinced/unconverted for so long after meeting and hearing the stories of so many witnesses. I have to remember that my own faith is already so strong and deep and books like this only serve to strengthen and deepen it, whereas for others, this is not necessarily the case.

It is an inspirational as well as thoroughly entertaining read. Highly recommended.

[Natalie Klosterman · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s an awesome day when you discover one of your new favorite books! “Theophilos” changed my life, and because of that, I will never look at the New Testament the same again. St. Luke famously begins both his Gospel and book of Acts of the Apostles with lines referring to an unknown character. Who was this “most excellent Theophilos?” Author O’Brien‘s imagination decides Theophilos is Luke’s agnostic father, to whom he corresponds to in lengthy letters. Throughout the novel, Theophilos goes on a journey, attempting to investigate the mystery and origin of his son’s recently found faith: Christianity. This journey, which ends up being much more than physical, resonates with readers’ hearts in a profound way. Ultimately, we are all Theophilos. Is the Christos really who He said He was?

Regardless of the plot, the amount of historical research that went into this novel is astounding. 10/10 job to O’Brien. I can now say that I understand so much more of the political and cultural upheavals brewing in the entire Mediterranean region in the 1st Century. It was also like a fun puzzle of sorts, translating the Hebrew and Greek names and places to English.

God willing, one day, I can learn the full story of Luke, Theophilos, and most importantly, Christ’s hidden life. But in the meantime, O’Brien’s narrative provides captivating and unforgettable answers.

Favorite quote: “As long as man prevails on this old earth, he will look up to the heavens and ask his questions, and wonder, and listen, and marvel, and hope again. And most important of all, grace will be present until the final day. My words may crumble into dust, yet His will remain forever.”

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book which would have consumed me if I had been able to abandon myself to it. The story is based around the "Theophilos" who Luke writes to in his Gospel. How do you build a 400-plus page book around that? Not only did O'Brien do just that, he did it brilliantly. It has a taste of historical fiction, but it also had a devotional nature to it, at least for me. It's written as Theophilos's journal, from his point of view, and we see his examination of the new Christian religion. Looking at Christianity so close to when it started, from the viewpoint of rational logic, was intriguing, entertaining, and thought-provoking. Highly recommended.

[Stephen Z. · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. I had misgivings when I picked out the book for a few reasons. The first was my history degree makes it difficult for me to read things in a historical setting, it’s a horrible drawback, and I don’t want to get events confused in my mind. Also, on a more lighthearted note, I was worried that when the judgement day comes, and I see St. Luke, that he will laugh at me for thinking about this fictional story as his actual life.

2. To my first misgiving, O’Brien managed to knock me off my feet. His historical research is impressive, even entwining fictional characters in with real events. I know that that is the purpose of historical fiction, and so I give O’Brien a 5/5 for his skill. Also the amount of effort that went into creating the culture of the time, the feelings of people, the interactions within society, and the visual descriptions each brought me out of 21st century America and into the 1st century Mediterranean region. If you would like to escape your world for a while, this book will help you do this.

3. Linguistically this book was a cornucopia of words and phrases. The thoughtful, yet seamless, insertion of Latin, Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, and possibly other languages was magical. O’Brien is a wordsmith, using language in ways I could not have really dreamed. I believe that the beauty of the language and the names helps keep the book in a “mystical” setting. Throughout the book I made myself happy by making connections between the Greek or Hebrew or Roman names for those I know in English and their stories.

4. Now to the meat of the book: the Life of Christ. O’Brien answered one of my fears in the author’s note at the end: “This novel is an imaginative reflection on an obscure aspect of the Gospel and is in no way an attempt to present its characters and scenes as visions of what actually occurred.” This book is an attempt at getting deeper into the meaning of Christ’s mission, if not the day to day timeline of the early Church.

By taking the historical events of Christ’s life and going into a narrative O’Brien is able to re-tell the Truth of the Gospel in terms that are understandable and believable. O’Brien’s dream of the Life of Christ, that he puts into words, is one that you can sit back, read, and consider deeply or superficially. I was brought to tears by one story in particular, “Zakhhay the fool,” in Nazareth. Of all the stories, I hope that I see Love like that one day.

5. In looking up Theophilos you will find a great many theories as to who this “Most excellent Theophilos” is, to whom the Evangelist wrote the account of Christ. I find that some of the ideas expressed by others are as plausible as the idea presented in this book that Theophilos was St. Luke’s uncle. That being said, Theophilos (meaning “friend of God”) is also all of us. The fictional journey of Theophilos is this book is something that each of us encounter on a daily basis. If we don’t encounter it while trying to deepen our faith, then we encounter it in other things. We each must explore beliefs, religious or otherwise, and come to grips with our own understanding, before we can move ourselves deeper down the path of enlightenment. Theophilos shows us how to do that.

To the reader this can be a novel of theology, philosophy, history, or mystery on whatever level they wish to receive it. The format of the book is also very easy to follow. First a letter, then journal entries, then recordings of interviews, then personal reflections, then a final letter. It’s the first time that I have read a book that had so many different presentation forms, and I rather enjoyed it.

I would recommend this book to anyone. For those with faith, this book challenges us. For those without Christian faith, this book offers a more in depth look into why people believe. Nothing stood out to me that would make this book inappropriate for teenagers, but the vocabulary and philosophical intensity would make it a harder read. This would be a great book to read with your children if you have patience to explain concepts and historical events to them.

Taken from OurLadyandSheen.wordpress.com

[Francis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magnificent. As with any Michael D. O'Brien book they are spiritually necessary and inspiring.

[Anna Harrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my dad’s favorite book and I wish it hadn’t taken me so long to read it! Lowkey bible fanfiction lol, from the perspective of Theophilus (who Luke’s Gospel and Acts is addressed to) and tells the story of his conversion. So beautiful and thought provoking!

[Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars. I would give ten if I could. Definitely the best book I have read this year.
Theophilos is a physician, so his descriptions of healing and herb poultices and stuffs was really fascinating!!
Also, he has a depth of character that is so beautiful and refreshing and fun to read about.
Theophilos describes his feelings in his journal in such a real way.... It was really really..... amazing. And heartbreaking at times.
Thank you, Percy Jackson, for the knowledge of Greek gods and such. Most invaluable.
I saw the life of Jesus in a refreshing and new light and I loved it. I completely recommended this book to every single human on this earth. That means you.

[Lucas Sipe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Many other reviews state the flaws of this novel well. The author is very concerned with letting the reader know that extensive research has been done. Lengthy descriptions of clothing (not in terms of look but in terms of function) combined with many discourses on how life was lived in ancient Roman east breaks the fourth wall (so to speak) and is jarring. Once or twice is fine but it was a fairly common practice. Being a novel about Christianity (and Catholicism), O'Brien is committed to certain interpretations which we can get into later but another weakness of the text is that O'Brien is incapable of describing theological principles in terms other than late 20th/ early 21st century theology. Most jarring was when, in the middle of the text when Theophilos was gathering stories about Jesus, someone recounted a story about Jesus's brothers - O'Brien had to have the character explain the technical/ linguistics usage of the term in order to not give the appearance of saying Jesus had siblings. We know the ancients didn't care about that as the Gospel writers themselves didn't feel the need to explain the grammar/ word usage. Without even getting into the correctness of such a qualification, it was sloppy.

On the bright side, O'Brien did do his research. When it wasn't being shoved in your face, the world was Roman. More than that, the O'Brien's writing at its best captured the changing of an age. From the first introduction to Theophilos to the emergence of Christianity, the text was alive with the sense of revolution Christianity would bring about. The middle section was the best when Theophilos traveled around Judea gathering stories about Jesus. Some of them were rather common but a few were phenomenal. The text was rather simple, but O'Brien brought a beauty to the simplicity.

A few other reviews have commented on the preachy nature of the text. Preaching has received a negative connotation in modernity for good and for ill. In a certain sense, preaching is necessary - think of Marxist thinkers who proclaim the revolution. They are preaching just as must as the Christian pastor on the street corner. What 'Theophilos' struggles with, however, is not just the preachiness but the triteness. A conservative jaded Greek thinker (who of course doesn't really believe in the gods) rejects Christianity because it's not "reasonable" until a movement of the heart brings about a real conversion is the story. It's so obvious that at first you don't expect it. In the final analysis, 'Theophilos' doesn't say anything meaningful about Christianity. Interesting but not much more than that. Contrast that with the 'The Power & The Glory' which truly wrestles with faith, hope, and charity and Christian belief. Not every work can be a classic, but every work can strive to say something; 'Theophilos' would rather let the background of knowledge say nothing that hasn't already been said better.

Edit: Upon further reflection, O'Brien fails to even do justice to the true revolutionary nature of early Christianity. O'Brien's "revolution" (as seen through Theophilos) really involves nothing for the man. His heart must change, and he must accept some seemingly unreasonable propositions, but the life of Theophilos doesn't actually change. It's the revolution of Christianity seen through the eyes of late 20th century conservatism that has been so sufficiently distanced from early Christianity it's impossible to really see unless you want to see. We're given a heavily sanitized version of Christianity that looks over the radical departure from classical norms - O'Brien is too committed to a later allience between the worlds to fully capture what he tries to capture.

[Chris DeCleene · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars for a Michael O’Brien? Say it ain’t so! Alas, it is. This one didn’t sink it’s teeth into me so deeply, as they usually do. Take one of the most powerful catholic imaginations writing today and apply it to the first century early church and the life of Christ, and what could go wrong? But then I didn’t find it to be as rich as that might suggest. Of course, it has its moments, and a Michael O’Brien devotee can’t pass it up. It would also be good for people with particular historical or biblical interests. Other than that, I won’t often recommend it.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

A couple years ago I read Island of the World by this author. It was a difficult book because of the realities of life in the Balkans in the 20th century, but I have found myself thinking of it often recently. So I decided to take on another book by O'Brien and chose Theophilos. Both Luke's Gospel and his Acts of the Apostles are addressed to the 'most excellent' Theophilos. We know nothing else about Theophilos, but O'Brien imagined him to be a Greek physician and agnostic and the adoptive father of Luke. Because he is concerned about Luke's having succumbed to the deadly illusions re Jesus, Theophilos begins a journey to seek to understand and to disprove. One reviewer (Prof. Peter Kreeft Of Boston College) said that if you want to get into a time machine and actually live in the first century world, read this book.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael D. O’Brien never disappoints!

[Christian Raab, OSB · Rating 5 out of 5]

O’Brien is great! Almost all his books bring me to tears at some point as did this one. As an imagining of the life of Theophilus (to whom Luke and Acts are addressed) The book takes place in the first century. There may be a few anachronisms but they can be forgiven in light of the power of the story he tells.

[Jeff Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This time Michael D. O'Brien turns to a fictional novel of a Greek physician living in the first century. He enters Louis De Wohl territory by imagining the people and times after the death of Jesus.

The Gospel of Luke starts with a dedication to Theophilos a figure that history gives us no real clue about. In this novel Theophilos is the adopted father of Luke and starts with him receiving what was to become the Gospel of Luke as a letter written to him. As in most O'Brien novels the plot evolves slowly and the first section addresses Theophilos and his life as a physician and his various memories. He is a man who does not believe in the Pagan gods, an admirer of the Greek philosophers, and while not a stoic - has sympathies in that direction. He later decides to leave Greece and to find Luke to bring him home and to save him from the dangerous "myths" he had accepted in chronicling the Christians.

His journey gets changed in that after he meets with Luke who encourages him to stay for awhile that he starts to interview those who knew Jesus. These journal entries portray a large range of people - of those who accepted Jesus as the Messiah, those who saw him as a good boy gone wrong, and those opposed to him. This section of the book is very enjoyable as some aspects of the Gospels are related by those mentioned in the Gospels. Theophilos though continues to be the skeptic.

As a fan of O"Brien's writing style I also enjoyed this novel which is new territory for him. As the novel moves to the interviews the pace picks up and his own look at his life heads towards a crisis. The novel also seems to be very well researched and authentic in its dialog.

[Erik · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the idea of this book. We see the life of Theophilos, recipient of the gospel writer Luke's Acts. We meet a physician who had adopted Luke early in life and trained him. He plays the worried father as Luke departs with this odd sect. Theophilos at one point searches out Luke after he has been gone for years and catalogs in a journal interviews with those who could describe the new Christian faith. He returns home and for the first time feels hatred as Romans crucify people outside his hometown. His heart awakens to the fact that despite his life of service to healing others and devotion to learning, he does not truly love. Now he understands and converts.

O'Brien writes with a rather sophisticated style and obviously loves knowledge and God. However, the story just did not grip me. Maybe it was because I was forced to pick up and put down this book a few times, which unfortunately led to long breaks in between, but the story just not have me coming back for more. I wanted to love it but just did not. His journal device was interesting and showed many views, but it was disjointed and eventually seemed like it wasn't getting anywhere. The entire book was not done in this way, but even the prose parts did not carry me away. A good story, a likable story, but not a compelling read.

[David Streever · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not bad, but absolutely pedantic; my big beef with historical fiction is when the writer explain so much in a way that breaks immersion. O'Brien demurely does that here, with lengthy digressions on how long ships take to get from a to b; at times I thought he was pre-emptively defending his research skills.

I also was irritated at the theological failings; he has his pagan/atheist narrator instruct a young St Luke with Greek/pagan principles, which, are obviously re-skinned Christian theology.

The problem is that some of the theological principles are described in fairly modern ways; these are not accurate Greek ideas, which I found a bit too obvious and not skillful. If I want so fond of the Catholic writers (such as Waugh, Greene, Lewis) I might not have realized how opaque and cumbersome O'Brien is when he writes about christianity.

Not something I recommend.

[Christine Calabrese · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting story, unfortunately for the author, Michael O'Brien, i had THE ROBE and QUO VADIS fresh in my mind and those books are way above this work. It's the writing, not the theme. The theme was quite compelling. There are so many lives that were obviously affected by Our Lord, there are so many people that were touched by His presence. This brings into question the many lives that were and what ever happened to them. There is a rich tapestry of events and lives that fell in deep love with Our Saviour, He was and Is and Is to come. On that dreadful day when He comes may we all be found in His favor and in His love as we read in this book. Theophilos was St. Luke's father, and he in this book, found faith in Our Lord. Anyway, I liked the book, I really did and recommend it but again compared to the the others, it is not as well-written.

[Mimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic and absorbing historical fiction about the Theophilos, who St. Luke mentions in his Gospel. O'Brien fleshes him out to be his adopted father, and to get to understand his son's new religion, he undertakes the task of interviewing those who met Jesus during his earthly ministry.
Just beautiful, well written , and gentle. A great thanks to the dear friend who gifted the book to me - he has others that I will now seek out and read.

[Renáe Schoening · Rating 5 out of 5]

My current favorite book!

[Alex Charow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is, quite simply, the best novel I have ever read.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I went to my library and sat for a while in the company of my books, those monuments to human reason, to all that was best in man’s nature, yet they gave me no comfort.”

I might be overly eager to give it five stars rather than four, but the end really brought it together for me. This book was also really well timed for me while teaching my apologetics class.

The book chronicles the searchings of Theophilos, historically the one who St. Luke dedicated his gospel and Acts of the Apostles to. Scholars can only speculate who this person was, and some say his name indicates that it is not any particular person but literally any “lover of God”. Michael O’Brien makes him the uncle and adoptive father of Luke, a Greek physician just like Luke but still a pagan. When he receives Luke’s (Loukas in the book) draft of his gospel, he is confused and disturbed. This and his desire to see his son again lead to a long journey of skeptical inquiry into the cult of “Iesuos Christos”. Theophilos ends up meeting many people, some who are recognizable such as Lazarus (Eliazar of Bethany), St. Veronica (Berenike), Jesus relatives, St. Peter’s son, and Philetos, who was based off of the historical Philo of Alexandria:

“No one has returned to us from beyond death.”
Philetos looks into my eyes, searching.
“That is no longer so”, he says quietly.

There were a number of things to really appreciate in this novel. The amount of research to make this immersive as a first century historical-fiction novel is very impressive. I liked that he used Greek, Latin, and Hebrew words and names. The other big thing for me was a very personal one. Because this was a providentially-timed read, I felt like I was on the journey to Christ with Theophilos. While I am a faithful and lifelong Catholic rather than a Greek pagan, I still was admittedly wrestling with some of the questions that he was working through in the story and I could really empathize. O’Brien gave Theophilos a real skeptic’s mind and that is appreciated. While some may see how things end up as unrealistic, as a believer in Christ who has had his own encounters with the person of Yeshua bar Yosef I would say otherwise. And while I wouldn’t say that I have had the same exact experience as Theophilos, I know many throughout history have especially if they are a skeptical convert. The rest of us when we are open to it have our own portion. All in all, a great read for me, but again I will say that if I had read it at a different time I would probably have given four instead of five.


“I wonder: If this poor book be read by men yet unborn, ages and ages from now, will they comprehend the reality of what I have heard and what I have seen with my own eyes? Will they call it myth? Will they call it a dream?”

[Oguz Alhan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought I would enjoy this book after reading "Father Elijah" and "Elijah in Jerusalem." However, I was disappointed. While I love the concept of historical fiction surrounding the New Testament, I felt as if I were reading an apologetics work presented in the form of a novel. Jose Saramago, despite not being a Christian, crafted an intriguing novel with beautiful scene descriptions of Jesus' life. Despite his unorthodox viewpoints, the literary quality of his work was evident.

In contrast, "Theophilos" came across as cheesy, reminiscent of many other Christian-made artworks. For instance, when Theophilos listens to eyewitnesses and encounters minor contradictory stories, the skeptical character attempts to validate the credibility of the narrative by highlighting these discrepancies. Inserting such apologetic points into a work of literary fiction gives it a cheesy feel, similar to the cringe-worthy moments in God's Not Dead movies.

Moreover, throughout the book, O'Brien attempts to showcase his extensive historical knowledge by incorporating names, locations, cultural, customary, and historical details. However, this effort becomes excessive at some point, causing readers to roll their eyes and think, "Alright, we get it! You know your subject!" These interruptions disrupt the flow of the story.

While the idea of taking the character Theophilos, with whom Luke corresponds, and crafting a good historical fiction seemed promising, the execution turned out to be cheesy. It's interesting to note that Saramago, without the constant concern for theological accuracy or orthodoxy, managed to create a superior historical fiction about events surrounding Jesus' time. Perhaps he was aware that he was writing fiction—a work of art—rather than a theological treatise or propaganda.

[George Bastedo IV · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is nothing if not intriguing, although it's difficult to know where to begin describing it. Its structure is fairly unconventional, so much so that in the early stages of reading it I wasn't totally sure why I saw it recommended for spiritual reading. That being said, once you get to the "Examinations," in which the title character is speaking with those who knew or encountered Christ, the book really starts to pay off. That's not to say the initial parts are not worth reading, but they don't strike me as the reason you would read the book. (That does cause me to wonder if O'Brien really needed to wait 169 pages to get to the Examinations.)

It's a bit hard to know whom to recommend this book for. Skeptics of the faith are likely to dismiss it for being fiction. Many Christians may either do the same or else take it too seriously because it does come across as quite realistic. (O'Brien certainly seems to have done his homework for historical accuracy.) I guess I would say that what this book does best is give a modern audience a fairly realistic look into the time period a few decades after Christ's life and try to provide the perspective of a person from that time looking into the Christian movement from the outside. (The author is Christian, so you can probably guess the kind of message that he tries to convey.) If that's something that interests you, then the book is probably worth checking out.

[Dennis Henn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have trouble getting through Michael O'Brien books. I made it only half-way through this book. I wouldn't try reading him anymore but a friend recommends them, claiming O'Brien and Walker Percy to be his favorite contemporary authors. Historical fiction isn't a bad genre except when the author imagines the life of Jesus. Such imaginings strike me as sacrilegious and risking of heresy. This tact is all the more surprising coming from O'Brien who is a devout Catholic.
The skeptic Theophilos (Theophilus) goes to search for his adoptive son Lukas with the hopes of bringing him home to Crete and to his senses as a doctor. Prior to that journey, O'Brien labors to provide back stories of the two through Theo's journal entries. Once in Caesarea, Theo encounters people who knew Jesus son of Joseph. They recount their stories, as believers or skeptics, leaving it to us, the readers, and Theo the skeptic to decide whether Luke has been beguiled.
O'Brien has a love for classical Greek thought. He anoints the book with the myths and thoughts of those early thinkers.

[Frank Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful fictionalized writing of St. Luke's adoptive father, Theophilos, search for understanding of his son's new found faith in a strange new religion based on the life of man known known as the "Christos." Luke addressed his gospel and the Acts of the Apostles to a man named Theophilos, of whom little is known. The author masterfully uses this crack in history to construct a deeply engaging book of discovery, helping believers and non-believers see and feel what life in those troubled and often convulsive times. A book of hope that shows the search for answers in life can bring adventure and unexpected revelations. Highly recommend it.

[Karen Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want an easy book to read that includes Catholic teachings, Theophilos by Michael D. O'Brien is it. The author took the name Theophilos, used 2 times in the New Testament by St. Luke, as his main character. There isn't information about who this person. Michael D. O'Brien created a historical fiction around this character. It's a beautiful story about faith, trust and reason especially from the perspective of a Greek man during the first century AD. Theophilos must decide if what he is has heard about Jesus is true or if his adopted son, Lukus/Luke and others are being duped. His training as a doctor and reading of Greek philosophers has taught him that reasoning is the only truth. In other words, if I can't touch it or see with my own eyes it didn't happen. Read to fine out Theophilos' final decision.

[Pete Orsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The eternal will not permit itself to be seized and rolled tightly into scrolls and stored away as artifact. We may ponder it and inscribe our thoughts about it, and learn from it, but we will never master it. The book of a man’s life unrolls as he lives it, we read it to the best of our Limited ability. The book of eternal life unrolls with it, but it is read by God alone.”

The above quote summarized the message the author wishes to convey. This book is worth reading and pondering.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

some interesting insights and things to think about. The author is able to impart what daily life was like in that time period. The story of Zakhhay was particularly moving for me - to the point that I copied the pages of that story to read on its own occasionally. I appreciated its message of encouragement to me, as the mother of a disabled child.

[Lisa Lewis Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this fictional account, Theopholis (mentioned in the Bible but with no background) is portrayed to be the Gospel writer Luke’s uncle and adoptive father. Good story but dry and drawn out in some places.

[Tomislav Mlinac · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a good book, not so interesting in the beginning but later it becomes more interesting and involves a reader more in the story.

[Amanda Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was a bit slow throughout but there were many dialogues within the book that I just loved. Not one of my favorites, but O'Brien is always worth a read.