The Damascus Road: A Novel of Saint Paul

by Jay Parini

From the author of the international bestseller The Last Station, a superb historical novel of the Apostle Paul, whose tireless and epic preaching of the message of Jesus brought Christianity into existence and changed human history forever.

In the years after Christ's crucifixion, Paul of Tarsus, a prosperous tentmaker and Jewish scholar, took it upon himself to persecute the small groups of his followers that sprung up. But on the road to Damascus, he had some sort of blinding vision, a profound conversion experience that transformed Paul into the most effective and influential messenger Christianity has ever had. In The Damascus Road novelist Jay Parini brings this fascinating and ever-controversial figure to full human life, capturing his visionary passions and vast contradictions. In relating Paul's epic journeys, both geographical and spiritual, he unfolds a vivid panorama of the ancient world on the verge of epochal change. And in the alternating voice of the Gospel writer Luke, Paul's travel companion, scribe, and ghostwriter, a cooler perspective on his actions and beliefs emerges -- ironic but still filled with wonder at Paul's unshakable commitment to the Christ and his divinity.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Christian, Biblical Fiction, Christianity, Adult, Religion

349 pages, Hardcover

First published April 2, 2019

About the author

Jay Parini (born 1948) is an American writer and academic. He is known for novels and poetry, biography and criticism.

Reviews

[Maureen Grigsby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very interesting historical novel about the life of Saint Paul, after his “conversion” by Jesus the Christ, on the way to Damascus, where he was determined to assault and kill followers of the man from Nazareth. I have read very few books that address the early days of Christianity, and I find it so very amazing that the teachings of this man grew and grew into such an enormous force. According to this novel, it was in large part to the years of lectures and letters by Paul.

[BAM doesn’t answer to her real name · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am now officially traumatized by the circumcision scene. That sounds horrific and easily misunderstood so now I guess I need to know if still occurs as in this book or what because im speechless starting now

So apparently Saint Paul was a perv…I did not know that. It wasn’t covered in any of my religion classes

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting novel on the life of St. Paul and the spread of early Christianity, as told by two alternating co-narrators: Paul himself and Luke, his devoted disciple and amanuensis. Although I realize there was a lot of literary license, e.g., Paul's childhood, personalities and physical descriptions of characters, I thought there was no excuse for the Pantheon in Athens, Jesus growing up on "Mary's farm", women at a Mithraic worship service. [Mithraism was a men's-only religion and the uninitiated would have been barred, anyhow so Paul wouldn't have been at one in the first place. In fact, Mithraists were as close-mouthed as members of some secret societies today.] Fact-checking could have been better for historical details such as these examples. I never realized it, but as the author stated in his Note at the end, only seven of the thirteen Pauline epistles in the N.T. were actually written by Paul and the author names them; the others were probably written later by people who were followers. I thought the map of "The World of the Apostle Paul" a nice touch, with the places Paul travelled to indicated.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

To me, very interesting, probably closer to a 3.5. I would love to engage in a scholarly discussion of this book.
It is fiction, but based on the writings in the bible of both Paul and Luke. Paul is definitely a zealot in these pages. I am really pondering how hard it was to spread the Word of the Lord in those days. Eager to see Mr. Parini at Booktopia.
I'm also eager to read more of his works. I'm intrigued.

[Susie Stangland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently saw the film Paul Apostle of Christ and this inspired a desire for greater details of the world of Paul. This book gives a bountiful serving and paints a fleshed out portrait of the man who was part of the centerpiece of the Christian movement. It serves as a kind of time machine delivering us into the both large and small aspects of Paul’s daily life. This book also lets us know Luke in a more familiar and relatable way. Whether you are a student of the Bible or have never read a page, this is a novel one could read again and again picking up fresh ideas each time.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book from Booktopia 2019 that had been on my shelf. I had started it and put it down and decided to give it one more chance. Jay Parini is a talented writer and the 3 stars come from the subject, St Paul himself. He lived at the time of Jesus Christ and spent his later years traveling and converting people to Christianity, while writing letters back to those he visited. His life was a lot of repetition and reading this book, I really could not tell the differences among all the peoples he met. He stayed for a period of time in every town and eventually the elders felt so threatened by his presence that he had to flee under cover of darkness. He was beaten numerus times which took a toll on him physically. Not for everyone, I am glad I finished this novel and it is off my TBR.

[Charles Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of St. Paul. A fictional story but one that seems possible. St. Paul was at first a fanatical Pharisee who presecuted the Jesus movement and then in a flash, on the road to Damascus, became a fanatic for the group he violtenlty pesecuted. Some Christians will think calling St. Paul a fanatic as pegorative. But not me. Consider the zeal it would have taken to travel through the ancient and at times hostile world convincing Jews and Greeks that a man named Jesus was crucified and raised fron the dead and that he was the Son of God...that He was God. No "normal" person could have done that. This is a work of fiction but it feels authentic because the author spent six years researching all that was about Paul and the times he lived in. I'm sure this wonderful novel may give some Christians pause. But as a devout Roman Catholic it made me feel that I understood Paul as a flesh and blood man and not a cardboard cutout of a saint.

[Ian Coutts · Rating 4 out of 5]

My bedside companion for much of the pandemic to date. Okay, you get the title, so I don't have to explain what the book is about. This is Paul's story told in turns by him and Luke -- as in the Gospel According to. We don't know much about Paul, really, just a few details about his upbringing and of course his conversion. Parini's book fills in the man, and gives us some idea of him -- not always a pleasant man, obsessed and largely humourless, but still compelling. Paul was a huge reason why Christianity grew to be more than another Jewish cult. His urgency, my God, his urgency! You see how radical what he was saying was.

Parini gives us his world too -- the eastern marches of the Roman Empire. His version was quite different from my understanding of it, which admittedly was based on children's Bible stories and movies like Gladiator. (Antioch, a city in Asia Minor where Paul spent time had a population of half a million. Who knew?) I have no doubt that Bible fundamentalists will find plenty to dislike, but for anyone interested in the man, or the early church, or what life was like in these dusty far-away provinces of the Roman Empire, I recommend The Damascus Road.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

A persecutor of early Christians, Paul of Tarsus is profoundly changed when he is overcome by a powerful vision of Jesus.

3.5 stars - Using Paul’s own letters, and an artistic license, the author tells a dramatic and personal story about Saint Paul, while vividly describing the landscape and atmosphere of the Roman Empire.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read an article from a progressive Christian page I follow regarding this author and book.
This novel made both Paul and Luke more relatable and real, as did the portrayals of the visits, interactions, and events with all manner of men and women mentioned in Acts and Luke.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found "The Damascus Road" somewhat disturbing. Everyone knows that some saints like Augustine had been hell raisers or that Paul persecuted the early Christians. Reading about Paul after his conversion, albeit fictionalized, didn't conform with my impression of Paul and the early Christians. The early Church is portrayed as a cross between America's dithering Continental Congress and a fraternity's pledge week. There seemed to be a race to regions beyond Jerusalem to baptize converts into, not so much a new religion, but, as Paul teaches, an enhancement of the Jewish faith. This didn't sit well with devout Jews who didn't want to hear that some crucified prophet was actually the son of God. They wanted a savior for their people. It also created civil unrest in the Roman empire which the Romans tried to squelch. And after a Ready-Fire-Aim approach to teaching, and after the disciples had been proselytizing for some time, the apostles all squabbled among themselves as to what the proper teachings actually were. Peter, the final arbiter, is shown as trying to please everyone and not really resolving any issues. And where was the much-maligned Mary Magdalene in this story? As an early Christian and an eyewitness to Jesus' ministry she tried get her point across in the new male-oriented Church. Her reward is that she is variously misidentified as the adulteress woman whom a mob wanted to stone or as the woman who bathed Jesus' feet and dried them with her hair. And unmentioned in this book. Luke, with Paul a narrator of this book, comes across as a stalwart figure who tries to save Paul from the excesses of his teachings but is ultimately unable to save him from his destiny. Luke uses his time with Paul, Peter, and the apostle James to write a life of Jesus which eventually becomes one of the four gospels. I can't say I enjoyed "The Damascus Road" although I can never understand why Paul hasn't been the subject of a motion picture. But if someone eventually writes a script it shouldn't come from this book source. They should stick to the scripture.

[Lisa Camara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book may have been above my reading level. I am reviewing this as someone who is neither 1) religious, or 2) scholarly. So, I think that's a very good thing! Just an average reader.

This book is about Paul of Tarsus, a Jewish Scholar and tent maker. He spends a lot of his time crucifying Christians. He followed Jewish law, and believed that anyone practicing Christianity was being blasphemous, he threw the stone that killed Stephen. On the road to Damascus, Paul sees a choir of angels, drops to his knees and speaks to Jesus. Immediate 180- Paul is now a Christian.

The story is also told from the view of Luke- the two disagree with how to tell the story of Jesus- etc, etc... It was really hard for me to get into this, as someone who has NEVER read the bible and know nothing of it. So all I can give is a review of what I thought of the story. I can't compare it to the stories of the bible, or anything like that.

So, my thoughts on this being a story, and not a historical retelling. It was decent. It was sometimes a little hard for me to understand the language, or tone, but most of the time Paul was just frustrating and stuck in his ways, but I suppose it shows that even the worst people can change- Just takes an act of God!

Beautiful writing.

4.0/5 stars.

**I received a copy of this book, from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review**

[Sophia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am struggling to find the best way to write this review. Paul is a very difficult figure for me, and one I'm quite familiar with, seeing as my college honors project focused on a section of 2 Corinthians. That being said, I am not a Christian and don't typically read Christian lit because I dislike the ways it typically characterizes historical and mythical figures. However, this book was marketed as being based in recent scholarship on Paul so I was intrigued, if a little skeptical going in.

I did enjoy this book overall- I think it will appeal most of all to liberal Christians who want to rehab Paul from his sexist, homophobic, etc. reputation. This was certainly the author's agenda, and at times that agenda got in the way of historical accuracies. For instance, in the author's note Parini says that Paul "believed in radical equality between men and women", a claim I am not fully convinced of (Paul's idea of gender "equality" was probably very different that our modern understanding). Nor does he reckon with Paul's vague views on slavery, as explored in Philemon and Paul's heavy use of slavery metaphors in his letters to describe his relationship with Christ (the Greek word for Lord, kurios, is the same term as that of a slave master). You can tell this is an author from a modern Protestant background, and keeping that in mind helps contextualize the narrative better.
Let me list the things that the author did well and got historically accurate:
-He does not refer to people as "Christians" or gatherings as "churches" , as those things didn't exist yet.
-He shows how the lines between Jews and gentiles in the early movement were blurred, but I don't think he shows that many Jews were semi-assimilated, native Greek speakers who participated in non-Jewish society widely.
-Paul as Hellenistic, drawing from Greek writing, thought, and rhetoric.
-The divisions between leaders of the early church over how strictly Torah law must be observed
-Paul's belief that the apocalypse was going to come within his lifetime and his grappling with the reality that it actually did not.

Now let me get to the things I was less into. I need to allow the author a certain degree of artistic license- he included events from Acts that many deem historically improbable, because the are a part of the Paul mythos and make for a good story (for example, many scholars question whether or not Paul studied under Gamliel and the idea that Gamliel converted himself is quite unlikely). I did like that he included the character Thecla, from the apocryphal Acts of Paul and Thecla, a non-canonical story tradition. I am not of the camp that believes that Paul fully rejected Jewish law and traditions, but Parini seems to be. His Paul becomes more and more distrustful of Judaism over the course of the book. While there were conflicts between Paul and other Jews, I think he fully engaged with Judaism in various ways throughout his life. Basically, if I had written the book, I would have portrayed Paul's relationship to Judaism differently. People interested in this topic should check out Paula Fredricksen's book Paul: The Pagan's Apostle.
There were a few other things that bothered me, but they were just nit-picky things only people very nerdy about this period and topic of history would notice: some places are given ancient names, others modern, some Hebrew/Aramaic names are transliterated from their original language, others are anglicized (compare Yohanan and Simon, for example), a few details about what stories about Jesus were likely circulating in this time period, etc. I'm not going to really get into those things, especially since this book is more well-researched than many other Christian/Bible inspired novels I've read, so I don't want to be too hard on it.

It's natural in these sorts of stories for Jewish people to be the antagonists, naturally opposed to Paul's message. This trope has its roots in anti-semitism and I was worried I would find it here as well. This was less the case. Jewish people were still portrayed as stuffy, out-of-date rule followers more than I liked, but things were not as egregious as they could have been. Which is a low bar, I know, but I was braced for much worse. Again, I wish the author had showed more of the diversity of Jewish practices in the ancient world, but I don't know how picky I can get. Additionally, many Jewish people DID reject Christianity. That's a historical fact. Parini portrays this in a way that is less filled with old tropes, but still falls into a few. I know the story is being told from Paul's perspective but quite a few of the Jewish characters felt like tropes, not fully-thought out characters. And conversions seemed to happen way too quickly and easily. There's nothing wrong with stressing the importance of Mosaic law to Jewish people in this period, or even explore the possibility that Jewish folks reacted negatively to Christianity (which many did). However, that is not the only way they interacted with this new movement and I wish there had been more nuance beyond just a dichotomy of rejection/acceptance.

I am not sure how I feel about the way the author added miracles into the narrative. When things are narrated from Paul's POV, we get them as actually miraculous, but we are led to believe he's a little bit unreliable as a narrator. Meanwhile, Luke provides more reasonable explanations for many miraculous events. I thought this was an interesting comparison and helped explain how people could interpret lucky events as miracles. As the author is Christian-adjacent, if not Christian, this makes sense- he wanted to include miracles while also offering the possibility that some of the miracles were just luck.

The prose was clean and observant, very easy to read and follow. I liked that we had multiple perspectives and got to hear both Luke and Paul's versions of events. The story was engaging and Parini added enough elements that it didn't feel like I was just reading a slightly fleshed out version of the New Testament narrative. Again, I enjoyed this overall, and if it sounds like your type of book, you will probably like it even more than I did.

[David Dunlap · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel opens with Dr. Luke, the writer of the gospel bearing his name, as well as the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, searching for his friend the apostle Paul, during the raging fire of Nero's Rome. -- The story of Paul and his missionary journeys, as well as his interactions with Luke and others, unfolds in chapters from Paul's and Luke's point of view. (This is an interesting approach, as it occasionally offers insights into the same events from two different perspectives.) The story is quite dramatically engaging, even for those already familiar with Paul's life from Acts and his epistles, but is ultimately unsatisfying (at least for this reader). As is so often the case with books written on biblical subjects, there are some divergences from Holy Writ that are annoying at best, consternation-causing at worst. Parini suggests that Paul had a lust problem -- but was it directed toward males (John Mark? Timothy?) or females (Prisca?). I found the ending -- when the narrative finally 'catches up' with its opening -- to be rather abrupt and inadequate.

[FRED GARTNER · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good

Good but not great. If I recall my reading of the book of Acts in the New Testament, I believe that Paul was known as Saul before his conversion.
The author and the editors of this book never mentioned this fact. I recommend this book withreservation. Also, the sexuality of Paul in this book was not necessary. We know how human Paul was by his mistakes before his conversion. Other authos, like Taylor Caldwell, have a better rendition of the life of St. Paul, but one thing this author has are the quotes from his works.
Nevertheless, I recommend this book for a good read. Enjoy it.

[Bookreporter.com Historical Fiction · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE DAMASCUS ROAD is a novel that dramatizes the life and ministry of the Apostle Paul. Written by Jay Parini --- an esteemed essayist, poet and trailblazer in the genre of biographical fiction --- this deeply moving page turner delves into the stories of those who sacrificed themselves to spread the word about Jesus and share the message of salvation.

Originally known as Saul of Tarsus, Paul was an ardent crucifier of Christians. He strictly abided by Jewish law and believed that anyone who proclaimed Jesus was the son of God committed blasphemy. Paul persecuted disciples of Christ and threw the last stone that killed Stephen, one of the first Christian martyrs. Paul’s job was to arrest followers of “the Way.” No one ever would have predicted his conversion.

It was on the road to Damascus where Paul saw a choir of angels in the sky and heard the mesmerizing music. The ground shook, and Jesus called out to Paul, asking why he was persecuting him. The apostle fell to his knees and was blinded by God. He never again questioned that Jesus was the son of God. Instead, he became one of the most important followers of the Way. Once well known in the Jewish community for being a well-to-do intellectual who knew scripture like the back of his hand, Paul surprised his community, especially his father, when he became a Christian.

Parini makes Paul come alive for the reader, highlighting his quirks and powerful personality. He gives us a front row seat through the eyes of Luke, a physician and follower of the Way who is collecting information and writing about the life of Jesus. In fact, the novel cuts between both points of view, showing the different ways that the men view one another and the world around them. They argue regarding which parts of Jesus’ life are worth writing about. Luke wishes to write about his childhood, while Paul feels that only the crucifixion and resurrection are important.

At times, Paul comes across as insufferable and stubborn. He scares off one young male follower of the Way with his affections. He is against marriage because he believes there is no point, as he awaits the imminent Second Coming of Christ. Those who abide by Jewish law find Paul troublesome, as he proclaims there is no Greek nor Jew in Christ, and that God loves everybody and wants them to have eternal life. In one scene, during a gathering for followers of the Way, a group of Jewish men state that they cannot eat with the Greeks due to the law. Other issues concern whether or not one must be circumcised to join the Way. Yet Paul says that the law has been abolished. He connects with Peter, an apostle of Jesus, but doesn’t feel embraced by the man.

Some doubt that Paul has a connection with God, but they’re proven wrong when Ariston, a crippled man, appeals to him. Paul says to rise in the name of Jesus, with a crowd watching, and the man slows to a stand and walks. Other miracles happen in his presence. When a young man falls out of a window and dies, he prays over him as well. The boy’s eyes open, and he asks what happened. He was dead and then alive.

At one point, Paul and Barnabas are worshiped as Zeus and Hermes for their healing powers. Yet later, after being praised, Paul is nearly stoned to death. He thought he’d die like Stephen. It is a miracle he lives, and he believes it’s because God has more work for him to do. In a scene where Luke and Paul travel together, Gabriel speaks to the apostle by the water and tells him to go to Macedonia.

In another event, after delivering a woman from spirits, Paul and Silas are arrested for sorcery. They are flogged and chained. An earthquake erupts, and their chains are miraculously released. After pouring water on their wounds, they are healed. Matthius, who was guarding them, wept that he’d be punished for letting them go. Instead of running away and saving themselves, Paul and Silas stood with him and then baptized him.

Parini describes the places where Paul visited in such a manner that you’re transported back in time, right beside those who follow the Way, immersed in their struggles, embracing those who accept them and feeling persecuted by those who don’t. The novel is visceral and all encompassing. Parini doesn’t make any character too sympathetic. Their flaws are real, as well as their strengths, which include how much they’re willing to sacrifice to spread the message of salvation. One day, when imprisoned in another city, Paul is finally moved by the spirit to write.

Many who come to life here are brutally murdered. Towards the end of the novel, Luke finds Christian martyrs, and those he knows personally, burning at the stake. The book has ups and downs. In some scenes, followers of the Way enjoy meals together, beautiful scenery, miracles and good conversations about Jesus and salvation. In others, those same people die a brutal death. Standing up for what you believe in is not always easy, but in the case of the life of Paul the Apostle, it is necessary. He knows his time is coming, but will not stop for a second until he can no longer speak.

Parini has written a timeless novel. Those who love the film Paul, Apostle of Christ will enjoy THE DAMASCUS ROAD and the way it immerses you in the life of Saint Paul, who is well known for being one of the greatest writers of the New Testament and fiercest followers of the Way, who sacrificed his life to spread the message of salvation.

Reviewed by Bianca Ambrosio

[March · Rating 2 out of 5]

Much as I wanted to, I never quite came to believe in Parini's Paul, or his Luke, or his James or Peter. Characterization is schematic, the narrative stop and go, the dialogue and narrative voices anachronistic and contrived. Some fairly cringy sex writing, too. The Author's Note's list of undisputed Pauline letters (p. 345) is inaccurate: the disputed letter to the Colossians is listed, but not Galatians.

[Patrick O'Hannigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best thing about this novel is Jay Parini's skill at giving readers a plausible window into the permutations of Saint Paul's thought about Jesus. The second best thing about this novel is that Parini wisely alternates points of view between Saint Paul and Saint Luke, so their contrasting enthusiasms become more apparent over time in each other's company.

Parini sketches Paul as smart, devout, opinionated, and socially awkward. Luke is more methodical and pragmatic, able to view many of the events in his friend's life at a helpful remove. Those seem like sound choices for a novelist with this material to make.

I am less sanguine about some of Parini's other decisions. Peter and James, for example, won't impress most readers. Barnabas and Silas seem buffoonish. Hagiography this isn't, but it might have been written more sympathetically than it was. With respect to James, although he and Peter are regarded as pillars of the Jesus movement in Jerusalem, Parini indulges the reformed Christian conceit that James was a biological brother to Jesus, rather than mere kin to the Nazarene, as Catholic doctrine about Mary stipulates he must have been (Else, for example, her vowed virginity would have been unusually temporary, and Jesus dying on the cross would not have looked to the Apostle John to provide for his mother, if Mary had other sons who could have done it).

As long as I'm on a soapbox about writerly choices, the relationship between Paul and Timothy seems more homoerotic than we have biblical evidence for. Just when you think Parini might be using Timothy to speculate obliquely about Paul's sexuality, Paul meets Prisca (also called Priscilla) and her husband Aquila. Historically, we know they worked together in the first century to spread the gospel because Luke mentions them by name in the Acts of the Apostles. But we surely don't know what Parini posits here, which is that Paul had a mad crush on Prisca.

Parini might be right. I can't begrudge poetic license in the hands of a competent novelist. But I finished this story wondering why Paul (of all people) looks longingly at the salacious without ever quite indulging it. The book sufferes from the palpable tension between humanizing an early Christian hero and deciding that he had feet of clay, after all.

Parini writes well and sometimes poetically, but wobbles from his seat on the fence between the noble and the ignoble.

[Paul, · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't want to review this book for two reasons: 1) I don't have access to the resources to do a good job and 2) it would take too much time.

So let me characterize the book, as someone with quite a thorough grounding in the literature and socio-historical background of the 1st century, but a more conservative perspective.

Parini's translations of the Bible are bad, regardless of one's theological position. The novel claims to primarily be based on the letters of Paul, a claim which I find quite disingenuous. It is not even based on the subset of letters of Paul that Parini holds to be genuine. There are too many metaphors, figures of speech, styles of argumentation, that are completely missing from the novel. Instead, we find a thoroughgoing Hellenist that knows his Greek Old Testament (LXX), but seems relatively uninfluenced by it. This Paul ends up rejecting his theological heritage completely, collapsing it all into Christ is the Law. His religion and pattern of thought falls into Platonic categories, though there are some strong Gnostic elements.

The novel is based on the assumption that the texts of the Bible are unreliable, in general. For example, some letters claim Pauline authorship but were written by others. Luke's recording of Paul changes the essential thrust of Paul's arguments, and makes them more Jewish (somehow). Luke also buries conflicts between leading members of the Christian sect and cleans up Paul's image a bit. He makes everyone sound like they agree somehow with Paul. Reminds me of the JEDP hypothesis for the Torah.
Paul is the archetypal unreliable prophet. He is guided by the God, but lies compulsively. He is somehow both a genius and a great communicator, and completely incomprehensible to his audience. He reminds me a little bit of a late life Isaac Newton.

That being said, the book was still interesting. This book does take into account much, but not nearly all, modern scholarship on Paul. I don't believe that even this limited section of scholarship represents a unified view on Paul. In fact, I doubt that Fiorenza, Sanders, Crossan, and others cited as influences would recognize Parini's Paul much more than I do. Parini's Paul is unique, and has a gift with words sometimes. There were certain scenes that Parini treated very well, and certain aspects of the historical background that were brought to life. Solid two stars.

[Scott Pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever wondered what it’d be like to hear an honest account of Saint Paul’s life? I mean, one can only glean so much from the theology of the New Testament; I’m left wondering: What would Paul say if I had a beer with him?

Jay Parini, a Guggenheim Fellow, pursues creative writing in the form of poetry, biography, and fiction, and he has written an insightful account into the person who is responsible for the Christian religion in the West. Parini shows extreme care and respect in this account of the Apostle Paul as he tells the tale alternating from Luke’s point of view to Paul’s point of view.

Although some may reject the more scandalous parts of Parini’s take on Paul (e.g., on Paul’s rejection of a sexual life), Parini does not stray far from the historical tale as originally told by Luke. Instead of idealizing the text as an authority, Parini glances into Paul’s personality by using an acute knowledge of human nature. He sees Paul’s main theological insight (shared during each baptism): “In Christ, there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither male nor female, neither slave nor free.”

As historical fiction, Parini is able to interject his poet’s insight into Paul while still dwelling on the basic history. During Paul’s “wilderness period,” Parini sees Paul amongst the Essenes, and in Asia Minor and Greece, he portrays the ancient world in an accurate and well-researched manner. In the afterword, he credits leading contemporary scholars (and the right ones!) for his historical knowledge.

After reading this book, I feel I know Paul as a person better. He is less ideal, less abstract, more real, more emotional. Readers seeking to understand the Christian religion better should spend some time in Parini’s work. He has a good feel for the religious instinct in humanity, and he respects its written products enough not to offend.

[Katherine Basto · Rating 4 out of 5]

This lyrical, literary novel written by a professor and poet brings to life the story of Paul, the Apostle. Told in first person by Paul and alternating with first person chapters by Luke, the story really thickens the tapestry of the experience along the Damascus Road, the passion of Paul for his Lord, and his subsequent mission and travels in the name of Jesus the Christ.
The map of Paul's travels was helpful and educational. The characters and places were many, and this helped me identify where he and his companions were headed next. I thought the first half of the book was riveting; it kept my interest. A few distracting elements included the insinuation that Paul was attracted the young boys. Parini at times emphasizes Paul's humanity and that he had faults one could not overlook. The detailed section on the circumcision scene was a bit much.
But for the most part, the dueling narratives flowed with poetic imagery of the landscapes and how differently each area of the Mediterranean welcomed the group and how they fared in each area. The last third of the book was slow. But it was a worthwhile read because the author did his research, stuck to the chronology and told the story well. Parini did an exceptional job covering the historical context and who the main players were at the time...and how each area reacted differently to the former Pharisee.
One of my favorite quotes from this book is when Paul writes, "When people are hungry for the experience of God, God happens."

[Jamie Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this book is fiction, it reads true to both history and human nature. The book looks not only at the life of St. Paul but gives insight into the early days of Christianity. Since Christianity is so well entrenched in modern Western society, it is easy to forget that it was at first a movement within Judaism that had very rocky beginnings before it became established. This book looks at what perhaps some of those founders believed, wrestled with, and did. This book does not shy away from showing the growing pains of Christianity.

The book alternates between being told from Paul's and Luke's perspectives. The author did a good job making these two narrative voices distinct, and they even didn't always agree about the same incident. I like how the book started right off with a scene that not only shows the devastation of the fire in Rome but shows how it is used as a political weapon against the Christians. This is the perfect beginning for this book as this is a recurring theme. The book wanders all over this part of the ancient world, and we meet other characters with whom we are familiar with from the Bible.

Whether you are a Christian or not, if you are interested in history, you might enjoy this fictionalized account about St. Paul's life and the times of the early Christian church.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

[Petro Kacur · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parini's story of the life of the Apostle Paul is the very reason that I am drawn to historical fiction as a genre. It tracks closely to the events of his life known from St. Luke's Acts of the Apostles and incorporates Paul's thinking from his numerous letters - texts which constitute the earliest writings of Christianity. From there Parini breathes life into the Roman world of the first century. The bustle of Jerusalem, the landscape of Greece and travel via caravans and ships across the Mediterranean. He crafts a credible portrait of Paul as well as his companion Luke and other figures of the early days of "The Way" as the Jesus movement was called before the term Christianity before any sense of an organized church came to be. Paul becomes human with his own set of failings. But also with a passion for his vision. The story returns often to Paul's belief in radical equality for all people - slaves and free men, Greeks and Jews, men and women. And shows how Paul's vision was shaped by his scholarly understanding of Judaism as well as Greek philosophy. Again, this is why historical fiction has such power - we are given a version of how a particular person and series of events shaped the course of history. Well done.

[Delphi Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written in the voice of Paul, with alternating chapters from Luke’s perspective, this novel follows the ministry of Paul after his conversion on the Damascus Road. The supernatural interaction with Jesus changed Paul from a Pharisee only interested in Jewish rules to a follower of Christ.

This book is a work of fiction, but the author has done extensive research of this time in history. Included are interesting descriptions of how Paul the man may have looked, what he probably ate, how people traveled long distances, and the customs of the day. Descriptions of sailing ships, desert passages, and cities are brought to life as are Paul’s many arrests and time in jail.

A different take on the life of a well-known biblical character, this book is recommended for readers interested in an account of Paul’s life that views him as a mortal, flawed, eloquent, educated, arrogant, and divinely inspired human.

[Louis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jay Parini is indeed a good writer. Rating this book on writing alone, it would have gotten at least four stars. The problem is his divergence from the way Paul is presented in the Bible. I understand that writing historical fiction requires facts and details to be filled in or imagined. But unless he claims to be writing alternative history, there is no justification for veering so far away from the scripture (even when limiting the scriptural account to the book of Acts and the seven letters of Paul that the writer considers authentic). For example: he portrays Paul as more of a Gnostic than can be justified by any of Paul's letters. (Likewise, for one example of many factual details there appears to be no justification for altering) at the stoning of Stephen, the writer has Paul dropping the final stone crushing Stephen's head, rather than just holding coats as indicated in the book of Acts. With such defects, the most I can say of the book is that it is just barely OK.

[Avis Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy reading about fictional and non-fictional Biblical events. St. Paul was a controversial person throughout his life. First he persecuted Christians and then became an influential disciple of Christianity after his profound conversion. The Road to Damascus takes the reader back in time into a dramatic and richly peopled landscape. The fervent faith and bloody conflict of the times, and all of it based on the soundest scholarship on the birth of Christianity. You’ll follow along on Paul’s epic journeys, both geographical and spiritual as he meets others who followed Jesus and knew him. He meets Peter and Andrew, along with James as they discuss what they knew of Jesus and his teachings.
Some of this story was different from what I know as a Catholic, but still it was an interesting theory none the less. So if you enjoy reading biblical interpretations, you’ll enjoy this one as well

[Patrick Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of St Paul and his spiritual companion Luke, writer of a gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. Together they travel west from Palestine to bring the news of Jesus to Jew and Gentile alike. He brings the humanity of both to life. His description of Paul and his beliefs are remarkable given his general perception today. His Paul is a believer in equality: between men and women, Jew and Gentile. It is enlightening to see the strong role of women in the early church both as benefactors and as spiritual counselors. This is a well written novel taking into account the stories in Acts and the sentiments of 7 of his epistles that the author considered directly from Paul. An interesting story that provides context to Paul and maybe even a reasonable semblance of his life.

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

I quit this after 63 pages. So, clearly, my opinion must be discounted. The first person narrator, ostensibly Luke, relates observations that do not jibe with Luke as I know his voice from the New Testament. Neither does his testimony jibe with the St. Paul I know from the Bible. I detected a straw man being built for later destruction by the author. Perhaps I am overly sensitized by the post modern school of authors I've read who seem dedicated to blindly destroying all that has been passed down. I would not continue past the smells I detected to be later disgusted and offended. But, maybe I was wrong, so ...

[Roger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an interesting way to relate the life and work of the Apostle Paul. The author largely fills in the known path of Paul’s life and his missionary journeys as if we were walking with him and his frequent companion, Luke the physician. We get a sense of the very flawed man, Paul, who nonetheless, kickstarted the modern Christian church. Although the supposed dialogue is largely invented, Luke recorded so much of Paul’s preaching and actually edited many of Paul’s letters, there is considerable material to work with to create a story of Paul’s life. A great read!

[Keeley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Profoundly interesting but artistically unsatisfying exploration of the early years of Christianity through the eyes of Paul and Luke. The affect is rather flat (not to a Hemingwayesque degree, but more than is true to the convoluted style of Paul's Greek). There is no discernable distinction between Paul's voice and Luke's. The author's interpretation of events is likely to be mildly shocking to the devout and mildly boring to the iconoclast. On the positive side, there is lively treatment of many of the women of the early Church, and one is drawn to care for the protagonists by the end.