James leads the church in Jerusalem while guiding more and growing churches in far-flung regions. The chief priests and Pharisees alternately dismiss them as a sect or persecute them as heretics. There are disputes among believers in far-off places, disputes between believers and Jews, and disputes between believers and Gentiles.
Paul preaches as enthusiastically as he once persecuted them, no matter how often he gets arrested.
Peter eats with Gentiles.
False preachers and spies try to infiltrate.
And there's a new rebel group terrorizing the land.
If only they can hold on until the Messiah returns. But it's been several years already.
You'll enjoy this fictional account of the early church because Ms. Lambert weaves a colorful tapestry of the personalities and historical forces that shaped Christianity.
Chris Lambert is a formerly-lapsed Christian who, by the grace of God, escaped a cubicle job surrounded by the dementors from Harry Potter. She currently lives in an old cabin in the woods on a lake in cottage country, north of Toronto, Canada. Besides writing, she is an artist. She enjoys swimming, kayaking, scuba diving, hiking and renovating old cabins, although she's pretty sure that last one is just a phase.
This series of 5 books is excellent. I never gave much thought to James or Jude. This encouraged me to learn more about the brothers and to look more closely at the other apostles. The author has an interesting take on Paul, probably an accurate one, too. I highly recommend this series.