Upon This Rock: The Life of St. Peter

by Walter F. Murphy

From the Mount of Olives to the road to Rome, this dramatic saga, based on the life of St. Peter, offers a passionate and provocative profile of the man whom Jesus chose to found his church

Genres: Spirituality, Historical Fiction, Fiction

538 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Walter F. Murphy is a 20th century American political scientist and writer. He won a Distinguished Service Cross for his service as a Marine in Korea, eventually retiring with the rank of colonel. He held the chair of McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton. His professional writing, consisting mostly of non-fiction works on political science, includes the classic Constitutional Democracy; he has also written three popular novels.

Reviews

[Courtney Mauzy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not what I like in historical fiction. I was put off by unsupported fictional elements introduced in first section of book: Joseph previously married, Peter blinded at Jesus trial and remained so for 2 years, Peter foul mouthed drunk... I gave up on this one at end of Section I.

[Brian G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific writing. Presents the earliest Christians in a very human light.

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fictionalized and vivid life of Saint Peter and the early church leadership struggles. I loved this book for the fact that it gave us the world of the early Christian church and community. Mary Magdalene does not come off well in this novel but St. Peter also has an ego. Still, the teachings of Christ lead St. Peter as he grapples with the mantle left to him by Jesus. I enjoyed this novel of faith and perseverance.

[Don Dunnington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good historical novel on life of St. Peter. Makes good use of historical material to present a compelling story of the circumstances surrounding the emergence of the Christian faith in the first century Roman world. Imaginative and insightful regarding the dance between faith and doubt, belief and trust.

[Susan Smith]

Some theology is skewed, thus making it a nice piece of fiction.