,

This list is for novels that include Jesus as one of the characters, whether they portray him positively or negatively. List could also include any book-length literary studies of the same.
1

by
3.97 avg rating — 371 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
2

by
4.24 avg rating — 167 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
3

by
4.22 avg rating — 182,212 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
4

by
4.03 avg rating — 37,782 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
5

by
4.39 avg rating — 387,401 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
6

by
4.19 avg rating — 15,709 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
7

by
4.28 avg rating — 421,590 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
8

by
4.24 avg rating — 3,155,864 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
9

by
4.14 avg rating — 4,742 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
10

by
4.32 avg rating — 7,425 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
11

by
4.34 avg rating — 8,354 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
12

by
3.62 avg rating — 15,325 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
13

by
3.90 avg rating — 9,191 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
14

by
4.02 avg rating — 28,091 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
15

by
4.14 avg rating — 519 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
16

by
3.68 avg rating — 4,144 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
17

by
4.23 avg rating — 143,017 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
18

by
3.65 avg rating — 18,677 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
19

by
4.31 avg rating — 38,206 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
20

by
4.10 avg rating — 991,394 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
21

by
3.76 avg rating — 8,281 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
22

by
3.83 avg rating — 1,201 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
23

by
3.84 avg rating — 694,049 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
24

by
4.13 avg rating — 1,911 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
25

by
4.24 avg rating — 27,200 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
26

by
3.73 avg rating — 391 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
26

by
3.75 avg rating — 2,209 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
28

by
3.43 avg rating — 14,628 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
29

by
3.56 avg rating — 16 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
30

by
4.30 avg rating — 375 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
31

by
4.27 avg rating — 981 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
32

by
4.23 avg rating — 896 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
33

by
3.87 avg rating — 7,313 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
34

by
4.17 avg rating — 233 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
35

by
3.87 avg rating — 6,273 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
36

by
3.72 avg rating — 355 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
37

by
4.03 avg rating — 499 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
38

by
3.89 avg rating — 1,848 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
38

by
4.80 avg rating — 54 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
38

by
4.06 avg rating — 142 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
38

by
4.24 avg rating — 167 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
42

by
4.07 avg rating — 2,874 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
43

by
3.94 avg rating — 977 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
44

by
3.83 avg rating — 8,578 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
45

by
4.55 avg rating — 715 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
46

by
3.51 avg rating — 307 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
46

by
4.37 avg rating — 706 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
48

by
4.39 avg rating — 1,109 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
48

by
3.93 avg rating — 41 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
50

by
3.84 avg rating — 57 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
51

by
3.91 avg rating — 3,796 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
52

by
4.40 avg rating — 79,337 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
53

by
4.13 avg rating — 1,778 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
54

by
3.98 avg rating — 257 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
55

by
3.68 avg rating — 456 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
56

by
3.82 avg rating — 1,231 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
57

by
4.11 avg rating — 5,413 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
58

by
3.26 avg rating — 2,107 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
59

by
3.61 avg rating — 1,109 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
60

by
3.78 avg rating — 9 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
61

by
3.86 avg rating — 7 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
62

by
4.42 avg rating — 216 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
62

by
3.50 avg rating — 60 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
62

by
4.07 avg rating — 15 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
62

by
3.68 avg rating — 19 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
62

by
4.67 avg rating — 6 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
62

by
4.42 avg rating — 45 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
62

by
4.23 avg rating — 31 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
62

by
it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
62

by
liked it 3.00 avg rating — 40 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
62

by
4.29 avg rating — 7 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
62

by
3.34 avg rating — 47 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
62

by
3.86 avg rating — 22 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
62

by
4.01 avg rating — 84 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
62

by
4.08 avg rating — 1,497 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
62

by
3.83 avg rating — 115 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
62

by
4.22 avg rating — 18 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
62

by
3.33 avg rating — 9 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
62

by
4.09 avg rating — 1,718 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
62

by
3.09 avg rating — 33 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
62

by
4.29 avg rating — 17 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
62

by
4.40 avg rating — 183 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
62

by
3.61 avg rating — 2,463 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
62

by
4.20 avg rating — 1,491 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
62

by
4.75 avg rating — 4 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
62

by
4.37 avg rating — 59 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
62

by
4.20 avg rating — 5 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
62

by
0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
62

by
it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 24 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
90

by
3.60 avg rating — 322 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
90

by
3.23 avg rating — 122 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
90

by
3.56 avg rating — 144 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
90

by
4.32 avg rating — 1,272 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
90

by
4.44 avg rating — 751 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
90

by
3.73 avg rating — 5,838 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
90

by
4.16 avg rating — 228 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
90

by
3.25 avg rating — 60 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
90

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 17 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
99

by
3.60 avg rating — 55 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
99

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating
Rate this book
Clear rating
186 books · 168 voters · list created August 13th, 2012 by Therese (votes) .
33 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Therese 2348 books
205 friends
Phillip 5194 books
138 friends
Jennifer 7367 books
300 friends
Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) 546 books
365 friends
Suzanne 8822 books
30 friends
Frustratedinlimbo 105 books
0 friends
Alicia 89 books
26 friends
Barbara Gem(ini) 1052 books
6 friends

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-13 of 13 (13 new)

dateUp arrow    newest »

message 1: by Scoti (new)

Scoti N I am unable to figure out how to add books to this
fine list, so with this comment I suggest

Naomi Alderman, The Liar's Gospel
Richard Beard, Lazarus is Dead
J. M. Coetze, The Childhood of Jesus
Jim Crace, Quarantine
Nikos Kazantzakis, The Last Temptation of Christ
D.H. Lawrence, The Man Who Died
George Moore, The Brook Kerith
Colm Toibin, The Testament of Mary
.

Some of these may be on the list. It would be helpful if Goodreads could either editorially provide a sorting order for reader supplied lists or provide a feature that allows sorting so users can add missing items.

For some reason, a selective list of novels by good writers in which Jesus is the main or major character seems strangely missing from the web. But if anyone can suggest one please do so.


message 2: by Nik (new)

Nik Kane Scoti wrote: "I am unable to figure out how to add books to this
fine list, so with this comment I suggest

Naomi Alderman, The Liar's Gospel
Richard Beard, Lazarus is Dead
J. M. Coetze, The Childhood of Jesus
..."


Although I haven't read it, from a cursory glance at the description of Coetze's The Childhood of Jesus, it seems that it does not include Jesus of Nazareth as a character.


message 3: by Jim (new)

Jim Scranton I am trying to find a book that was published maybe sometime in the 1970s that was a fictionalized account of Jesus as a young boy when he stayed behind in Jerusalem and learned from the teachers in the Temple.


message 4: by Rose (new)

Rose Corb Any series below by Bodie Thoene should be on the list .
AD CHRONICLES, JERUSALEM LEGACY ( last two) and others .Take this Cup , Behold the Man ....

One of the AD books covers Jesus in the temple as a child .
I recommend ALL of them .


message 5: by FM (new)

FM I am looking for a book about Jesus in which he's called Yeshua and he has tattoos and he learned some of his wisdom in the East. He's always "with" Mary Magdalene which causes some jealousy in his disciples. I read this many years ago and lost the title and the author from my memory. Anyone here know what I'm talking about?


message 6: by Rainbowheart (new)

Rainbowheart Does Jesus need to appear on the page? I wanted to add Alphabet of Dreams because Jesus has just been born and is talked about, but the MC never actually meets him.


message 7: by FM (new)

FM Yes. I'm sorry. Jesus is prominent on the page throughout the book.
Thank you though!


message 8: by Rainbowheart (new)

Rainbowheart Sorry, I wasn't clear! That question was for Therese, the list creator.

FM, if you're looking for a particular book, you may want to post on the What's the Name of That Book??? group.


message 9: by FM (new)

FM Oh, Rainbowheart, I'm so sorry I misunderstood!

I will try that. Thanks!


message 10: by Rainbowheart (new)

Rainbowheart No problem, hope you find your book!


message 11: by Capn (last edited Aug 29, 2022 02:03AM) (new)

Capn Rainbowheart wrote: "Does Jesus need to appear on the page? I wanted to add Alphabet of Dreams because Jesus has just been born and is talked about, but the MC never actually meets him."

I have a similar question - would The Da Vinci Code qualify, for example? Lots about exbiblical/apocryphal/fictional doings of Jesus, a rewriting or reinterpretation about the nature of the Holy Grail, and what he did. But it is not contemporary 1st century Jerusalem, only referencing his actions later (I can't remember if as "flashbacks" or not).

Do you want only the case of an active character with (or with the capacity for, in the case of no) dialogue?


message 12: by Capn (new)

Capn FM wrote: "Oh, Rainbowheart, I'm so sorry I misunderstood!

I will try that. Thanks!"


Please do! :D It's a great group - you might be able to solve some other queries while you are there!


message 13: by FM (new)

FM Rainbowheart wrote: "No problem, hope you find your book!"

Thank you!


back to top



Related News

Need another excuse to treat yourself to a new book this week? We've got you covered with the buzziest new releases of the day, according to early...

Anyone can add books to this list.