,

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

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3.98 avg rating — 372 ratings
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2

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4.22 avg rating — 199 ratings
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3

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4.22 avg rating — 183,569 ratings
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4

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4.03 avg rating — 38,059 ratings
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5

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4.39 avg rating — 399,368 ratings
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6

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4.19 avg rating — 15,907 ratings
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7

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4.28 avg rating — 433,531 ratings
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8

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4.24 avg rating — 3,186,982 ratings
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9

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4.14 avg rating — 4,777 ratings
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10

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4.32 avg rating — 7,597 ratings
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11

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4.35 avg rating — 8,514 ratings
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12

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3.62 avg rating — 15,412 ratings
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13

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3.90 avg rating — 9,243 ratings
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14

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4.02 avg rating — 28,536 ratings
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15

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4.14 avg rating — 529 ratings
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16

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3.68 avg rating — 4,179 ratings
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17

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4.23 avg rating — 145,825 ratings
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18

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3.65 avg rating — 18,924 ratings
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19

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4.32 avg rating — 39,035 ratings
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20

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4.10 avg rating — 997,028 ratings
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21

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3.75 avg rating — 8,414 ratings
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22

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3.82 avg rating — 1,223 ratings
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23

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3.84 avg rating — 699,147 ratings
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24

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4.13 avg rating — 1,941 ratings
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25

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4.24 avg rating — 27,445 ratings
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26

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3.73 avg rating — 391 ratings
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26

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3.76 avg rating — 2,235 ratings
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28

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3.43 avg rating — 14,737 ratings
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29

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3.56 avg rating — 16 ratings
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30

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4.31 avg rating — 373 ratings
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31

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4.27 avg rating — 985 ratings
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32

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4.23 avg rating — 903 ratings
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33

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3.87 avg rating — 7,350 ratings
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34

by
4.18 avg rating — 237 ratings
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35

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3.87 avg rating — 6,405 ratings
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36

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3.72 avg rating — 355 ratings
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37

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4.04 avg rating — 507 ratings
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38

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3.89 avg rating — 1,857 ratings
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38

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4.80 avg rating — 54 ratings
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38

by
4.08 avg rating — 155 ratings
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38

by
4.22 avg rating — 199 ratings
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42

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4.08 avg rating — 2,924 ratings
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43

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3.94 avg rating — 989 ratings
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44

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3.83 avg rating — 8,602 ratings
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45

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4.54 avg rating — 728 ratings
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46

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3.51 avg rating — 308 ratings
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46

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4.37 avg rating — 723 ratings
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48

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4.39 avg rating — 1,136 ratings
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48

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3.90 avg rating — 42 ratings
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50

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3.86 avg rating — 58 ratings
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51

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3.91 avg rating — 3,859 ratings
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52

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4.40 avg rating — 81,154 ratings
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53

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4.13 avg rating — 1,823 ratings
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54

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3.98 avg rating — 258 ratings
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55

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3.68 avg rating — 458 ratings
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56

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3.83 avg rating — 1,245 ratings
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57

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4.11 avg rating — 5,438 ratings
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58

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3.26 avg rating — 2,132 ratings
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59

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3.61 avg rating — 1,127 ratings
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60

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3.78 avg rating — 9 ratings
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61

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3.86 avg rating — 7 ratings
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62

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4.43 avg rating — 228 ratings
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62

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3.50 avg rating — 60 ratings
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62

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4.07 avg rating — 15 ratings
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62

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3.68 avg rating — 19 ratings
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62

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4.67 avg rating — 6 ratings
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62

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4.43 avg rating — 46 ratings
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62

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4.25 avg rating — 32 ratings
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62

by
it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 ratings
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62

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3.05 avg rating — 39 ratings
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62

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4.29 avg rating — 7 ratings
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62

by
3.34 avg rating — 47 ratings
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62

by
3.86 avg rating — 22 ratings
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62

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4.01 avg rating — 84 ratings
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62

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4.09 avg rating — 1,507 ratings
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62

by
3.83 avg rating — 115 ratings
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62

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4.22 avg rating — 18 ratings
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62

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3.30 avg rating — 10 ratings
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62

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4.09 avg rating — 1,733 ratings
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62

by
3.09 avg rating — 33 ratings
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62

by
4.29 avg rating — 17 ratings
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62

by
4.40 avg rating — 184 ratings
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62

by
3.62 avg rating — 2,506 ratings
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62

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4.21 avg rating — 1,530 ratings
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62

by
4.75 avg rating — 4 ratings
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62

by
4.37 avg rating — 59 ratings
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62

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4.20 avg rating — 5 ratings
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62

by
0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings
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62

by
it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 20 ratings
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62

by
4.92 avg rating — 25 ratings
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62

by
it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 6 ratings
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92

by
3.60 avg rating — 322 ratings
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92

by
3.23 avg rating — 122 ratings
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92

by
3.53 avg rating — 146 ratings
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92

by
4.32 avg rating — 1,280 ratings
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92

by
4.44 avg rating — 760 ratings
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92

by
3.73 avg rating — 5,884 ratings
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92

by
4.16 avg rating — 231 ratings
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92

by
3.25 avg rating — 59 ratings
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92

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 18 ratings
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188 books · 170 voters · list created August 13th, 2012 by Therese (votes) .
33 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


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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!


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