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A Conspiracy of Breath

Latayne C. Scott (Goodreads Author)

4.74 · Rating details · 38 ratings · 24 reviews

In a richly-textured, controversial and provocative literary work, award-winning author Latayne C. Scott examines: What would it have been like to be a woman, a Gentile, and someone onto whom the Holy Breath moved - to produce what became the mysterious Epistle to the Hebrews in the Bible?

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Paperback, 435 pages

Published September 1st 2017 by TSU Press

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Aug 08, 2017 Celeste Green rated it it was amazing

This book is Scott's opus. It is exquisitely written, captivating and throat-grabbing; while also tender as it gives unforgettable images of the Spirit in action. The gripping premise piques interest with an astonishing proposal. Controversy aside, beautiful encounters, characters and events dare you to believe that God is exactly who He says He is. ...more

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Aug 07, 2017 Cynthia Ruchti rated it it was amazing

In A Conspiracy of Breath, author Latayne Scott drew me into a world so exquisitely crafted that I felt goat hair between my fingers and the tentmaker's needle-rawed fingertips. I could smell dried blood and yeast bread, hear the night sounds and the day's cacophony. I flinched in sync with the characters when danger sparked. But if the book had stopped at authenticity and setting, it would not have had the grip on me that this book does. It changed me, deepened my love for The Breath, and swell ...more

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Aug 09, 2017 Michelle Ule rated it it was amazing

I recently savored Latayne Scott’s new novel A Conspiracy of Breath.

It provides an interesting slant on the question, “Who wrote the New Testament's Book of Hebrews?”

Scott believes it may have been a woman named Priscilla–the wife of a man named Aquila.

She makes a compelling argument in a beautifully written work of literary fiction.

Whether you accept her reasoning or not, is your own decision, this is a novel.

In A Conspiracy of Breath, Prisca, (Priscilla is a nickname), grew up in a wealthy Rom ...more

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Aug 21, 2017 Kathleen Rodgers rated it it was amazing

With an ache in my throat and longing in my heart, I finished the final pages of A Conspiracy of Breath, an exquisite novel that can only be described as divinely inspired. Like her female protagonist, Priska, the author serves as a conduit to bring the message of hope to readers through the age-old device of storytelling. The novel is filled with sensual prose, both lyrical and accessible, and will appeal to scholars as well as laypeople, even backsliders or nonbelievers afraid to open a Bible. ...more

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Aug 09, 2017 Bonnie Grove rated it it was amazing

Intelligent Christian fiction so masterfully written I forgot place and time.

Scott is brilliant with prose and poetry. This story aches, it unravels you.

Others have posted excellent synopses of the story for you to read, so I will give you a synopsis of what you will experience:

The tremendous joy that feels close to relief to have found a novel that looks you straight in the eyes and speaks to all your senses.

The feeling of lost in time; Jerusalem dust under your feet. There are times the st ...more

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Aug 09, 2017 Meghan Ochoa rated it it was amazing

Latayne Scott has bravely weaved a story that speaks to one of the most instrumental paradoxes in the life of a believer; using her words from the introduction, "...to deal with the great incongruity between the majesty of their message and the mess of their lives." Dr. Scott provides us with an opportunity to journey into the world of those who proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ circa 1 AD, break alongside them, breathe in hope found only in the Messiah, and erupt with joy. ...more

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Aug 07, 2017 Cathy Messecar rated it it was amazing

Latayne C. Scott's "A Conspiracy of Breath" clutched my heart in the first pages. Adept at entwining divine moments with common tasks, Latayne engaged my attention long past my allotted time for reading at night. Her mastery of words and lyrical descriptions fleshed out the story to perfection. Priska's world--intense with imagery and emotions--caught me holding my breath at times. She revealed thin places. An Awakening to God. A vessel for His use. And she stirred within me a deepening sense of ...more

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Sep 04, 2017 Paul Brandt rated it it was amazing

Scholars cannot agree on the authorship of Hebrews, but in "A Conspiracy of Breath," Lataynee C. Scott identifies Priscilla, a first century woman, as the person responsible for receiving Hebrews from the Holy Spirit. For those literate in the Bible, you will find stories throughout Acts woven into this creative tale.

The Good:
The story is engaging
Biblically accurate
E.g., Priscilla and Aquila travel together with the Apostle Paul. Priscilla and Aquila are tent makers, along with Paul. For over a ...more

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Aug 20, 2017 Sandy rated it it was amazing

I was hooked from the first page. The description of Priscilla walking the streets of Rome, gathering the remains of Christian martyrs, beloved friends and unknown saints, to provide a proper burial, is heart-wrenching. Page one was always in my thoughts as I moved closer and closer to the end, dreading the losses I knew were coming. I was wondering all along how chapter 12 of Hebrews would be woven in. That passage is best understood under hard circumstances and I was dreading it while anticipa ...more

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Sep 08, 2018 Carrie Anderson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

What if you were a Gentile woman being used to help give birth to the newly forming religion known as Christianity and found yourself in A Conspiracy of Breath?

Church tradition tells us the Apostle Paul wrote the Epistle to the Hebrews. But what if it wasn’t Paul?

Greek scholars consider the writing in the Hebrews Epistle to be more polished and eloquent than any other book of the New Testament. It was written for Jewish Christians, exhorting them to persevere in the face of persecution and revea ...more

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Aug 20, 2017 Kim Francis rated it it was amazing

Until I savored Latayne C. Scott’s A Conspiracy of Breath, I believed the apostle Paul to be the most likely candidate for authorship of the epistle to the Hebrews. Not any more. Scott provides a convincing argument through her use of vivid, page-turning imagery that Priscilla, wife of Aquila, could have very well been this enigmatic New Testament book’s inspired author. In the future, I will be reading Hebrews through exquisite new lenses! Kim K. Francis, author of His Banner Over Me Is Pursuin ...more

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Apr 24, 2018 Fiction Aficionado rated it it was amazing

Shelves: biblical-fiction, historical-fiction

If you enjoy Biblical fiction (or even historical fiction, for that matter), I highly recommend you get your hands on a copy of this novel. It’s intelligently written with elegant, imagery-rich prose, and the story will open your eyes to a whole new understanding of what it was like for Christ’s followers in the apostolic era—not just in terms of the ever-present threat of persecution, but what it would have been like to grapple with understanding the New Covenant in the intellectual and religio If you enjoy Biblical fiction (or even historical fiction, for that matter), I highly recommend you get your hands on a copy of this novel. It’s intelligently written with elegant, imagery-rich prose, and the story will open your eyes to a whole new understanding of what it was like for Christ’s followers in the apostolic era—not just in terms of the ever-present threat of persecution, but what it would have been like to grapple with understanding the New Covenant in the intellectual and religious climate of the time.

The novel is based on a premise that may seem controversial at first—it portrays Priscilla, wife of Aquila, as the person through whom the Holy Spirit (or the ‘Holy Breath’ as He is referred to here) breathed the book of Hebrews. The author provides an introduction that explains the experiences and the historical facts that came together to seed this story, but whether or not you believe Priscilla’s ‘authorship’ possible, you cannot help but be drawn in by her story as the author presents it.

Priscilla’s characterisation is masterful and wonderfully authentic. She is unusual for her time in that she reads Greek, knows the Law and the Prophets, and thrives on intellectual discourse, and yet she is also very much a woman of her time—a devoted wife and mother, and always deferential to the men in her life. And Latayne C. Scott gets every aspect right on point. But what blew me away was how fundamentally human she was. She struggled—physically and mentally grappled—with the knowledge that, for all the beauty of the Gospel, the way of sharing that Gospel was not smooth. She knew Peter and Paul had healed others, and yet her dearest friend and companion, Cordelia, is not only never healed, but becomes more withered and crippled as the years pass. Priscilla struggles against the Holy Breath at times, describing herself as ‘becoming both projectile and besieged city’ such was the resoluteness of the Breath, and wrestling with Him ‘like cyclones colliding over an open sea.’ And yet her faith remains through it all.

This was an utterly captivating and immersive story. You cannot read it and remain unaffected by the struggles and faith of our forebears in Christ!

I received a copy of this novel from the author. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion. ...more

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Sep 08, 2017 Sharon Souza rated it it was amazing

I love Latayne's writing, but A Conspiracy of Breath completely surpassed my expectations. Without a doubt, this is one of the best books I have EVER read. The writing is superb, the characters are so real and believable, and the setting is so well defined that you feel you are right there with the characters. The opening chapter is amazing. I can't recommend this book strongly enough. Beautiful. Beautiful. ...more

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Aug 29, 2017 Texie Susan Gregory rated it it was amazing

Priska brings the Epistle of Hebrews vibrantly to life. Meticulously researched with mind-searing imagery, Dr. Scott's powerful poetry is tucked in the story like hidden treasures…. The humanity, the glorious joy, the tragedy of the early Christ followers are vivid, poignant, and unforgettable. I treasure … reminders that women did indeed contribute to Holy Scripture, and that the Word is alive.

Texie Susan Gregory, author, Slender Reeds; Jochebed's Hope
...more

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Aug 20, 2017 Ruth Hoppin rated it it was amazing

Latayne's writing style is clear and vivid, drawing the reader into Priscilla's world...I was drawn into the epoch by her use of language; it was definitely a Roman experience to read the first chapter.
- Ruth Hoppin, Author of "Priscilla's Letter: Finding the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews" ...more

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Mar 28, 2019 James Hallmark rated it it was amazing

This one is historical fiction, based on the premise that a woman wrote the Biblical book “Hebrews.” I found it quite good. “Breath” is a fictional account of the life of Prisca, better known to Bible readers as Priscilla of the couple “Aquila and Priscilla” mentioned multiple times in the Bible. Latayne tells the story of how Priscilla becomes a believer in Christ, meets Aquila, marries, has children, and experiences “the breath”—that is, the Holy Spirit writing the book of Hebrews through her. ...more

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Aug 09, 2017 Kathleen Popa rated it it was amazing

Five Emphatic Stars!

This is a haunting, spiritual novel that proves Latayne Scott to be Christian Fiction's most amazing secret. Reading A Conspiracy Of Breath, you'll step into an unimaginable period in church history and come back electrified to a new world. I'm serious - Read this! You will view the Book of Hebrews—perhaps the whole Bible—and certainly yourself and the world around you with new eyes. ...more

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Mar 12, 2019 Katie Andraski rated it it was amazing

The Conspiracy of Breath is a well written book about Priscilla, of Priscilla and Aquilla fame from the New Testament. She is a Roman convert to Christianity who finds herself filled with inspiration, what she calls God's Holy Breath, that drives her to write the book of Hebrews. Latayne Scott thoroughly researched the traditions regarding a woman's authorship of that New Testament book. She imagines what it was like to live just after Jesus' ascension, and what it was like to renounce a comfort ...more

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Feb 03, 2019 Mark Kellermeyer rated it it was amazing

The mystery of the Holy Spirit, even after reading this book, still remains a mystery to me, but the thought of coming to know such a Spirit has become all the more enticing due to its portrayal. I also adored how Priscilla's faith journey felt so imperfect and real. It gave me a lot of hope that the Spirit may move fiercely despite our doubting and come to change and renew us.

The cynic will have to set aside some of their questions in order to believe in and enjoy this book, I think. It is not ...more

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May 21, 2019 John rated it it was amazing

I wasn’t far into A Conspiracy of Breath when I realized I was in over my head. I surmised the mind behind this story-telling is brilliant. It’s not that this novel is difficult to read; it’s that it is so weighty, so substantive. I realized that not only was I in the presence of a mind far greater than my own, but that I was swimming in deep waters spiritually. Reading A Conspiracy of Breath would be work, but pleasant work; this might not always be comfortable, but it would prove to be exh I wasn’t far into A Conspiracy of Breath when I realized I was in over my head. I surmised the mind behind this story-telling is brilliant. It’s not that this novel is difficult to read; it’s that it is so weighty, so substantive. I realized that not only was I in the presence of a mind far greater than my own, but that I was swimming in deep waters spiritually. Reading A Conspiracy of Breath would be work, but pleasant work; this might not always be comfortable, but it would prove to be exhilarating. As I continued to read I was swallowed up by—what can I call it?—a powerfully sensory experience. The book awakened my senses and commanded and demanded of them in ways that were powerful, and sometimes taxing.

By now you’re rightly surmising that this is no shallow, bubblegum novel that leaves you with warm fuzzies and saccharine morality. This is a deeply probing, soul-searching, heart-turned-wrong side-out kind of story, told with consummate skill.

There is behind this story a massive intellect, a soul of deep dimensions, a heart alive with a panoply of sensory vocabulary. It is an intimate novel. One feels oneself being drawn, via the story, into a depth of relationship with the author that feels profoundly personal. But—and I’m struggling here—my words simply don’t convey the depth and power of my experience with this book. I’m still reflecting, still ruminating, and still emoting over this read, even now days removed from turning the last page.

This is, then, an exceedingly well-written novel. Yet on another level this functions also as an apologia for the idea that Priscilla, co-laborer of the Apostle Paul, is the author of the New Testament letter to the Hebrews. In the introduction and a concluding “Author’s Note” the Scott sets out her convictions about this hypothesis. She believes this is not only possible, but probable (397). She writes to convince us of this, yet says, “my book does not pretend to be anything but fiction” (398).

So I should say something regarding this matter of Pricilla as the author of Hebrews. Personally, I have never been uncomfortable with agnosticism about the authorship of Hebrews. The Scriptural and historical record has left with us in this position. The author rightly quotes Origin, “Only God knows the truth as to who actually wrote this epistle” (vii). So I’ve never felt the need to hazard a guess about who wrote the letter. It makes no ultimate difference, for if it did, God would have left us record of this fact. To speculate—and that is what this book, as a novel, does—is not something we need in order to receive and live fully in the revelation given to us by God in Hebrews.

Is it possible that Priscilla wrote Hebrews? Well, I don’t think one could say it is impossible . Is it, then, possible? Sure, I guess. But so are dozens of other possibilities. None of which help me go any deeper into Hebrews or with the God it holds forth to us.

So at that level, I must say, I didn’t come away convinced. Others will conclude differently. So, at that level, A Conspiracy of Breath provides an opportunity to carefully weigh what the Bible actually says about such matters. This is a good and profitable exercise for us all.

But Oh! There is so much more that makes A Conspiracy of Breath a worthy read. I am convinced that several re-reads of this book would yield up treasures I’ve overlooked as in this first reading I found myself swimming in the intellectual depth, the sensory tsunami, and spiritual deep-end of this book. ...more

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Nov 05, 2017 Sharee rated it it was amazing

I first discovered Latayne C. Scott in her book Latter Day Cipher and was excited to delve into her latest, A Conspiracy of Breath.
The fictional story of Priscilla has so much interesting history woven within. Ms. Scott does a fabulous job of incorporating important historical facts into everyday life for the characters. I found the richness of the setting and storytelling drawing me into the period after the resurrection of Jesus. A fascinating time no doubt and very dangerous for new believers ...more

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Oct 20, 2017 Julia rated it it was amazing

A Conspiracy Of Breath by LaTayne C Scott is a Christian historical novel. It is set in the first century and explores life from the point of view of Priscilla. Whilst this is a work of fiction, Priscilla is a real character from the Bible. LaTayne Scott has imagined life from a Christian woman's viewpoint and written the novel in the first person so the reader really gets the flavour of life.
Life was dangerous for Christians. It was a time of persecution. Women were seen as second class citizen ...more

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Apr 04, 2018 Anne Campbell rated it really liked it

This book is the fictional story of Priscilla, wife of Aquila, of New Testament multiple mentions. The author has Priscilla (known as Priska to those who know her) as the writer of Hebrews. Conspiracy of Breath is inspirational, and the one objection I have to it is that it has severalwords that I had no idea what they meant until I looked them up----which took me out of the story for a time. Don't get me wrong--I'm a lover of new words---I just don't want them to interrupt my train of thought. ...more

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Aug 05, 2018 Kristi Duarte rated it liked it

Shelves: didn-t-finish

The actual writing is good, but the story is slow and the characters boring. This is a book only for the most deeply religious Christians, who believe every single word of the New Testament is true. It's not provocative or controversial at all. ...more

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About Latayne C. Scott

Latayne C. Scott

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Author of about two dozen books, most published by major publishers such as Zondervan/Harper Collins, Howard/Simon & Schuster, Moody, Word Kregel and others. Over 150,000 copies sold. Now writing, in a patron-based ministry, books published by TSU Press (Albuquerque, NM): Passion, Power, Proxy, Release; Just You, Me and God; The Heart's Door; The Parables of Jesus; Time, Talents, Things.

New books: ...more