Cloning Christ: A Challenge of Science and Faith

by Peter Senese, Robert J. Geis, Erik Synnestvedt (Narrator)

The theological thrill ride, darting from Israel through Europe to the United States, focuses on Dr. Max Train, a leading genetic scientist from Syracuse, New York. Max was once a devout believer in God, but now lives a faithless life following the brutal slaying of his beloved wife and four year old autistic daughter twelve years ago. In many ways, Max exemplifies humanity's difficulties we all face at one time or another to hold onto our faith in God and each other, as well as believing in ourselves and our own abilities. Max represents "everyperson".Twelve years after the widely publicized trial during which Max is rightfully found innocent of his family's murder pinned on him by corrupt dark forces, Max vacations in Israel. During an earthquake outside of Jerusalem, he discovers what appears to be the Cross Jesus of Nazareth was crucified on nearly two thousand years ago.  A mysterious explosion soon destroys the cave where Max had secretly extracted the ancient artifacts, killing, Train believes, his best friend Dr. Luke Gartner and two graduate students he was in Israel with. Moments later, Max's body is hit with a sea of bullets as the morning sun begins to rise over The Holy Land. A fearful Max escapes Jerusalem, embarking on an odyssey to verify the true identity of the cross and to discover who is behind the killings.
Max may hold the fate of Mankind in his hands. If this is the True Cross and Christ was cloned from the remaining blood stains and hair remnants on the cross, would government and religion become obsolete upon His Second Coming? If the blood stains and hair are those of Jesus, then what does this say about the long held belief Christ rose whole and entire upon his resurrection? Where would the battle lines be drawn between the advances in science and the beliefs of religion? What effect would this knowledge have on one's faith and beliefs?
In the hallowed halls of the Vatican a righteous Cardinal, Anselm Mugant, hears of the discovery in Jerusalem. Without the Pope's knowledge and in clear opposition to all Catholic teaching, the wayward prelate will stop at nothing - even murder - in his bid to prevent human cloning from taking place, including his misconceived belief Max Train has intent to clone the possible body of Christ. Mugant is made to represent how Man, when completely self serving, can actually do great harm including the destruction of God's Way no matter his original intention. He sets up a dangerous and complex cat and mouse game in his effort to do whatever it takes to uphold his own righteous beliefs.
Mugant soon enlists the services of the internationally rumored assassin known simply as The Scorpion to track down Max and silence him with death. The Scorpion, a onetime penitent of the Cardinal, is a force of pure evil and who challenges life. He forces this same challenge onto Max as he casts a deadly shadow over his praised soul and every move he makes.
Adding intricate subterfuge to the plot is the existence of Mugant's "Fifth Crusade", five international industrialists with great power and reach devout in the Cardinal's perspective on human genetic science, and controlled by Mugant's knowledge of their deepest secrets. Together, Mugant launches an all-out attack to find the ancient artifacts in Train's possession, and prevent the genetic scientist from doing the unthinkable in his eyes - announcing to the world a cross containing bodily remnants could indeed by the True Cross of Jesus of Nazareth - and clone the body of Christ!
Cloning Christ spins a tangled and intricate web of deceit, blackmail, violence, loss, faith, forgiveness, truth and acceptance in a story that questions the right to clone, while responding to the needs and harsh realities of life as we know it. Cloning Christ is the story of life and the sacredness of it, as shared in the novel that leaves you racing to turn the page.

Genres: Christian Fiction

Audio CD

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

If only I had a wooden stake to drive into the heart of this horrid book. Some of the worst writing I have every tried to read. Obviously even the editors did not understand grammar, syntax or refer to a Webster's Dictionary.

And then there is the ridiculous plot and miserable storytelling. Just don't go there. Don't.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read the Christ Clone trilogy by James BeauSeigneur and enjoyed it entirely too much, considering how bad it is, I was pleased to learn how many novels there are about Jesus clones. Eagerly but also with a certain amount of fear, I've begun reading them. For purposes of efficient comparison, I'll be using a standard review format.

Recap: Christ Clone trilogy
Plot: Jesus' clone is born in the late 20th century, grows to adulthood; Apocalypse ensues, per Book of Revelation
Style: Acres of dry, wordy exposition
Clone derived from: Skin cells stuck to Shroud of Turin
Villain: The Antichrist (duh)
Deaths: Billions and billions
Romantic subplot? No
Crucial scene set at United Nations HQ? Yes
Author's religious views: Evangelical

"Cloning Christ"
Plot: Geneticist with a side interest in archaeology discovers what may be part of the True Cross. Certain powerful religious figures are not pleased
Style: Varies - dry exposition to English as a Second Language
Clone derived from: There may be blood and bits of flesh (ugh) on the cross, but telling what happens to them would be a spoiler despite the title
Villain: Imagine Ernst Stavro Blofeld as a Cardinal
Deaths: Maybe a dozen
Romantic subplot? Yes
Crucial scene set at United Nations HQ? Yes
Author's religious views: Unclear. Good and evil apparently coexist in Catholic Church

"Cloning Christ" is almost more espionage thriller than theological speculation, as our hero is pursued by a maniacal killer, whose code always appears in italics - The Scorpion! - through a variety of picturesque European and American locales. ("The white full moon was still high in the early dawn sky as the two stood concealed by a large tree in Riverside Park, down from the Cathedral where construction, begun in 1892 is still not completed, and whose interior walkway of 601 feet is the largest of any Cathedral in the world. Three ton bronze doors, and its famed Portal of Paradise limestone carvings of biblical figures, stand out to any of its visitors whose voices at religious services can sometimes be heard in song accompanied by the famed 8,035 pipe Aeolian Skinner pipe organ.") The action is red-hot. ("The blade came down deep in his wrist. Kohn looked down at his gashed hand, and screamed in pain as blood poured from its severed veins onto the room's light beige tone carpeting.") Characters' inner torment is vividly depicted. ("Max felt his chest tighten as enigmatic crests of bewilderment surged their hazy peaks towards his wanting soul. The magnetic force of confusion pulled his human spirit to suspiciousness." Runner-up: "Max sensed this day would be anything but ordinary. This silent premonition caused beads of sweat to freely cascade down his brow and cover his entire body in saltine moisture.") And the pope has, thankfully, recovered from, yes, "prostrate cancer."

And yet. It sucked me in. "Couldn't put it down" would be overstating it, but damned if I didn't want to know at every point what happened next, which after all is the fiction writer's main job. Authors move in mysterious ways their wonders to perform.

[Shelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horribly written with no sense of pacing. At the beginning the main character finds an old cross in a tomb and immediately thinks, "What if this is Christ's cross? What if the DNA on it were used to resurrect him?" Intriguing idea with absolutely zero talent in its execution.

[Steven Kent · Rating 1 out of 5]

Originally blamed for the brutal murder of his family, scientist Max Train travels to Israel after he is acquitted in court. There, he survives an earthquake which opens the real tomb of Christ.

Now Max finds himself hunted by a raving demoniacal lunatic.


Oye.

[SFReader · Rating 2 out of 5]

http://www.sfreader.com/read_review.a...

[Marita · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has been awhile since I read this one. I found it thrilling, but I am into religion, sci-fi etc. I thought it was Dan Brownish.