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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4.25 avg rating — 117 ratings
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3

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4.22 avg rating — 180,550 ratings
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4

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4.03 avg rating — 37,499 ratings
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5

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4.39 avg rating — 375,837 ratings
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6

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4.18 avg rating — 15,451 ratings
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7

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4.28 avg rating — 408,206 ratings
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8

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4.24 avg rating — 3,090,911 ratings
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9

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4.14 avg rating — 4,723 ratings
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10

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4.32 avg rating — 7,190 ratings
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11

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4.34 avg rating — 8,189 ratings
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12

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3.62 avg rating — 15,246 ratings
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13

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3.90 avg rating — 9,131 ratings
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14

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4.02 avg rating — 27,602 ratings
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15

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4.13 avg rating — 510 ratings
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16

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3.68 avg rating — 4,106 ratings
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17

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4.23 avg rating — 139,531 ratings
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18

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3.65 avg rating — 18,340 ratings
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19

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4.31 avg rating — 37,277 ratings
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20

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4.10 avg rating — 983,289 ratings
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21

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3.76 avg rating — 8,162 ratings
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22

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3.84 avg rating — 1,174 ratings
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23

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3.84 avg rating — 686,003 ratings
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24

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4.13 avg rating — 1,887 ratings
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25

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4.23 avg rating — 27,018 ratings
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26

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3.72 avg rating — 385 ratings
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26

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3.75 avg rating — 2,182 ratings
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28

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3.43 avg rating — 14,510 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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4.30 avg rating — 372 ratings
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31

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4.27 avg rating — 974 ratings
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32

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4.24 avg rating — 853 ratings
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33

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3.87 avg rating — 7,252 ratings
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34

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4.16 avg rating — 229 ratings
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35

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3.87 avg rating — 6,142 ratings
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36

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3.72 avg rating — 356 ratings
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37

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4.02 avg rating — 491 ratings
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38

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3.88 avg rating — 1,837 ratings
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38

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4.80 avg rating — 54 ratings
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38

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4.08 avg rating — 137 ratings
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38

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4.25 avg rating — 117 ratings
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42

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4.07 avg rating — 2,837 ratings
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43

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3.93 avg rating — 939 ratings
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44

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3.92 avg rating — 1,090 ratings
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45

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3.83 avg rating — 8,501 ratings
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46

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4.55 avg rating — 702 ratings
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47

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4.38 avg rating — 687 ratings
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48

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4.38 avg rating — 1,091 ratings
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48

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3.92 avg rating — 40 ratings
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50

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3.84 avg rating — 57 ratings
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51

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3.90 avg rating — 3,695 ratings
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52

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4.40 avg rating — 77,045 ratings
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53

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4.14 avg rating — 1,739 ratings
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54

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3.98 avg rating — 255 ratings
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55

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3.68 avg rating — 454 ratings
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56

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3.83 avg rating — 1,205 ratings
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57

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4.10 avg rating — 5,286 ratings
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58

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3.26 avg rating — 2,082 ratings
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59

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3.61 avg rating — 1,098 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 — 209 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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4.42 avg rating — 43 ratings
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62

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4.27 avg rating — 30 ratings
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62

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it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 ratings
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62

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liked it 3.00 avg rating — 40 ratings
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62

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4.29 avg rating — 7 ratings
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62

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3.33 avg rating — 46 ratings
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62

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3.86 avg rating — 22 ratings
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62

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 83 ratings
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62

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4.08 avg rating — 1,478 ratings
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62

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3.83 avg rating — 112 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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3.33 avg rating — 9 ratings
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62

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4.09 avg rating — 1,708 ratings
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62

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3.09 avg rating — 33 ratings
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62

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4.29 avg rating — 17 ratings
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62

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4.39 avg rating — 177 ratings
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62

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3.61 avg rating — 2,434 ratings
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62

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4.20 avg rating — 1,473 ratings
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62

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4.75 avg rating — 4 ratings
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62

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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

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0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings
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89

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3.60 avg rating — 323 ratings
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89

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3.23 avg rating — 122 ratings
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89

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3.55 avg rating — 143 ratings
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89

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4.32 avg rating — 1,264 ratings
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89

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4.45 avg rating — 736 ratings
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89

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3.73 avg rating — 5,791 ratings
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89

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4.16 avg rating — 226 ratings
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89

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3.26 avg rating — 61 ratings
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89

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 15 ratings
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98

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3.59 avg rating — 54 ratings
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98

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating
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98

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3.33 avg rating — 3 ratings
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185 books · 167 voters · list created August 13th, 2012 by Therese (votes) .
33 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Therese 2490 books
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Jennifer 7229 books
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Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) 546 books
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Suzanne 8822 books
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Frustratedinlimbo 105 books
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Alicia 89 books
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Barbara Gem(ini) 1052 books
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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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