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.
98

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98

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3.78 avg rating — 134 ratings
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98

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4.62 avg rating — 34 ratings
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98

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4.15 avg rating — 40 ratings
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98

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it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 8 ratings
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106

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3.54 avg rating — 672 ratings
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106

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4.30 avg rating — 954 ratings
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106

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3.54 avg rating — 104 ratings
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106

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3.71 avg rating — 727 ratings
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110

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4.33 avg rating — 12 ratings
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110

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3.67 avg rating — 294 ratings
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110

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4.04 avg rating — 310 ratings
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110

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0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings
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110

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3.90 avg rating — 640 ratings
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115

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liked it 3.00 avg rating — 1 rating
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115

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3.71 avg rating — 7 ratings
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115

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4.06 avg rating — 766 ratings
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115

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3.85 avg rating — 429 ratings
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115

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3.80 avg rating — 5 ratings
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115

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4.22 avg rating — 217 ratings
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121

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 3 ratings
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121

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4.10 avg rating — 874 ratings
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121

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4.09 avg rating — 788 ratings
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121

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 2 ratings
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125

by
3.51 avg rating — 303 ratings
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125

by
0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings
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127

by
3.57 avg rating — 14 ratings
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127

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4.36 avg rating — 2,541 ratings
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127

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3.60 avg rating — 5 ratings
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130

by
4.14 avg rating — 58 ratings
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130

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4.52 avg rating — 592 ratings
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132

by
4.33 avg rating — 76 ratings
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133

by
3.94 avg rating — 1,278 ratings
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133

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3.60 avg rating — 5 ratings
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135

by
3.79 avg rating — 624 ratings
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136

by
4.38 avg rating — 1,279 ratings
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137

by
3.79 avg rating — 39 ratings
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138

by
3.68 avg rating — 2,353 ratings
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139

by
3.90 avg rating — 535 ratings
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140

by
3.29 avg rating — 3,045 ratings
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141

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3.81 avg rating — 709 ratings
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142

by
3.45 avg rating — 258 ratings
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142

by
3.36 avg rating — 423 ratings
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144

by
3.68 avg rating — 87 ratings
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144

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3.70 avg rating — 10 ratings
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146

by
4.33 avg rating — 316 ratings
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146

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4.02 avg rating — 1,748 ratings
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148

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3.20 avg rating — 775 ratings
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149

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4.12 avg rating — 4,203 ratings
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150

by
3.55 avg rating — 22 ratings
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150

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4.24 avg rating — 1,909 ratings
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152

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4.32 avg rating — 19 ratings
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153

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3.32 avg rating — 28 ratings
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154

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3.87 avg rating — 651 ratings
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155

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4.01 avg rating — 2,913 ratings
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156

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4.05 avg rating — 1,246 ratings
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157

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3.97 avg rating — 29 ratings
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158

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3.84 avg rating — 31 ratings
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159

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 11 ratings
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160

by
3.21 avg rating — 14 ratings
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161

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4.14 avg rating — 859 ratings
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162

by
3.80 avg rating — 1,789 ratings
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163

by
3.60 avg rating — 1,581 ratings
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164

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3.92 avg rating — 3,778 ratings
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165

by
3.95 avg rating — 8,508 ratings
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166

by
4.31 avg rating — 3,656 ratings
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167

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3.68 avg rating — 25 ratings
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168

by
3.13 avg rating — 15 ratings
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169

by
4.16 avg rating — 8,347 ratings
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170

by
3.52 avg rating — 29 ratings
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171

by
3.56 avg rating — 112 ratings
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172

by
4.09 avg rating — 1,503 ratings
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173

by
3.21 avg rating — 34 ratings
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174

by
4.01 avg rating — 198 ratings
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175

by
4.10 avg rating — 40 ratings
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176

by
4.16 avg rating — 116 ratings
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177

by
4.03 avg rating — 32 ratings
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178

by
4.12 avg rating — 8 ratings
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179

by
4.14 avg rating — 7 ratings
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180

by
4.24 avg rating — 51 ratings
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181

by
4.56 avg rating — 164 ratings
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182

by
3.16 avg rating — 186 ratings
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183

by
4.26 avg rating — 42 ratings
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184

by
4.13 avg rating — 30 ratings
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185

by
4.09 avg rating — 1,291 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.


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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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