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Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Religion / Books God Bless Philip Pullman

Posted by Paul Constant on Wed, Sep 9, 2009 at 3:35 PM

Golden Compass author Philip Pullman has announced his next novel, and it looks like he's continuing with one of his big themes. Its title is The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ. From the Guardian:

The book will provide a new account of the life of Jesus, challenging the gospels and arguing that the version in the New Testament was shaped by the apostle Paul. "By the time the gospels were being written, Paul had already begun to transform the story of Jesus into something altogether new and extraordinary, and some of his version influenced what the gospel writers put in theirs," said Pullman, who last year pronounced himself delighted that the His Dark Materials trilogy was one of the most "challenged" series in America's libraries, boasting the most requests for removal from the shelves because of its "religious viewpoint".

I hope it turns out to be more Superman and Bizarro Superman or Goofus and Gallant than The Last Temptation of Christ.

Comments (10) RSS

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Paul was an absolute and total shit.

And still is, even if he's dead.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on September 9, 2009 at 3:52 PM

The "His Dark Materials" trilogy was fantastic and several of it's tenants has worked it's way into my spirituality. I'll bet this new book will be provocative as well.

Cheers.

Posted by Paulikin on September 9, 2009 at 4:01 PM

What the hell's wrong with The Last Temptation of Christ?

Posted by Gitai on September 9, 2009 at 4:07 PM

@3 It humanizes Jesus of Nazareth, rather than reducing him to a strawman to knock down for anti-Christian audiences.

Posted by Ackham on September 9, 2009 at 4:17 PM

Very true, @4.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on September 9, 2009 at 5:22 PM

#2 - sorry to point this out, but it's "tenets", not "tenants".

Posted by catsnbanjos on September 9, 2009 at 5:38 PM

aw it sucks to be a christian and have someone actually express a dissenting view, huh?

poor persecuted you. they'll have the lions ready any day now.

Posted by cubby on September 9, 2009 at 5:46 PM

It's too bad he's not a better writer. Although, by the third book of HDM, I was hooked - it was just a little against my will.

Posted by teenage eagle on September 9, 2009 at 7:23 PM

@8 -- funny, I liked the first book best. The second book was so so -- it suffered from not really having a beginning or end, as the middle of a trilogy. The third book was good, but in a different way from the first book. I've read the third book two or three times, and I'm not sure I could give you a coherent plot summary.

Posted by vitaminwater on September 9, 2009 at 9:25 PM

@8: Woah, I've heard him criticized for "blasphemy" plenty of times, but not for lackluster writing. He's a genius!

Posted by Kr on September 10, 2009 at 10:09 AM