During Lent, the weeks leading up to Easter, practicing Christians reflect on, among other things, the events surrounding Christ’s last days on Earth. It is a story full of treachery, cruelty, despair and sorrow. One where faith and loyalty are tested. But also, one where atonement and salvation are granted for all mankind.
In the spirit of this holiday and the values it represents, we’ve compiled a list of seven books that uniquely explore Christian faith and its power in people’s lives.
The Robe by Lloyd Douglas
This New York Times Bestselling novel and basis for the Academy Award-nominated film is a timeless tale of spiritual longing and redemption.
In the aftermath of the Crucifixion, Marcellus, a Roman soldier, wins Christ’s robe as a gambling prize. But when he touches the robe, a mysterious madness overcomes him, and Marcellus sets forth on a journey to discover the truth of the cloth’s bearer. His quest dives deep into the root and heart of Christianity. Littered with biblical figures and set against the bold backdrop of ancient Rome, The Robe has been highly exalted by Christians and literary enthusiasts for decades as a classic novel and must-read.
Presence, the Play by William E. Jefferson
A story that follows one character’s Lenten journey through his own doubt, fear and faith in the darkest of all possible places — hell itself.
Brother Script, a member of a group of storytelling monks, lives on Estillyen Isle, an isolated but friendly place full of contented denizens leading simple lives. On the opening night of his latest play, Presence, Script loses his footing and strikes his head against the railing, falling into a deep coma. Brother Script then finds himself in a strange, new place — a sort of limbo between the incarnate and discarnate world. It soon becomes clear that Script’s sojourn there has a grave purpose: uncover Satan’s nefarious, imminent plans to subjugate humanity. But to do so, Script will have to go to hell and back — many times over. It’s an allegorical tale woven across multiple levels, all wrapped in an exploration of the concept of presence and its many manifestations, both divine and mundane. (Read the full BookTrib review here.)
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
Renowned writer and Anglican theologian C.S. Lewis’s classic masterpiece of religious satire portraying temptation — and, more importantly, our triumph over it.
This epistolary novel is told through the perspective of Screwtape, an experienced demon and assistant to Satan: a.k.a., “Our Father Below.” In a small town in England in the outset of WWII, Screwtape’s young charge, a lesser demon named Wormwood, is sent to corrupt a human soul. Through a series of letters, Screwtape instructs Wormwood on effective strategies to tempt this human soul away from God: a.k.a., “The Enemy.” In Wormwood’s attempts to corrupt “the Patient” and lead him toward damnation, Lewis portrays the often-subtle nature of temptation and devilish trickery. Will the Patient be damned or saved? Wormwood struggles desperately to taint the Patient’s soul — for his own soul is on the line, too.
The Silver Chalice by Thomas B. Costain
Set in the early world of Christianity, this New York Times Bestseller follows one man’s fateful journey to “see” Jesus and gain a deepened spirituality.
Basil of Antioch is a gifted artist toiling away as a silver worker under the chains of enslavement before he is freed and brought to Jerusalem. There, he is commissioned to create a decorative container for the cup used by Christ at the Last Supper. What ensues is a strange and dangerous quest that leads Basil to face challenges both debasing and enlightening. Along the way, he encounters many prominent prophets and martyrs, and other lesser-known biblical figures. The perils of persecution test his newfound faith, diving deep into the heart of Christianity.
The Human Calling by Daofeng He
A thorough examination of history’s most profound religious movements and the spiritual lessons we can apply to our lives — and our future.
Through vigorous research, the author examines the world’s major religions from the East to the West— their values and prominent figures — offering readers a chance to examine their own beliefs. He takes readers through humanity’s three great thought movements over the last 3000 years and into the modern era, where he explores the implication of globalization and technology on these philosophical and spiritual ideologies. The Human Calling asks the world’s great religions what they have offered throughout history to our understanding of “the human calling” — humanity’s desire to look beyond our own selfish ambitions and toward caring for one another. Through He’s research and his own personal narrative, he offers Christianity as the best leader to guide the world.
Redemption by Jayde Wilson-Hickox
A tale of the quintessential battle between good and evil, this empowering and inspirational work of Christian Fiction assures readers that it’s never too late to turn away from darkness.
Chosen for some mysterious purpose, Eva-Rose Walsh has been separated from her loved ones and imprisoned for four years. Still trapped behind bars, the last thing Eva wants is to succumb to the darkness all around her, but the light within her is fading. The darkness that overwhelms the prison is not merely an absence of light, but speaks to Eva and the other prisoners. It’s a shadow that moves and takes on various forms. When a mysterious stranger breaks in, battles the darkness and helps Eva escape, she can’t help but feel relieved — but who is this man? As Eva learns more about her purpose and how it fits with this stranger and the world he comes from, she must embrace the light or else the darkness will swallow her. (Read the full BookTrib review here.)
The Man Called Messiah by Corey Stumne
A gritty, heart-wrenching, slow-motion look at Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection through his own eyes.
The Man, at once fully human and fully divine, carries a heavy burden. After three years of ministry, his story reaches its climax. He knows what’s to come, but can’t quite stomach the reality of it. The Man can’t even find comfort amongst his twelve closest friends. Meanwhile, The Accuser laughs as his evil schemes unravel. Arrested and tormented, unseen forces grapple for control of The Man’s fate — but nothing can stop The Father’s plan. It all ends here, where three crosses rest atop a summit. The Man accepts his destiny, his followers left unaware of what it truly cost him.
