Reviews of A Wretched Man

“A Wretched Man is a powerful recreation of the world of Paul, James and Peter that pulls no punches! In this highly readable novel, based on contemporary scholarship, Paul comes alive as a complex individual. What accounts for his visceral attack on Torah? What was behind his careful avoidance of James and Jesus’ first followers in Jerusalem? What drove him on to the ends of the earth, setting up the infrastructure of a new religion? It’s all here as Holmen explores Paul’s inner turmoil and the likely motivation behind Paul’s beliefs and actions. Agree or disagree, this book opens up the reality of the world of Paul and his contemporaries in a way no other work does. Real individuals, with passions and agendas, step on to the world stage.”

Barrie Wilson, Professor, Religious Studies,
York University, Toronto.
Author of  How Jesus Became Christian.

 

“A Wretched Man: A Novel of Paul the Apostle is a stunning fictional account of the early church that reads like real-life. While a work of fiction, this just may be the most authentically historical novel ever written about the lives of the apostles. Robert Holmen is a wonderful writer with a gift for bringing the Roman and Jewish worlds of the first century to life in an incredibly realistic way. Holmen’s marvelous prose made me feel as if I was actually there witnessing the events described. This is the first biblical drama I have ever read that presents the apostles as real flesh and blood human beings struggling with the all-too-human issues we all face. The internecine struggles waged by Paul, James, and Peter in this book are still with the church today. This is a story that will both shock and inspire any Christian who is truly searching to find and follow the historical Jesus. It has certainly deepened my own understanding of my faith.”

Rev. Jeffrey Bütz, instructor of Religious Studies,
Penn State University,
Author of The Brother of Jesus and
The Secret Legacy of Jesus

 

A Wretched Man will help you to imagine your way into Paul's life and times … a compelling exploration of the Jewish and Gentile movements in the first century … Holmen definitely captures the "feel" of first-century Roman territories ... well-versed in contemporary progressive scholarship about Paul ... these characters leap off the page and into our imaginations.

Read the full review by Christian education
consultant Tim Gossett