The Book of God

The Bible as a Novel

By Walter Wangerin, Jr.
Zondervan Publishing House, $27.00

ISBN 1556614756

Also available in audio from
Audio Pages, $49.99

ISBN 0310204224

Many Stories Are Made One

Review by Isabel Anders

It has been said that anyone seeking to work with the biblical texts needs to have "a poetic mind which moves easily in images and symbols." This quality Walter Wangerin, Jr., unfailingly brings to the daunting task of retelling the whole scope of the Bible as narrative in The Book of God: The Bible as a Novel.

The touch of the poet is found not only in his eye for detail and the human element in a story (Jacob, wildly in love with Rachel, cannot even look at his flock without thinking: "Such long black lashes on these ewe lambs! . . . Eyes like Rachel's eyes . . . . I'm surrounded by a host of Rachels!"); Wangerin also includes artful paraphrases of biblical poetry such as Psalm 23:

I am not lonely. God is here.
Hand at my shoulder. Word in my ear.
The Lord is the shepherd who leads me down
to quiet pools and a soft green ground.

Such simplicity and freshness help us to hear again the familiar images, expanding our appreciation.

Here are some examples of Wangerin's gift for exquisite description:

The Dove of the Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus at his Baptism as a "white fire." Peter says his "chest swelled as big as Mt. Hermon!" when Jesus called him "rock." "The sky was bright blue when Jesus and his disciples returned across the lake. The heavens had been scrubbed clean by the storm that had nearly swamped them the night before."

Wangerin's telling of the nativity story and the events leading up to it as Glorious Event is both touchingly human and touched with the divine. Always he moves the reader away from stereotyped assumptions--not shockingly, but lovingly--toward a scenario of human beings who maintain contact with God while their feet continue to reach the ground.

In Wangerin's work the Old Testament prophets' narratives take on power as though we were there and the testimonies of countless individuals speak with the clarity of their own distinct voices.

Previously unnamed persons referred to in the Bible-the child whom Jesus takes upon his lap, a paralytic man, a woman follower-receive names and take form for us through Wangerin's expansive imagination and skillful presentation of these biblical stories. Readers should not be surprised that he brings these qualities to his writing. He is widely known for his works of fiction (his Book of the Dun Cow won an American Book Award), nonfiction (As for Me and My House and Reliving the Passion to name only two), and children's books (Potter, Thistle, A Penny Is Everything and The Crying for a Vision, his most recent publication). He also teaches literature and creative writing at Valparaiso University in Indiana.

Nor should readers be put off by the size of this tome (850 pages). Wangerin writes in very simple sentences, often understated, which give the content more emphasis. They simply make the Bible breathe truth. For a full appreciation of what he has done, you will want to hear Wangerin read the audio tapes of The Book of God: The Bible as a Novel (Plan to use them on a long trip since there are 16 tapes in all.)

Most prominent in Wangerin's collection of stories--eight major Parts which are really one ongoing story--is the portrayal of Jesus' love and compassion. Clearly His concern is not only for humanity but for the individual human beings who crossed His path in an earthly ministry rooted in time and place. As universal Lord, He performs miracles that stand out from the mundaneness of everyday life as signposts of God's presence. As a man, He truly suffers humiliation, death, and burial.

Jesus is the golden thread of the Bible's promises and prophecies, the one foretold and prepared for, and the one who has pledged to come again at the end of all things. The Book of God is most appropriately also The Book of Jesus--and a worthy and highly laudable version of the greatest story ever told.

Isabel Anders is an editor and author living in Winchester, TN.