Philip Pullman is one of Britain's most original writers of both adult fiction and stories that please younger readers. To take the "greatest story ever told" and completely reinvent it, using tales told in the four gospels as a framework on which to hang his narrative is daring, some may say controversial at least and inviting trouble at most.
However, it must be maintained at all times that this is a work of fiction.
The Premise of The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ by Philip Pullman
The book tells the story not only of Jesus but also of Christ, his twin brother, also born in the stable but absent from the manger when the kings arrive as he is being cuddled by his mother. Therefore, it is Jesus who gains all the attention whilst Christ is comforted by his mother.
Pullman then charts Jesus's childhood and rise to fame whilst placing alongside him the parallel story of Christ. The twins are very different. Jesus is mischievous and does ill-considered childish things like daubing in clay on the wall of the temple; Christ tries to save him from trouble. A nice caring brotherly thing to do, you might think, and hardly behaviour worthy of the title of "scoundrel".
But as time goes on, the twins' relationship drifts. Jesus becomes more and more preoccupied with his preaching although this seems not to be a conscious move on his part. Pullman's Jesus is merely a man who says what he thinks, using the Word of God as his template and inspiration.
Christ, however, considers the implications of what Jesus states with a view to using this on Earth to establish practical application of his words and beliefs i.e. the church as we know it.
Style in The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ by Philip Pullman
Pullman's style is simple, in a similar vein to the Bible. He has divided the books into small chapters and used these to relate parables and events from the New Testament in line with his own view.
For me, his creation of character lacks depth especially in the depiction of Jesus. He is a product of his sayings and Pullman does not really show the charisma that Jesus must have had in order to draw so many followers and committed disciples. He seems abrupt and no nonsense and this almost gives him an impatience, something that does not sit easily with the traditional image of Jesus as patient, loving and compassionate.
The only time that Pullman chooses to show Jesus in more depth is when he is praying prior to being betrayed and he asks God for a sign. He shows doubt about his purpose and seeks confirmation from the being to whom he is the advocate. As expected, God does not respond.
Christ is perhaps more rounded and this could be as a result of the story mainly being skewed to his viewpoint. He seems sincere in what he believes to the same extent as his brother but what Pullman shows in Christ is an awareness of the power of Jesus's words and situation and how this could be manipulated.
Pullman creates a politician, a spin doctor, someone who can use what he is given, embellish it and craft it a little so that there is still a vestige of the truth but the retelling of the tale has a greater power to gain the people's confidence. Hence, Christ uses his imagination to add detail to events that would give Jesus's ministries a legendary status; for example, when Jesus is baptised by John, Christ claims to have heard God's voice while a dove flies over, and he tells his mother. As soon as this statement is out in the open and assumed to be truth, it becomes the reality. What actually happened is that Christ merely imagined what God might have said. Incidents like this also serve to compound the absence of God in the story and as Pullman is an atheist, this has to be part of his purpose in writing this book. He is not a believer and so it is easy for him, like Richard Dawkins, to see Jesus as a myth, a construct rather than the Son of God.
The suggestion of Satan in The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ by Philip Pullman
Christ receives a visitation from an unknown person who he believes to be an angel. This visitor encourages Christ to write up Jesus's stories for posterity which Christ duly does, sometimes going to hear his brother speak and sometimes writing them on the strength of the reports of one of Jesus's disciples who is a first hand witness.
Who is the mysterious man? This is never made clear in the book although the suggestion is there that he is of an evil persuasion, through the fact that it is this man who convinces Christ to betray Jesus. But this does not necessarily mean he is the Devil. In the traditional story of Jesus, it is clear that evil, as a tangible entity, exists in the hearts of men and so it would be more apt for the manipulator to be of our race.
Pullman's Afterword in The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ
In response to the controversial nature of his book, Pullman has quite rightly explained his view in an Afterword which states how he believed in God and Jesus but once he was presented with rational scientific argument, he rapidly lost his faith as it no longer sat easily with him.
This developed detachment means that Pullman has looked at the story logically, devoid of faith, seen the merits of the story and adapted it to create a new spin on a timeless tale.
If you are open-minded about different interpretations of the Christian faith, then this book will be an enjoyable read; however, if you are of a strong implacable faith, this may be a book best avoided.
Source
The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ, Philip Pullman, Canongate, 2011
Rachel Deeming - Rachel is a mother of two boys, one 18 months old and the other a busy boy of four. She used to work until recently as an English teacher ...
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