- Pullman may be an Agnostic who Studied the Bible - Fallschirmjäger - Wikimedia Commons
Philip Pullman came by his professed agnosticism honestly. During the January 27, 2002 episode of the BBC's "Breakfast with Frost" Pullman said, "The circle of the things I do know is vastly smaller than the things I don't know about. Out there in the darkness somewhere maybe there is a God. But among all the things I do know in this world I see no evidence of a God." Pullman's clever use of Biblical references in The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ suggests he has examined the books of the New Testament in his search for evidence of God.
Biblical Accuracy in The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ
Biblical references abound in The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ. Some of Pullman's likable Bible-based scenes are written with such simplicity that even William Tyndale would approve of their poetic charm, and some have such subtle twists that a searchable Bible app comes in handy when reading this mythological-style recasting of the New Testament.
Pullman weaves New Testament stories into his book, altering them to fit his mythological style. Sometimes the alterations are slight, and Pullman's story makes the Bible stories sound contemporary and interesting. The famous scene of Jesus' writing in the sand echoes the ambiguity of the King James Version of the Bible.
- The KJV says that, "They said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not." (John 8:6)
- Pullman recreates the scene. While the community is debating stoning a woman, Jesus is "leaning down and writing with his finger in the dust. He took no notice of them."
Although Jesus' twin brother in the book is always called Christ, the character is clearly Judas. He accepts money and kisses Jesus to identify him for a safe arrest in a scene that is similar to what is described in Mark 14:44, "Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him and lead him away safely." For all of Pullman's accuracy, his inaccuracy is greater and changes the storyline from the scriptural foundation.
Biblical Inaccuracy in The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ
Pullman's use of Christian history and technical terminology is accurate. Christ is a title, not a name, which is why Jesus the Christ is grammatically accurate. The title of Christ has become synonymous with the name Jesus. In the book, Pullman uses this inaccuracy because the Christ character becomes synonymous with Jesus' character after the crucifixion. In the Bible, Jesus is the Christ, not Judas.
In Luke 10:38-42, Jesus tells praises Mary for listening to him, and refuses Martha's request for Mary to help her the kitchen. In The Good Man, Jesus' has the reverse response. Pullman has Jesus tell Mary that his stories will be repeated, so and tells Mary to help Martha work. This is a significant reversal because Christians use the story of Martha and Mary to prioritize religion over daily tasks.
The most stunning inaccuracy is Jesus' lack of faith in God. Jesus whispers his doubts to God when he is alone at prayer. "You're making a liar out of me," he says to an unhearing God on a cold night. "I tell them you're a loving father watching over them all, and you're not." There are few times where Jesus' words to God are recorded in the Bible. One is in the Garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus asks God for relief. The other time in Calvary, when Jesus calls out to God while being crucified .
The author is clearly familiar with the history of Christianity; he references Plato's influence over early Greek Christianity, he explains Roman justice and customs, and his characters predict the future management (and mismanagement) of the church with great accuracy. Pullman knows Biblical characters well, and finding the fork of separation between the books of the Bible and Pullman's book is engrossing.
Publication Information
- The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ by Phillip Pullman was published by Canongate in May, 2010. The Kindle ebook is produced by Amazon Digital edtions. The ASIN is B003IGR19Q.
- The King James Versionis widely available in the public domain and was accessed through the Youversion app.
Alex Sharp - Alex Sharp is a teacher who has been keeping Suite101 readers up to date with the latest in audio- and e-book gadgetry since 2008.
