Here are 100 books that I, Judas fans have personally recommended if you like
I, Judas.
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I’ve always been curious about the human being behind the Christ character. Too often, Jesus is referred to as a judgmental bully who will save only His followers and let everyone else burn in hell. If He were divine, wouldn’t He love everyone? On a trip to India, I discovered a book called The Secret Life of Jesus Christ, and my passion was born. I’ve written two novels about Jesus and His disciples based on more than fifty reference books, ancient scrolls, and the most authentic historical scriptures about the era. I hope you enjoy my list of the best alternative fiction about Jesus and His disciples!
I love novels that challenge the traditional storyline about Jesus and His disciples and dive deeper into what could have happened. In Iscariot, Judas is not an evil monster but a frail human being who overcomes a tough childhood and falls in love with Jesus and His message.
I laughed, I cried, and I took Judas to heart. I rooted for him, hoping he would make the right decision in the end, which, of course, he didn’t. This beautiful novel will stay with me for a long, long time.
Acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Tosca Lee brilliantly adapts the life of Judas Iscariot into a dazzling work of fiction—humanizing the man whose very name is synonymous with betrayal.
Based on extensive research into the life and times of Judas Iscariot, this triumph of fiction storytelling by the author of Havah: The Story of Eve revisits one of biblical history’s most maligned figures and brings the world he inhabited vividly to life.
In Jesus, Judas believes he has found the One—the promised Messiah and future king of the Jews, destined to overthrow Roman rule. Galvanized, he joins Nazarene’s followers,…
I’ve always been curious about the human being behind the Christ character. Too often, Jesus is referred to as a judgmental bully who will save only His followers and let everyone else burn in hell. If He were divine, wouldn’t He love everyone? On a trip to India, I discovered a book called The Secret Life of Jesus Christ, and my passion was born. I’ve written two novels about Jesus and His disciples based on more than fifty reference books, ancient scrolls, and the most authentic historical scriptures about the era. I hope you enjoy my list of the best alternative fiction about Jesus and His disciples!
This book reads like a movie, so full of rich descriptions and emotions that I sometimes forget that these characters are not (necessarily) real. I read a lot and pride myself on discovering the best novels about Jesus and His disciples, especially those that question the traditional storyline, and this novel does just that.
I became completely invested in the Apostle John’s quest to comfort Jesus’s mother, Mary, after the loss of her second son, James. Heart-breaking and at the same time comforting, I would recommend this book to Christians and skeptics alike, anyone interested in learning more about first Century Judea and the fates of the disciples.
He was the Beloved Disciple… …and he would be the last. The mantle to tell the whole story has fallen on him.
From the Cross, Jesus entrusted John, son of Zebedee, the youngest disciple, with the welfare of Mary, Jesus’s mother. Over thirty years later, as Jerusalem becomes a cauldron of explosive tempers, John receives a calling he doesn’t want.
Will he listen and follow?
And if he does, will it be too late?
In 62 AD, the Jewish high priest executes James, the brother of Jesus, triggering a bitter fight for power in Jerusalem that shatters the quiet life…
I’ve always been curious about the human being behind the Christ character. Too often, Jesus is referred to as a judgmental bully who will save only His followers and let everyone else burn in hell. If He were divine, wouldn’t He love everyone? On a trip to India, I discovered a book called The Secret Life of Jesus Christ, and my passion was born. I’ve written two novels about Jesus and His disciples based on more than fifty reference books, ancient scrolls, and the most authentic historical scriptures about the era. I hope you enjoy my list of the best alternative fiction about Jesus and His disciples!
Finally, a book about the women of the New Testament! This is one of my favorite novels about Jesus and His disciples. It is beautifully written, and I had several laugh-out-loud moments. I especially loved how the vivid prose brings history to life. It never gets boring or dry.
The dialogue is interlaced with wit and historical facts. As a feminist, I applaud that the women in this novel are no feeble, fragile maidens—they’re in charge! They’re the ones who hide the risen Jesus from the Romans, and then they send the male disciples out across the world to preach the message of love and oneness with God.
I recommend this novel to open-minded readers (like myself) who are interested in non-traditional “what if” stories about Jesus.
“Patrick W. Andersen’s thrilling new novel, Acts of the Women, is a celebration of the women of the New Testament. Beautifully written in a humorous tone, the author seamlessly weaves together vivid prose with intelligent but surprising conclusions based on years of biblical studies. His women are wise, courageous leaders who rule the men as the risen Jesus and his disciples spread out across the world: France, India, and beyond. This excellent novel is a must-read for anyone interested in exploring the non-traditional stories around Jesus. It is an ode to women and a spiritual gift that should be savored…
I’ve always been curious about the human being behind the Christ character. Too often, Jesus is referred to as a judgmental bully who will save only His followers and let everyone else burn in hell. If He were divine, wouldn’t He love everyone? On a trip to India, I discovered a book called The Secret Life of Jesus Christ, and my passion was born. I’ve written two novels about Jesus and His disciples based on more than fifty reference books, ancient scrolls, and the most authentic historical scriptures about the era. I hope you enjoy my list of the best alternative fiction about Jesus and His disciples!
I’ve always been fascinated by Mary Magdalene, this woman the Church has worked so hard to obscure and vilify. By now, most people understand she was neither a prostitute nor a sinner but rather Jesus’s “beloved disciple.”
In this novel, Mary Magdalene is depicted as an intelligent woman with a gift of prophecy who dazzles Jesus with her wisdom. While I might not agree completely with the timeline of the events, I appreciate the author’s research into gnostic sources alongside the traditional biblical references.
And I enjoyed the insights and spirituality embedded into the storyline, which made me read the book slowly, with ample time for reflection. As I finished the last page, I felt sad to let Mary Magdalene go. She seemed so real.
Raised like sisters, Mariamne and Salome are indulged with riches, position, and learning-a rare thing for females in Jerusalem. But Mariamne has a further gift: an illness has left her with visions; she has the power of prophecy. It is her prophesying that drives the two girls to flee to Egypt, where they study philosophy, mathematics, and astronomy in the Great Library of Alexandria.
After seven years they return to a Judaea where many now believe John the Baptizer is the messiah. Salome too begins to believe, but Mariamne, now called Magdalene, is drawn to his cousin, Yeshu’a, a man…
We are two dads, both with three kids, who are on a journey of trying our best to raise our kids in the way of Jesus. Of particular interest to us both is exploring how Jesus overcomes evil. Does He beat up the bad guys like superheroes do? Does He drop bombs on them, like nations do? With all the struggles kids experience at school—and everything they hear about evil occurring around the world—we think it’s important for kids to learn how Jesus teaches us to love our enemies, even from the earliest ages.
We want kids to learn that peacemaking is first an inside job. And we can experience this peace in the presence of God. Before we respond to the conflicts around us, God wants to calm the conflict within us. This is a big part of what it means to know Him as the Good Shepherd.
This book makes David’s most famous song into a meditative prayer–and it helps parents invite their children into the peace of God. If our kids can learn to slow down and find peace through being with the good Shepherd from their youngest ages, they will naturally become peacemakers as an overflow of His leading!
From the creators of the bestselling Jesus Storybook Bible-with over six million copies sold-comes Found, a board book retelling of Psalm 23 in child-friendly language that helps little ones know they are always cared for and protected by God. And the colorful, engaging illustrations of a shepherd with his sheep will hold your child's interest as you snuggle up and read together.
The Lord is my Shepherd. And I am his little lamb. Through words young kids can understand, and vibrant illustrations that pair perfectly with the text, your child can experience the comfort and security of Psalm 23. And…
I’m the author of five extremely different novels: Boy A(which was made into an award-winning film),Cham, Genus, The Tongues of Men or Angels, and Under Country. They share almost nothing in subject or setting. Ranging from first-century Judaea to a future London. From ski resort workers in France to young offender prisons in Britain. My latest work - Under Country - is about the 1984 Miners’ Strike and its still lingering scars in the North East pit villages. Yet, I suppose, if there were a unifying theme between them, it would be that each, in its own way, is influenced by and fascinated with Christianity.
Pullman sets out – and achieves, with his usual aplomb – to subvert the stories of Jesus, indeed to divide them: his Jesus and his Christ are two entirely separate figures. Pullman uses a deliberate echo of Biblical style, to show how the Bible stories are first and foremost just that: stories. To show how history became myth and then myth became faith. How the very hypocrisies that Jesus himself pointed out – people mouthing religious observances, without the accompanying good deeds – became an almost fundamental structure of the established church.
'If I vanished he wouldn't notice, if I died he wouldn't care. I think of him all the time, and he thinks of me not at all. I love him, and my love torments me. There are times when I feel like a ghost beside him; as if he alone is real, and I'm just a daydream.'
This is the story of two brothers. One is impassioned and one reserved. One is destined to go down in history and the other to be forgotten.
In Pullman's hands, this sacred tale is reborn as one of the most enchanting, thrilling and…
I’m passionate about helping people see the incredible beauty of God’s unfolding plan of redemption and restoration that unfolds in the pages of the Bible. In the Old Testament, this plan is hidden in mystery and symbolism. But then in the New Testament, this great mystery is unveiled in all its glory, and the symbolism emerges from the shadows and steps into the light! For the past 15+ years, it has been my great honor to read the Bible with people for their very first time and help them watch this great mystery unfold. These books do that very same thing!
First of all, I really love this book because it has a great title. But the content is just as good.
The Bible records that on the day of His resurrection, Jesus approached two disciples on their way to a town called Emmaus but prevented them from recognizing Him initially. So, it was Jesus who was the stranger on the road to Emmaus. Then, Jesus Himself explained to them how Moses and all the prophets were fulfilled in His own death, burial, and resurrection.
This book attempts to present what Jesus could have said to them on that day. It is recommended for anyone, regardless of their knowledge of the Bible.
*Now with links to video content online!It’s been called “the most misunderstood book in history.”Wars have been fought in its name, scandals have been precipitated by it, politics shaped and reshaped at its word. Theologians have both defended and reviled it. Skeptics have done the same. If you are a typical member of the human race, you have often been perplexed by all the “fuss” surrounding the Bible. The question remains, “What does it really say?”Here is a book that explains the greatest of Bible themes clearly and logically. Rather than focusing on one part—and missing the whole—the author chronologically…
I’m passionate about helping people see the incredible beauty of God’s unfolding plan of redemption and restoration that unfolds in the pages of the Bible. In the Old Testament, this plan is hidden in mystery and symbolism. But then in the New Testament, this great mystery is unveiled in all its glory, and the symbolism emerges from the shadows and steps into the light! For the past 15+ years, it has been my great honor to read the Bible with people for their very first time and help them watch this great mystery unfold. These books do that very same thing!
The author takes you on a journey of discovery through the Scriptures from beginning to end, focusing on the scarlet thread that runs through the whole story. The book is a very quick read, filled with incredible insights and symbolism that unveils the Bible’s central message in all its beauty.
This is also recommended for anyone, regardless of their knowledge of the Bible.
A single, scarlet thread runs through the entire Bible, weaving a beautiful garment of salvation from Genesis to Revelation. This thread shows how the Old and New Testament fit together to tell one complete story.
This sacred thread is the blood covenant Jesus made with God for you.
Uncover the miraculous story of Jesus’ sacrifice, as it is powerfully and prophetically woven through the Scriptures beginning with the covenant rituals, Adam and Eve, Abraham, Moses and the prophets.
With three powerful new chapters, this expanded edition of the classic bestseller, The Miracle of the Scarlet…
I’ve always been a thinker, asking big questions and playing around with crazy ideas. That’s why I’ve been fascinated by the Bible since I was fourteen, reading it cover-to-cover multiple times and studying it academically for—approaching four decades now. It’s a classic for a reason! At first, I read it because I became a Christian, and it’s part of the package, but within a short time, I was hooked. I was especially interested in the tough parts, the bits I didn’t like or couldn’t make sense of. They were invitations to explore, think, and learn. It never ceases to surprise me with new ideas and inspirational insights.
To my mind, this one is a game-changer. It seems a niche subject—the ways that Jesus’ death is interpreted in NT texts as a sacrifice—but, Man Alive, it was one of the most eye-opening and engrossing books I’ve read in years.
Rillera argues that many Christians have significantly misunderstood Jesus’ death. All that stuff about Jesus taking the punishment for our sins and dying so we don’t have to, he says, is not in the Bible! Sounds nuts, right? That’s why I found it such an arresting book.
And the resulting teaching on Jesus’ death makes a heck of a lot more sense to me. I love books that make me rethink stuff I took for granted. This is one. (Warning: a tightly argued book, so demands some concentration.)
Lamb of the Free analyzes the different sacrificial imagery applied to Jesus in the NT in light of the facts that (a) there is no such thing as substitutionary death sacrifice in the Torah—neither death nor suffering nor punishment of the animal has any place in the sacrificial system—and (b) there are both atoning and non-atoning sacrifices. Surprisingly, the earliest and most common sacrifices associated with Jesus’s death are the non-atoning ones. Nevertheless, when considering the whole NT, Jesus is said to accomplish all the benefits of the entire Levitical system, from both atoning and non-atoning sacrifices and purification. Moreover,…
Books have been an important part of my faith journey. I set aside time each morning to read scripture, and devotional material, to meditate and pray. As I read about the experiences of others my faith increases and I know God better. As a writer I express my own faith through words and invite others to know God better by experiencing Him with time set aside in the mornings. More Love is part of a series of small books that I have created to give readers experiences to connect with God and to know His love.
Sarah Young writes as if Jesus is speaking to the reader, “All I require of you is to take the next step, clinging to my hand for strength and direction.” This book speaks to me, especially in difficult years. It brings me to an awareness of God’s comfort and love for me. Simple, short daily readings are based on scripture. Sitting with this book in the morning is like spending time with Jesus.
Experience a deeper relationship with Jesus as you savor the presence of the One who understands you perfectly and loves you forever. With Scripture and personal reflections, New York Times bestselling author Sarah Young brings Jesus' message of peace-for today and every day.
Jesus Calling is your yearlong guide to living a more peaceful life. The Jesus Calling (R) brand has impacted over 40 million lives.
By spending time in the presence of the Savior with the much-loved devotions in Jesus Calling, you will:
Feel comforted by words of hope and encouragement
Be reassured of Jesus' unending love for you…
