"Blasphemy": the exploitation of religious imagery and/or language to serve an anti-religious purpose.
"Kitsch": poor taste turned into artistic value.


Saramago's book is both things. It's blaspheme and kitsch, between Monty Python's "Brian of Nazareth" and the Arian heresy of the 4th century.
It's not overtly anti-religious, since any book related to Jesus Christ is related to a whole system of thought that, like it or not, goes far beyond the metely historical / anthropological / literary approach; either you believe or not, you can't talk about God, deity, eschatology without venturing into a desert full of metaphysical temptations through which countless generations have tried (in vain) to find their way. As for me, I couldn't wait to see how far Saramago would go in outraging the Scriptures.
As far as I can tell, it's a totally ecumenical kind of outrage: one of those books that give each and every form of Christianity a good reason to overcome two thousand years of schisms and join forces against a common enemy. Saramago goes to war and makes no prisoners, telling his own version of the Gospel. The result is a tale of bewilderment, guilt and death in which the Logos (the 'Meaning' presiding over the whole of Creation) is but the tantrum of a merciless, childish God.

The jist of this most unorthodox Gospel is that the Lord wanted a Son to expand his power all over the world, far beyond Israel. He needed a martyr as a harbinger (or a decoy) in order to avoid all direct clashes with the other deities. As for Satan, his interests are quite similar, the devil being a co-beneficiary of God's power, in a paradoxical dimension where the light is barely distinguishable from the darkness. In fact, they need each other in order to exist.
In one of the last chapters, God tells His son about the future of Christianity. He descibes the numberless martyrs and the tortures they will endure, the morbidity of the mystics, the religious wars, the Inquisition, the blood-thirsty Church He is going to establish. The Devil makes a desperate attempt to spare all these horrors to mankind and offers God his eternal devotion in return, but his pleas are to no avail: Jesus must be crucified to forward God's (and his own) cult among the Gentiles.
We all know how the story ends.

Saramago's Gospel is an enigma. It ridicules and condems the Jewish ritual sacrifice (the Temple is a disgusting butchery dripping blood and viscera) as much as it blames the Catholic Church for the psychotic hysteria of its martyrs. God is portrayed as a vicious, pampered child dreaming of bloodbaths, whereas the Devil is a parasite gathering the crumbs of the heavenly tyrant. No good nor evil are involved in their dealings; it's all about business, clearly at the expenses of man.

Saramago cunningly exploits the three synoptic (narrative) Gospels and part of John's to tell his version of Jesus' story. the theological background is less the result of the author's reflections than of an average knowledge of the most ancient heresies.
There's no real depth in Saramago's work, that's why it was quite properly described as an example of kitsch literature by a Jesuit magazine. The challenge here is not doctrinal at all, since the author never wanted it to be so.
Unfortunately, Saramago's book is very good.
It's good in spite of its shortcomings . It's good in spite of its pretentiousness. It's good in spite of Saramago's pointless attacks to Christianity and its institutions.
The writing is daunting in and by itself: an endless, relentless flow of words, sentences, monolithic paragraphs reminding of Krasznahorkai's work. No direct speech: in Saramago's writing dialogues and narration are one and the same thing. The visual impact of these pages is hypnotic, with quite a few truly poetic scenes all throughout the book.

One of those books I'm supposed to hate from an intellectual point of view, which I love nonetheless for being an (almost) unique case in literature. Odi et amo.

Τι έχουμε εδώ; Ένα κατεξοχήν αιρετικό βιβλίο και έναν συγγραφέα (προφανώς όχι οποιονδήποτε τυχαίο συγγραφέα) που παίζει με τις λέξεις, με μια άλλη, δική του εκδοχή των γεγονότων και με τις ανατροπές όπως εκείνος τις αντιλαμβάνεται. Φυσικά αυτό το ευαγγέλιο δεν είναι αναπαραγωγή της Καινής Διαθήκης και νομίζω δεν θα περίμενα κάτι τέτοιο από τον Saramago έτσι κι αλλιώς.
Η γνωστή ιστορία αποδίδεται υπό άλλη σκοπιά, κάνοντας αυτό το βιβλίο ένα τολμηρό, θαρραλέο, σαρκαστικό αλλά σε καμία περίπτωση υβριστικό εγχείρημα που κοντράρεται στα ίσα με θέματα πίστης, κοινωνικά και θρησκευτικά αποδεκτών πρέπει και κανόνων κόβοντας εκεί που πρέπει, όπως πρέπει και ακριβώς όσο πρέπει.
Οι θεϊκοί χαρακτήρες, εδώ δεν είναι και τόσο θεϊκοί. Αντίθετα μας παρουσιάζονται με όλη τους την ανθρώπινη υπόσταση με ό,τι αυτή περιλαμβάνει. Η δε αλληλένδετη ύπαρξη Καλού-Κακού, μας παρουσιάζεται εδώ απλά, κατανοητά και με τόση αληθοφάνεια ανατρέποντας πλήρως την εικόνα που ως τώρα έχουμε για αυτή την ιστορία.
Το μόνο σίγουρο είναι ότι αποτελεί τροφή για σκέψη σε πολλαπλά επίπεδα. Είναι ένα βιβλίο που αλλάζει τα δεδομένα, με ευφυέστατο τρόπο, για να σε βάλει στην διαδικασία να σκεφτείς, να κρίνεις, να βρεις σημασίες και νοήματα και ενδεχομένως να καταλήξεις ότι είναι συγκλονιστικά ανατρεπτικό.

Ο άνθρωπος είναι το παιδί για τα θελήματα, απ' όταν γεννιέται μέχρι να πεθάνει είναι πρόθυμος να υπακούει, τον στέλνουν από 'δω κι εκείνος πάει, του λένε να σταματήσει κι εκείνος σταματάει, τον προστάζουν να γυρίσει πίσω κι εκείνος οπισθοχωρεί, ο άνθρωπος και στην ειρήνη και στον πόλεμο είναι ό,τι καλύτερο συνέβη ποτέ στους θεούς, Κι εμένα σε τι θέλημα θα με στείλεις μιας και είμαι γιος σου, Εσύ θα είσαι η κουτάλα μου που θα τη βυθίσω στην ανθρωπότητα για να τη βγάλω γεμάτη ανθρώπους που θα πιστέψουν στον καινούριο θεό στον οποίο πρόκειται να εξελιχθώ, Γεμάτη ανθρώπους για να τους κατασπαράξεις, Δεν χρειάζεται να τους καταβροχθίσω εγώ, θα φαγωθούν μεταξύ τους.
I rest my case...

★★★★★/★★★★★

ملاحظة في غاية الأهمية
********************
هذه النجوم الخمس لا تعبر عن تضامني الفكري مع ما ذُكر في الرواية من أفكار وأحداث.

المراجعة
قبل ان تشرع في قراءة هذه الرواية .. عليك أن تحضر صندوقا .. ضع جميع آراءك ومعتقداتك عن سيدنا عيسى _عليه السلام_ فيه.. أغلقه بإحكام .. ابدأ بقراءة الرواية ولا تنسى أن تصطحب معك
☂☂☂ مظلة ☂☂☂
لتقيك المصائب التي ستنزل على رأسك لحظة البدء بالقراءة

الانجيل يرويه خوسيه ساراماغو
الرواية تحكي قصة المسيح عليه السلام منذ ولادته حتى ... من وجهة نظر خوسيه ساراماغو والذي لعب دور المؤرخ لسيرة يسوع ابن يوسف النجار.. سيرة؛ قد لا توافق على ما ذُكر فيها بوصفك مسلما أو مسيحيا أو يهوديا لكن من الممتع والرائع أن تحيا هذه السيرة بقراءتها .. (ولا تنسى أن أفكارك ومعتقداتك مازالت في ذاك الصندوق ... فلا خوف هناك إذن)!!!!1

إذا قرأت هذه السيرة بحيادية فلسوف يتسع عقلك لمساءلة العديد من القضايا والأفكار الرائعة والتي طرحها ساراماغو بأسلوب خفي شيق....1

وستفاجأ خلال قراءتك أن الرواية ترمي إلى مناقشة الطبيعة البشرية أكثر مما ترمي إلى مناقشة سيرة يسوع الناصري

ثم هناك مصيبة كبرى رائعة تنتظرك في صفحة 320 وتمتد على مدار 30 صفحة إذ يجتمع الرب والشيطان ويسوع على قارب واحد وتبدأ مناظرة رائعةتشعر معها إن ساراماغو يمد يده إلى دماغك ويهزها هزا عنيفا ويسألك أن تفكر وتفكر وتفكر....1

هنا .. الكثير من الأفكار التي سوف تستغربها فإذا لم يكن صدرك رحبا؛ فلن تستطيع تلافيف دماغك التقاط موجات هذه الأفكار .. فكن صبورا وحياديا!!!!1

في النهاية أذكر الشيء الأهم الذي لم أشعر به أبدا سوى عندما صوره ساراماغو في هذه الرواية وهو مقدار المعاناة التي عاناها المسيح عندما بعثه الله لقومه والألم الذي شعر به عندما كذبه أقرب الأقربين له ... فلم ينجح أي كتاب قرأته قبل ذلك عن أي من الأنبياء في تجسيد معاناتهم _ عليهم السلام _ مثلما نجح ساراماغو في تجسيدها هنا


وآخر حاجة أحب أقول إني عارفة إني حروح النار من ورا المراجعة دي .. بس ربنا يغفر لي بقى

الرواية دي مصيبة ... مصيبة بجد

È davvero con questo che Saramago ha vinto la scomunica? Stento seriamente a crederlo.

Piccola premessa, sono agnostico e rispetto il culto di tutti, ma parlo solo di ciò che conosco e parlo perché qualcosa la conosco. Ho avuto un'educazione fortemente cristiana cattolica. Mia madre è teologa e da piccolo la seguivo ovunque, al punto da partecipare attivamente a seminari, convegni, tavole rotonde, in cui spoiler, mi confrontavo con gente che aveva come minimo tre volte i miei anni. Sono sempre stato appassionato di storie, mi sono sempre posto domande e ho sempre cercato di trovare delle risposte.

(TW: se trovi che questo argomento sia per te sensibile, allora non andare avanti...)

E Gesù è sempre stato uno dei miei protagonisti fantastici preferiti.

Sia chiaro, questa frase non è una provocazione, non voglio mancare di rispetto a chi crede, da ex credente l’unica figura di cui mi sento di poter liberamente parlare è quella storica, ma la figura storica del Nazzareno è stata fortemente romanzata nei secoli; quindi, come possiamo effettivamente credere che ciò che è accaduto due mila anni fa in un Paese lontano possa effettivamente coincidere con quella storia che ti raccontano oggi al Catechismo?

Oltre il fatto che, a ragion di logica, come si può scegliere di credere nell’esistenza di un’Entità suprema, perfetta, Dio Creatore, Sostanza Generante e non Generata, si può scegliere di non credere in suddetta figura, senza però andare a svalutarne tutte le opere artistiche derivate, sacre e profane.

Tutti i quadri in Chiesa raffigurano Santi, ma non tutti santi sono stati i pittori che hanno sfruttato a pieno il loro talento per denaro.

E il denaro è per tutti denaro.
E non bisogna essere scelti da Dio per essere portavoce di ciò che si crede essere il bene.

Premessa finita...

La Bibbia Cristiana (intesa come nuovo e vecchio testamento) resta il libro più venduto, più tradotto e più stampato al mondo.

La Chiesa, nei secoli, si è macchiata di innumerevoli crimini orrendi e non mi sto riferendo solo alle guerre sante e alle persecuzioni, mi riferisco a quello che credo sia il crimine più terribile. La riscrittura delle scritture.

Era semplice.
Dovevano fare solo una cosa.

Tramandare.
Non trascrivere.
Non riscrivere.
Non cambiare.
Tramandare.

E invece no.
Col tempo tutto si perde e si sceglie a quale fazione appartenere e poi quando anche il potere temporale si mischia con quello spirituale il problema non può che ingigantirsi fino a scoppiare. E nascono allora le fazioni e poi le sotto fazioni di fazioni.

I vangeli che vengono letti in Chiesa sono quelli che consideriamo canonici. Sono davvero stati scritti dagli apostoli? Verità? Non possiamo saperlo. Mistero della fede. Prendiamo per certo quello che è stato tramandato.

Esistono altri vangeli? Sì.
Si chiamano vangeli apocrifi e se non sono canonici è solo perché entrano in contraddizione con quanto presente nei quattro canonici.

E i quattro canonici perché sono considerati tali?
Tre dei quattro sono sinottici. Insomma, per farla breve, tre dei quattro dicevano quasi la stessa cosa, quindi sono stati presi per vero. E intere vite vengono tuttora consacrate alla ricerca di una Verità rivelata millenni fa. Una nuova legge, una nuova alleanza. Un nuovo volto di un Dio migliore. Un Dio che ama. E questo grazie al sacrificio del Cristo, un giovane carismatico in grado di tenere testa ai vecchi burberi. Un giovane in grado di porsi le domande giuste. Un giovane in grado di parlare alle folle usando parole semplici, storie e parabole. Un giovane in grado di farsi ben volere. Un giovane in grado di dare voce e credito alle donne. Un giovane in grado di diventare immortale nei secoli. Un giovane che ha cambiato le regole, scrivendo la storia a partire dalla sua storia. Una rivoluzione così forte da mettere un punto e ricominciare. Giovani che ricostruiscono un mondo che in poco tempo è tornato in mano ai vecchi. E poi ci si chiede perché si perde la fede.

Ma non è di religione che volevo parlare.

Perché tutta questa premessa dopo la premessa?

“Il vangelo secondo Gesù Cristo” di Saramago prende per vero molte delle cose presenti e ricorrenti di vari vangeli apocrifi (vedi la figura di Maria Maddalena) e ricostruisce quasi fedelmente la storia che conosciamo già, mantenendo una scrittura degna di un tredicesimo apostolo.

Devo ammettere che non mi ha preso subito. Inizia molto lentamente. Poi, però, sono entrato all’interno della storia. Sarà stata la notte insonne, sarà stato il silenzio. Non lo so, mi sono ritrovato nel deserto, catapultato nella storia.

Ci sono delle parti davvero bellissime.

Non vi faccio spoiler, ma immaginatevi che a una certa spuntano Dio, il Diavolo e il Nazzareno, e no, non è l’inizio di una barzelletta, anche se l’interazione tra i tre personaggi è molto alla Neil Gaiman.

Cos’è il bene?
E cos’è il bene senza il male?

Saramago punta tantissimo il dito contro il Dio del vecchio testamento (e questo suo puntare il dito contro un Dio che è tutto tranne che amore lo si vede molto molto di più in Caino).

Ci sono dei passaggi davvero molto belli. E la figura di Gesù ragazzino, ragazzo e poi uomo è davvero ben costruita. Quasi impossibile non entrare in empatia con colui che diviene strumento nelle mani del Signore.

E il fine?
Qual è il fine?

Il Diavolo che tenta di tentare perfino Dio.
Ma Dio capisce di essere Dio perché esiste il Diavolo che è il Diavolo.
E il Dio, Unico, è davvero unico? Oppure è unico solo agli occhi del suo popolo?
Cosa sarebbe successo al Dio degli ebrei senza il Cristianesimo a prendere il sopravvento?

Mi è sembrato di leggere Dune. Dune, d’altronde fa una cosa molto simile. Per i Fremen muad'dib è il Messia. Ma il messia come è diventato tale? Nessuno è profeta in casa propria.

E questo libro è un capolavoro.

Muchos dicen que los ateos hablan más de dios (de cualquiera) que los mismos creyentes en ese dios. Eso resulta verdad, por el mero hecho de que somos los ateos quienes, para poder criticar de una manera fundamentada, debemos leer y conocer todo lo referente a dios, sus circunstancias, y sus consecuencias. Entre los autores más recientes que he leído, se encuentran Saramago y Rius (aunque éste último en un tono más directo y persuasivo, siendo el primero más sutil y sarcástico).

La concepción que Saramago tiene de Dios es la misma que la de Rius (y la que muchos compartimos): la de un viejo solitario, impotente, omnisciente y omnipresente hasta donde le conviene, egoísta, misógino, berrinchudo, xenófobo, racista, especista (yo incluyo esto), clasista, sediento de poder y venganza, odia la derrota, entre otras muchas cosas. Cosas que, si nos ponemos a analizar la susodicha "palabra de Dios", encontramos en los discursos que nos atragantan por la boca para recitarlos mientras nos damos golpes en el pecho. Con una mano se nos condena por el pecado, pero con la otra se nos ofrece la salvación. Todo bajo términos y condiciones que, como siempre, no tenemos la molestia de leer y solo damos "aceptar". Todo por el egoísmo de un dios que quiere extender su poder hacia el resto de la población mundial, y necesita un cordero para el sacrificio. Nada más y nada menos que el Cordero de Dios. Y todo para que al final dios se regodee en su obra, en su plan maquiavélico, en el fruto de la vid, en la cosecha de la siembra, en la carne de ese cordero que concibió, crió y finalmente asesinó.

Saramago inicia con una frase que determinará el resto del evangelio, dicha por (san) Lucas: "Puesto que ya muchos han intendado escribir la historia de lo sucedido entre nosotros, según que nos ha sido transmitido por los que, desde el principio, fueron testigos oculares y ministros de la palabra, me ha parecido también a mí, después de informarme exactamente de todo desde los orígenes, escribirte ordenadamentem óptimo Teófilo, para que conozcas la firmeza de la doctrina que has recibido"; tomando en cuenta que la (santa) biblia tiene el mismo valor ficticio que la fantasía de Tolkien, este evangelio tiene también el mismo valor ficticio y de veracidad que los demás libros incluidos en aquel "libro sagrado".

El estilo narrativo de Saramago (y su necedad de evitar la mayoría de los signos de puntuación) resulta un tanto tedioso, al menos para mí que ya estaba acostumbrado a ello después de tres libros. Tal vez en otras obras funcione de maravilla por la ausencia de nombres propios, de sustantivos pues, pero ahora, repleto de ellos, es a veces difícil de seguir el hilo en una conversación.

Son cuatro o cinco páginas en las que, ordenados alfabéticamente, dios le hace saber a Jesús los nombres y formas de morir de los mártires que le seguirán a su muerte. La "necesidad" de las guerras, las cruzadas, la santa inquisición, los mártires, todas las muertes "en nombre de dios", todo eso relatado como algo indispensable que dios necesita para aumentar su poder. El fin justifica los medios, pues. Pero todo es obra del mismo hombre. Durante el diálogo entre dios y Jesús, suceden estas palabras casi mágicas "El hombre es, podríamos decir, palo para cualquier cuchara, desde que nace hasta que muere está :siempre dispuesto a obedecer, lo mandan para allá y él va, le dicen que se pare y se para, le ordenan que vuelva atrás y él retrocede, el hombre, tanto en la paz como en la guerra, hablando en términos generales, es lo mejor que le ha podido ocurrir a los dioses, Y el palo de que yo fui hecho, siendo hombre, para qué cuchara servirá, siendo tu hijo, Serás la cuchara que yo meteré en la humanidad para sacarla llena de hombres que creerán en el dios nuevo en el que me convertiré, Llena de hombres para que los devores, No es necesario que yo devore a quien a sí mismo se devorará".

Y Jesús, a fin de cuentas, es un hombre, solo un hombre, y nada más que un hombre, presa de un dios caprichoso que lo necesita para llevar a cabo sus ideas.

Pobre Jesús. Tal vez el único "cristiano" que ha existido, como sentenciara Nietzsche, y tal vez quien más perdió. Pobre desdichado.

Or: Adolescent Jesus as Imagined by a Brilliant Authorial Atheist.

That's unfair and reductive, however. Jose Saramago is an atheist, and the book does explore the parts of Jesus' life that most people pretend didn't exist (early adolescence to just before the time when he knew he had Messianic Son-of-God Superpowers), while at the same time gently but firmly questioning the nature of God, divinity, religious fervor manifesting itself as the oppression of others, bizarre religious ritual, and religious hypocrisy.

The familiar Biblical story arc of Mary and Joseph's pilgrimage to Bethlehem for a census begins the story, though Saramago quickly dispenses with any notion that Mary was a virgin; she also has, in quick succession, many other children after Jesus' birth. (Both of these points, of course, are regarded as highly sacred/controversial in most Church law; it is essential that the Mother of God be stripped of her sexuality, and it has long been denied, mostly by the Catholic church, that Mary gave birth to any other children besides Jesus.)

Throughout the novel, Jesus questions himself, his status as the son of God, the idea that he may be the Messiah of the Jewish people, and even God's own divine plan (revealed to Jesus as a stunning display of hubris, arrogance, and selfishness) - but always remains steadfast in his devotion to Mary Magdalene, with whom he lives freely and openly in a sexual relationship outside the bonds of marriage, and whom he treats as equally as any man. (The book makes clear from page one the wretchedly inferior status of women in ancient Judaic times.)

Saramago points out something that many modern Christians tend to forget, in their re-branding of God as a benevolent Father/Protector/Wish-Granter: the God of the ancient Jews and the Old Testament was a complete prick. If God singled you out for his special attention, that was just as frightening as his anger toward you. He pissed in Job's face, played keep-away with Moses and the Promised Land, turned Lot's wife into a pillar of salt simply for showing a bit of momentary concern for her neighbors, and totally Punk'd Abraham about that whole son-sacrificing thing, with all the equal amounts of jealousy and wrath that Old Testament God is famous for.

Of course Satan makes an appearance as a character, but Saramago fashions him as a much more interesting, multifaceted figure, possessed of depth, humor, and perhaps not as evil as he's often cast. He and God are posited to be old friends, not necessarily enemies, and in a co-dependent relationship of sorts in an arrangement to preserve the others' power. A very morally/religiously complex and long chapter is devoted to this balance of power, and for me was the climax of the novel - while God is telling Jesus of the horrific events that will occur in his name, Saramago devotes four pages of God's dialogue to alphabetically listing the names of martyred saints and the graphically violent ways in which they were killed for their belief.

The prose is beautiful, but Saramago's authorial imprint and style is his distinct lack of quotation marks in dialogue, and lack of paragraph breaks during dialogue between characters. It can be difficult to follow, particularly in situations with more than two characters speaking.

This is highly recommended for believers and non-believers alike.

One day when I was ten years old sitting in the school library it occurred to me that Jesus Christ was just a big confidence trick. I shared my theological insight with my neighbor, a girl who instantly stood up and ran to the teacher’s desk shouting “Maru Kun thinks Jesus is a confidence trick, Maru Kun thinks Jesus is a confidence trick”. My New Testament exegesis hadn’t been entirely thought out when the teacher came over to ask exactly what I had in mind, but fortunately she didn’t press me for details and instead focused on calming down the young zealot, which I recall she did quite effectively.

Unfortunately I didn’t take my insight any further, which is a shame because if I had I might have written ‘The Gospel According to Jesus Christ” and won the Nobel Prize for Literature instead of Jose Saramago.

At the risk of simplifying what is a very powerful, thoughtful and entertaining book the main premise of ‘The Gospel According to Jesus Christ” is that God created Jesus to help spread His Church, and hence His power, by scripting a very dramatic human-interest story, the Life of Christ, that will hold enormous appeal to its audience, humanity. The devil is in on the deal, as he prospers from an expanding Christian church just as much as God does. In this respect God is a lot like a reality TV producer trying to bring out a world-beating TV series starring a reluctant Jesus Christ (a charismatic rebel who won’t stick to the script, destined for a tragic end) with support from a sexy older woman with a past (Mary of Magdalene) and featuring plenty of family conflict, money worries, political revolution and a few miracles thrown in to justify the special effects budget.

This is a deeply subversive book; it succeeds in turning Christ’s last message from the cross into a cry for human dignity against the war and suffering caused by religion:

n  Jesus realized then that he had been tricked, as the lamb led to sacrifice is tricked, and that his life had been planned for death from the very beginning. Remembering the river of blood and suffering that would flow from his side and flood the globe, he called out to the open sky, where God could be seen smiling, Men, forgive Him, for He knows not what He has done.n

If the book had been written before 1826, the year of the last execution under the Spanish Inquisition, Jose Saramago would undoubtedly have been burnt at the stake. (The last person to die on the Spanish Inquisition, Cayetano Ripoll, was hung by the civil authorities, much to the annoyance of the Church who buried him in a barrel painted in flames to compensate for this unwarranted act of secular generosity). It is no surprise that the Catholic Church tried to get the book banned, not just because it is subversive but also because it is pretty entertaining.

I have been an atheist ever that first encounter with religious extremism in the school library. Since then I have become a not-very-good-Buddhist (a sect that allows drinking, getting angry and an inability to remember the Four Noble Truths while acknowledging that Buddhism would be a good idea if more people could actually understand it, one of the fastest growing Buddhist sects in the West) and am happy to leave the Christians alone as long as they don’t interfere with me. As the Dali Llama once wisely said, you are better off sticking with the religion of your parents and trying not to do any bad stuff rather than change your religion unless you ready to put up with a lot of trouble. Being a not-very-good-Buddhist is decent compromise between the advice of the Dali Llama and my Church of England upbringing.

Sadly Christians these days, in particular some (not all) Christians in the US, are showing every sign of wanting to interfere with me, and my friends and pretty much anyone else on the planet that doesn’t fit in with their ideal of the high-earning, gun-toting, liberal-smoting American Jesus who is happy to start WWIII if it would bring on the Rapture and His Kingdom that much quicker.

So I would recommend this book to any un-godly atheist destined for the deepest pit in hell who wants to renew his religious non-belief but who would appreciate a break from Hitchens/Dawkins/Harris and the like. Refreshingly, the Jesus it depicts is quite the opposite to the American Jesus as he has much more in common with the Jesus of the Gospels of Mathew, Mark, Luke and John - a figure one can admire in many respects but who seems pretty much forgotten about these days.

“And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62
José Saramago put his hand to the quill and looked back… He looked back deep into the past…

…thought, when all is said and done, as others and we ourselves have observed before, is like a great ball of thread coiled around itself, loose in places, taut in others, inside our head. It is impossible to know its full extent, one would have to unwind and then measure it, but however hard one tries or pretends to try, this cannot be done without assistance. One day, someone will come and tell us where to cut the cord that ties man to his navel and thought to its origin.

José Saramago is exactly that someone… He came to retell us the greatest story of all times… and to put our thoughts straight… or at least to make them less wry...

…human words are like shadows, and shadows cannot explain light, and between shadow and light stands the opaque body from which words are born.

Who is Jesus? Is he god or man? Or did he get stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea? For God he is just a cat’s paw and for Devil he is just a decoy. He tries to set rules but he is just a toy played in a higher heavenly games.

…forgetting is all too easy, that is life.

In the end any actual human life becomes forgotten and sinks into oblivion. And only myths and legends are eternal.

Saramago, a confirmed Communist caused a furore with this book, enough to run foul of the Catholic Church. He imagines Jesus as the son of Joseph rather than the son of God, a wonderful fiction of the life of Jesus from an aetheist writer of parables. Joseph and Mary are ordinary figures, yet this is a tale that we are all familiar with, both Christians and aetheists, poured forth in the New Testament, the fundamental text of Christians.

The book opens with a beautiful description of an Albrecht Dürer woodcut of the Crucifixion now in the British Museum. His description captures all the relevant events within the woodcut whilst asking questions some of which we know or can guess the answers to. But it is Joseph that captures the first third of the book, as an ordinary carpenter begetting his first son on his young wife. Mary and Joseph are both seen as everyday people but there is an annunciation by either an angel or a devil ( which it is left for us to decide.) What follows is Saramago's tale of the birth of Christ followed by the Slaughter of the Innocents. We follow this through the eyes of Joseph who has overheard a conversation which tells him that this event is to occur. In his haste to save his newborn son he fails to warn the other villagers and the slaughter proceeds. For this omission he is wracked by guilt for the rest of his life and he dies trying to redeem himself. Through an act of charity to a friend who has become part of the guerilla war against the Romans, he incriminates himself andin a case of mistaken identity Joseph is crucified ending his life which has been haunted by the same dream of killing his son since failing to alert the villagers. Instead he effectively aided Herod's soldiers in the death of many children he could have saved.

After Joseph's death the focus moves to Jesus. We see him grow up and develop through adolescence and onto the ministry. He encounters God who tells him that he is the Son of God and not the son of Joseph, or rather that he is both and that God has a task for him. There follows a wonderful tale of the Devil as a shepherd, who Jesus stays with for four years. The Devil who cannot kill but is tied in a dualism with God for neither can exist without each other. The Devil without God. Good without Evil. The Devil is the absence of God and as the realm of one should increase then so should the realm of the other.

The meat of the book is in the comparison between the God and the Devil and Saramago puts everything into the scene where God, Jesus and the Devil converse in a boat upon the Sea of Galilee. God reveals that he is tired of having just the Jews worship him and he wants a bigger clientele. It is Jesus' task to provide that by dying. Through the establishment of the Christian Church, this will cause the death of millions in the name of religion. Throughout this conversation the Devil is mostly a third personage but with the Pastor having recounted the litany of death and torture that will follow the death of Jesus, he then he states.

n  I'm making a proposal.
Go ahead but be quick for I cannot be loitering here for all eternity.
No one knows better than you that the Devil has a heart.
Yes, but you make poor use of it.
.......
I propose that You should receive me into Your Heavenly Kingdom, my past offences redeemed by those I shall not commit in the future, that You accept and preserve my obedience as in those happy days when I was one of your chosen angels, Lucifer, You called me, the bearer of light, You called me before my ambition to become Your equal consumed my soul and made me rebel against Your authority.
And would you care to tell me why I should pardon you and receive you into my kingdom?
Because if you were to do so and grant me the same pardon which one day you will promise so readily right and left, then Evil will cease.n

The Devil offers to decease and for evil to cease in return for God not proceeding with the death of Jesus as the son of God thus giving rise to wars of religion and tyranny of persecution that would follow. But God cannot accept the Devil's offer because of the dualism of Good and Evil. If Evil were to end then so must Good. For the Devil to be reconciled and thus to end then so too must God.

It is this whole section which the book has been leading towards - this section of 30 pages of eminent theology. THIS is what makes this a great book.

Finally Jesus tries to prevent and derail God's plan by being crucified not as the Son of God but as King of the Jews.

This is a phenomenal book. You don't realise it till you get to that nub in the middle which changes everything. Jesus as a man. God as not omnipotent or even individual, but most definetly jealous and like a capitalist organisation seeking expansion no matter what the ancillary cost.

Probably Saramago's greatest book and all encapsulated in 30 pages which would take books of theology to fully digest and delineate.

Τώρα εσείς τους ξέρετε όλους τους Ευαγγελιστές;

Αν σας έλεγα πως θα πρέπει να συμπεριλάβετε και τον Ιησού ανάμεσα στους Ευαγγελιστές, τι θα λέγατε;
Ένα εντελώς ανορθόδοξο βιβλίο, πλήρως αιρετικό βιβλίο, που μας δίνει την οπτική του Ιησού Χριστού από τον γνωστό Ευαγγελισμό της Θεοτόκου μέχρι τα πάθη του, την ζωή του ως γιός ενός ξυλουργού, ως την αγάπη του για την Μαρία την Μαγδαληνή. Ο Ιησούς ήταν τελικά άνθρωπος, θεός ή θεάνθρωπος; Πώς αντιμετώπισε την είδηση πως ήταν Υιός του Θεού; Πώς τον εξέλαβαν οι σύγχρονοί του;
Μια εντελώς ρεαλιστική προσέγγιση στο πώς θα ήταν η ζωή του Ιησού στην πραγματικότητα και τι ερωτήματα θα τον ταλάνιζαν πραγματικά! Μια γραφή πολύ συνειρμική & χειμαρρώδης, που κόβει σαν λεπίδι με την αλήθεια της, χωρίς πολλά σημεία στίξης, που σε γεμίζει σκέψεις, είτε πιστεύεις είτε όχι.

Δεν το έψαξα, μα πιστεύω πως η Εκκλησία τον αφόρησε και τι κρίμα είναι αυτό, μιας και το μόνο που έκανε είναι να μας διηγηθεί τα γεγονότα με άλλον τρόπο, πολύ πιο απτό σε μας, που να μας κάνει να μπορούμε να ταυτιστούμε με τα δεινά του.

Μην ξεχνάτε, χωρίς το κακό, δεν μπορεί να υπάρξει το καλό. Κύριε Σαραμάγκου, υποκλίνομαι.

“God will save you.
Surely you're forgetting that God saves souls rather than bodies.”

“...the church I mentioned will be established, but its foundation, in order to be truly solid, will be dug in flesh, its walls made from the cement of renunciation, tears, agony, anguish, every conceivable form of death.”

"Eίπε τοτε ο Διαβολος, Χρειάζεται να ειναι κανείς Θεος για να του αρέσει τοσο το αίμα"

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Υπερσυγκλονιστικός Σαραμάγκου γι΄αλλη μια φορά, μαλλον σωστότερα: καλύτερος απο ποτέ. Το αιρετικό του Ευαγγέλιο ειναι μια ιδιοφυία και ενα κατηγορώ με εναν ευφανταστα αυθάδη και τολμηρό τρόπο για την εξουσιομανία του να είσαι θεός. Να αγαπάς να σε λατρεύουν. Ξεκινά απο την σκέψη του μεθυστικού αυτής της αισθησης - το Σύνδρομο του Θεού που λενε οτι καταλαμβάνει καμια φορα και τους γιατρούς ή για οσους κρεμονται ζωες σαν μαριονετες απ τα χερια τους- και ποσο λαό, ποσες ψυχες, ποσο αιμα θα αποφασισεις να θυσιασεις στο διαβα της Ιστοριας της Ανθρωποτητας μπρος στο όνομά Σου.

Αυτο νομιζω οτι καυτηριαζει και θελει να δειξει ο καλός μας παραμυθάς ο Σαραμαγκου.
Στο Ευαγγέλιό του ο Ιησους ειχε οχτω αδερφια, ο Αγγελος που ευαγγέλισε τη Μαρια ηρθε ως ζητιάνος, δεν εφερε κανεναν κρινο, αλλα την συνοδευσε στην Βηθλεεμ και εμφανιστηκε περισσοτερες φορες στην ζωη τη δική της και του Ιησου, ως Ποιμενας, ο Ιωσηφ πεθανε στο σταυρο απο λάθος, ο Λαζαρος δεν αναστηθηκε γιατι η συντροφος του Ιησου, η Μαρια απο τα Μάγδαλα και αδερφή του Λάζαρου του ειπε Μην τον αφησεις να ζησει δυο θανάτους - αυτή η πορνη της Βηθανίας, που οταν γνωρισε τον Ιησου και του εμαθε τον ερωτα το εκλεισε το μαγαζακι της, βαζοντας μια ταμπελα απ εξω για μια βδομάδα να μην τους ενοχλησουν (ενα do not disturb τυπου ξενοδοχειων δηλαδη, Σαραμαγκου σ αγαπω, αληθεια) Ο Ιουδας ο Ισκαριωτης πηγε και προδωσε τον Ιησου σε συννενοηση μαζι του, και δεν δεχτηκε τα τριαντα αργυρια, λεγοντας στους Ρωμαιους οτι πια δεν θα χει λογαριασμους να τακτοποιησει, πριν παει να απαγχονιστει κατω απο μια συκια την επομενη στιγμή.

Καθως διαβαζα, συθέμελα συγκλονισμένη, ενα βιβλιο για το θεμα του οποιου υπο αλλες συνθηκες δεν θα ειχα το παραμικρο ενδιαφερον/κίνητρο, σταματουσα για να διαβάσω στον αντρα μου αποσπάσματα που μου χαν τιναξει τα μυαλα στον αέρα, κι αυτος ελεγε αμάν, και καθε φορά με ρωτουσε εαν η Εκκλησια τον έχει αφορισει. Δεν ξερω, θα ηθελα να ξερω, αυτο που ξερω ειναι οτι αφόρισαν τον Καζαντζακη για λιγοτερα - που πλεον θα ειναι ο επομενος στη λιστα μου, σε τετοιο τρυπακι μ εβαλες Ζοζέ, χαλαλι σου.

Δε θα παραληρησω αλλο για την δυνατή εικονοπλαστική γλωσσα αυτου του μάγου, κυριολεκτικά, της λογοτεχνιας, ο,τι γραφει το ζω, πάντα, και δεν παιρνω ανάσα, χωρις τελειες χωρις παυλες διαλογων και εισαγωγικά, το ευρημα του αυτο κανει το αναγνωστικο βλεμμα να κυλαει στις σελιδες απνευστί, ο γραπτος λογος εικονοποιεί τον προφορικό, ειμαι τοσο εντυπωσιασμενη και αυτο φαινεται, καθε φορα που διαβαζω κάτι του. Και καθε φορά μετά, το επομενο βιβλιο μου ειναι απλώς 'λίγο', γιατι αργώ πολύ να συνέλθω.

Ειχα παρα πολλά εδάφια σημειώσει, χανουν όμως όλα μπροστα στο κλείσιμο του Ευαγγελίου, γιατι εμεις τα θρησκευομενα παιδακια που προλαβαμε διδαχές Καινής Διαθηκης στο σχολειο και Κατηχητικό καποιες Κυριακές, ειχαμε μαθει οτι στον Σταυρό ο Ιησους πεθαίνοντας κοιταζει προς τον ουρανο και ζηταει απο τον Θεο να συγχωρεσει τους ανθρωπους διοτι "δε ξερουν τι κανουν"
ο Σαραμάγκου, αυτη η διαβολου καλτσα μ΄αφηνει έκπληκτη κλεινοντας με το βλέμμα του Ιησού προς την γη

"και αντιλαμβανόμενος τα ποτάμια αίματος και τον πόνο που θα γεννηθεί απο Αυτόν και θα πλημμυρίσει τη γη, στα επομενα χρόνια που θα' ρθουν κραυγασε προς τον ανοιχτό ουρανό οπου ο Θεος χαμογελουσε:

Ανθρωποι συγχωρήστε Τον γιατι δεν ξερει τι κανει"


____________________________

Ε παρε ολα μου τ αστερια ρε Σαραμάγκου, Θεέ