Belief

The underlying story has been told throughout the ages, but the perspective is a fresh take on this age old story that is the foundation of Christianity in Angela Hunt's new book Risen. This novel is based on the movie with the same name - Risen - by Paul Aeillo and Kevin Reynolds

. Clavius is a Roman Tribune in Rome's Tenth Legion stationed in Jerusalem. This is his perspective of what happened during the passover, Jesus' crusifixation, and after his burial. Clavius is a devoted follower of the god Mars. So when he is sent to investigate what happened to the body of Jesus, the reader is given an inside view of his thoughts, his inner turmoil, and his final decision: "By the time I had finished relating my encounter with the Nazarene, my next step became clear: I would return to the Antonia Fortress and testify truthfully when questioned..."(2015, p.306). Also, interwoven into the story is the story of a widowed Jewish woman, Rachel. Rachel relates her secret and her quest to discover if Jesus is the true messiah. This is a fictional account what could have occurred during this time period so Hunt has taken a few liberties for the sake of the story. I found the story rivoting and fast paced. Now I want to see the movie to see if it is just as gripping. I reviewed this book from Bethany House Publishers for free to give an honest review.