Killing a Messiah

A Novel

By: Adam Winn

Narrated by: James Anderson Foster

As Passover approaches, the city of Jerusalem is a political tinderbox....

Judah, a resistance leader, plots to overthrow the Roman occupation. Eleazar and his father, the high priest Caiaphas, seek peace in the city at all costs. Pilate, the Roman governor, maneuvers to keep order (and his own hold on power). Caleb, a shopkeeper, is reluctantly caught up in the intrigue. When rumors start spreading about the popular prophet Jesus, hailed by many as the Messiah, Roman and Jewish leaders alike fear unrest and violence during the upcoming festival. Then, in the midst of this tension, unexpected alliances emerge.

In Killing a Messiah, New Testament scholar Adam Winn weaves together stories of historical and fictional characters in a fresh reimagining of the events leading up to Jesus's execution. Based on what we know of the first-century context, Winn's narrative offers compelling explanations for gaps in the Gospel accounts. The social, political, and religious realities of Jesus's world come to life and shed new light on our reading of the biblical texts. In a city full of political entanglements, espionage, and competing interests, the blame for the crucifixion is complex and can't land on just a single party. It takes more than one to kill a messiah.

©2020 Adam Winn (P)2020 eChristian

An Excellently Told and Freshly Conceived Take on the Passion

Adam Winn uses the hours in this book to focus in on what the surrounding Jewish and Roman authorities may have been thinking and planning behind the scenes as Jesus was brought to trial. This is a narrative which challenges some of the traditional views about the Crucifixion and the causes and circumstances which led to it. The narrator does a wonderful job conveying the emotion the book has to offer. Great for anyone who wants to have their eyes open to some of the questions which surround the death of our Messiah.

A fresh and historically informed re-telling of Jesus’ life, trial and crucifixion

It’s well-read, gripping and backed by strong scholarship and very clever integration of all sorts of pieces of information in the accounts of the gospels. It really brings the personal and social context to life from the perspective of the participants, especially those outside of Jesus’ inner circle.

A unique perspective

First, this is not a book about religion. It deals with the political climate of Judea at the time of Jesus; the days leading up to the arrest of Jesus; the trial of Jesus; and the crucifixion of Jesus as seen through the eyes of the Roman and Jewish authorities. It's the telling of an old story from a new perspective with some unique twists. Whether you are a Christian or an Atheist, you will like this book.

Engaging, trustworthy & hopefully 1st in a series!

A PhD in New Testament theology turns his attention to historical fiction!

Winn weaves the traditional Biblical narrative of Christ’s crucifixion with plot lines for Caiaphas, Pilot and many others. To that end, Jesus is somehow both central and respectfully ancillary in Killing A Messiah. Conversely, there is no evangelical “hard sell” at the end (or anywhere within) that those of other faiths—or even non-faith—would hope to avoid.

Nor is this book an attempt to "make learning fun" with heavy or boring detours. Rather, Killing a Messiah is compelling fiction that preserves a sacred text in the background. Without giving too much away, I was especially excited that Killing A Messiah does not end predictably considering what is perhaps common knowledge of Easter.

I listen to ~25 books per year, typically at 1.35x speed. Foster's narration is among the best in both tempo and dynamic range such that I listened at real-time. He drives the story forward confidently without distraction.

Great listen!

The book is very engaging! And suspenseful. You feel like you are right there in the story!