Time, Newsweek and Books & Culture have all recently published pieces interacting with Anne Rice’s new book Christ The Lord: Out of Egypt. Yes, this is the same Anne Rice who wrote the Interview With the Vampire/Lestat series.

Apparently, Rice had near death experiences at least twice; once in 2004, having surgery for intestinal blockage and also in 1998 when she went into sudden diabetic coma. Her first close-encounter with death also led her back to the steps of the Roman Catholic Church which she had not frequented since she was 18. Rice’s return to religion has made its way into her fiction. Her new book Christ The Lord: Out of Egypt chronicles the life of the 7-year old Jesus with Jesus Himself serving as the narrator. Rice claims that she has “promised” that from now on, she will only “write for the Lord.”

I do not question that Rice has had a “religious awakening.” Why should she be “off-limits” to God if God has saved the likes of me? I pray that her conversion is real, life-changing and God-glorifying. However, Rice’s new book raises an interesting question for me; one which I don’t pretend to have an answer to, so I thought I’d just post some thoughts and look for some dialogue and some feedback.

My primary thoughts center around the question of whether or not it is acceptable (helpful? edifying? right?) to write fiction based on the person of our Lord and Savior. Granted, His is The Greatest Story Ever Told, but should some things be “off-limits” or is that a terribly legalistic thought?

Though I have not yet read Rice’s book, by all accounts it appears to be reverent and even worshipful. There are, of course, scenes of the young Jesus exercising His divinity. The book includes a section in which Jesus, suffering the slings and arrows of a bully, strikes him dead only to later resurrect him. This young Jesus seems largely unaware of his divinity, though he had to wonder why no one else was striking bullies dead and resurrecting them to teach them quite the vivid object lesson.

Is fiction regarding our Lord ever helpful, edifying and/or reverent? No matter how devout the author, at some point, the character will be more human than divine. Such is nothing less than idolatry because, after all, it would seem to be a clear case of recasting God in our own image, would it not? Yet we seem to have a higher tolerance when it comes to fiction than we do with theological liberals. Why is that? Both paint Jesus as someone other than who He really is, and both take significant liberties with Scripture.

While it is certainly an intriguing concept to write from the perspective of Jesus, it is also not recommended. Unless one proposes to lessen Jesus’ divinity, not only are you striving to “get inside the head” of Jesus who was 100% man, you are also trying to “get inside the head” of Jesus who was 100% God. Again, not recommended. The finite wrestling with the infinite will always strive to lower the infinite, because, after all, isn’t that easier than rising to a level which we cannot in the first place?

I try to occasionally read fiction because I find it incredibly helpful to examine the way effective writers use concrete imagery. For someone who’s job it is communicate (like a pastor), using words well is always a challenge, and reading fiction can sharpen attention to details and the ability to convey imagery. However, simply because studying fiction can help to better communicate theology does not mean we should allow our theology to become fiction.

Read Christ The Lord: Out of Egypt by Anne Rice.
Read Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice.
Read the article in Time.
Read an article on MSNBC/Newsweek.com
Visit Anne Rice’s website.