A Goat for Azazel: A Novel of Christian Origins [Hardcover]

Vardis. Fisher (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Denver: Alan Swallow,; 1St Edition edition (1956)
• ASIN: B000PRPDWS
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,757,934 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5.0 out of 5 stars How religions begin, January 30, 2011

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This review is from: A Goat for Azazel: A Novel of Christian Origins (Paperback)

A GOAT FOR AZAZEL is the eighth in the TESTAMENT OF MAN series by Vardis Fisher. The previous novel, JESUS COMES AGAIN, asked, "Who was Jesus?" This novel asks, "How did Christianity begin?" Damon, the son of a slave, watches his Christian mother die bravely in Nero's flames. He sets out on a lifelong search for the origins and meaning of his mother's religion.

Traveling throughout the Roman Empire he meets many groups claiming to be "true" Christians but with wildly divergent beliefs. The initial story is simple - the Lord came, took away their sins and is returning soon. But his search over many years fails to find anyone who knew Jesus or his disciples. Originally a Jewish sect, the new movement preached hatred of Jews. Damon finds that each version absorbs aspects of the dominant religion. Those in areas that worship Mithra took that god's birthday (Dec 25) as the birthday of Jesus.

He meets Levilla, a Christian who wants to live as sister and brother. Murdia, a wealthy, erotic Christian, loves him but it is Ayla, the sensuous pagan who he marries. Over the decades, Damon sees that Christianity has claimed elements of all Roman religion as their own - a virgin birth, a resurrected savior god, disciples, miracles, a meal in which the god is consumed. Christians insist only their rites are true; the others are from Satan.

A crude Gospel (Mark) is found and Damon notices that the events are simply foils for fulfilling alleged prophecy from the Old Testament. Christians maintain that Jews misinterpret their own Scriptures, a claim Damon finds infuriating and preposterous. He reads Paul, a contemporary of Jesus, and finds no mention of any teachings, virgin birth, trial, miracles or family. The story of the Last Supper in which Jesus tells his disciples to eat his body and drink his bread is pure fiction since such an act was blasphemous for Jews. Gospels begin appearing everywhere. "Luke" and "Matthew" embellish Mark with stories supplied by the Holy Spirit. John elevates Jesus to a god, keeping only vestiges of a Jewish Messiah. John has Jesus mouth an evolved theology that would have been impossible at the time.

Alas, Christianity triumphed not because it was unique but because it was so familiar and its path to salvation was so easy. Faith - not good works, virtuous lives, honesty or hard work - was all that mattered. Damon finally realizes that Jesus, the man, is unimportant. The wandering rabbi has become the divine Christ of faith, the god who created the universe who will return "soon". A voluminous appendix details the author's research.