Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An enormous, complicated, educative work of great interest., April 7, 2000
By A Customer
James D. Snyder, a Presbyterian elder, writer, editor andpublisher with over 30 years' experience, tells a chilling andfascinating tale of an ex-slave writing from Rome from the death of Jesus Christ to the expansion of the new Christian Word over the next 40 years. Snyder has thoroughly researched this site by making numerous visits to various sites and digging up an impressive body of investigative materials.Snyder juxtaposes the rise of Christianity with the ever-growing corruption of the Roman Empire. The forty years included in this saga encompasses historical events after the crucifixion of Jesus up to the destruction of the Jewish temple at Jerusalem. He includes the powerful leaders of the time: Caesar Augustus, Herod the Great, Herod Agrippa, Tiberius, Caligula, Nero, Seneca, Peter, Paul, Mark, and John. His descriptions make the reader feel like he is on a tour of the area, with one important distinction. He has uncovered virtually every nuance of the times, and the reader's view is almost one of an eavesdropping historian, as when he describes the treachery and death of Messalina, Claudius' young and promiscuous wife who made the critical mistake of openly marrying Gaius Silius at the castle of Claudius during his absence and carrying on what can only be called an orgy: "Only then did Messalina truly understand her position. Without further word, the mother calmly opened a drawer and offered her daughter a dagger. Messalina looked at it as though it were a serpent. She put it to her throat, but could not strike. Then she moved it to her breast, but her hand was as if frozen. The soldiers watched her for a few silent seconds. In the next instant an officer ran her through. Claudius was still at his dinner table when news came that Messalina had died. He did not even ask whether it was by her own hand or by whose. After an eerie pause, Claudius called for more wine and the conversation went on." All God's Children is not for the faint of heart. It is an enormous and complicated volume that provides an educational look at a period of time that is of interest to virtually all Christians. Shelly Glodowski, Reviewer
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Deep Appreciation from the Jewish Perspective, January 2, 2001
What makes "All God's Children such an impressive read is the extent to which the author explores the people, places and events that shaped Christianity. This historic novel is exhaustively researched, and it shows. All the time Jim Snyder spent traipsing around Europe and Israel pays off. You can almost sense his familiarity with the key surroundings in countless descriptions that are penned with authority and comfort.But what makes the book such a compelling read is the high drama that unfolds in the cradle of civilization some 2,000 years ago and the great care that is taken to sort out this confusing period in history and tell the story in chronological order. As a Jew, I was eager to learn more about how and why the early Christians broke from their Hebrew traditions to preach a gospel that transformed this once mysterious Jewish sect into the modern world's most popular religion. Ironically, my understanding of -- and appreciation for -- the rise of Christianity is enriched by an observation by Jewish historian Flavius Josephus about Judaism's own survival: that an unwaivering commitment to God is enough to overcome the forces of evil and persecution. No one from the period's cast of colorful characters fulfills this mission better than the apostle Paul, who is relentless in his campaign to spread the gospel and absolutely fearless in the face of hostility. With all the recent battles raging between Arabs and Jews in Israel, I'm sadly reminded after having just read "All God's Children" over the holidays that the more things change the more they stay the same. The Holy Land is still one of the most volatile spots on earth and history appears doomed to repeat itself.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Fascinating Era Brought to Life, March 24, 2000
James D. Snyder illuminates a fascinating era in this historical novel written very much in the Stephen Ambrose mold. No dry account here, it's a gripping page-turner that chronicles some of history's most famous, but perhaps least understood characters, including the Roman emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Caligula and Nero, and apostles Peter, Paul and John. Momentous events, such as the Roman assault on the Temple of Jerusalem, are vividly recounted in context. In the history of western civilization, the years A.D. 31-71 were surely among the most turbulent. The Roman Empire ruled much of the world, headed by a succession of demented and brutal tyrants. Christianity was in its formative stages as the apostles were spreading the word about Jesus, whose miracles they had personally witnessed. Judaism was going through momentous changes. Persecution of both religions by authorities was as much sport as policy. The book chronicles in remarkable detail the unbelievable adversity faced by the early followers of these two major religions, and why it happened. Detailed here is the intrigue, the betrayals, the personalities and, rather graphically, the gratuitous torture to which legions were subjected. It is a meticulously researched and superbly written work that fascinates as it enlightens. The story is told chronologically, covering in sequence the enormous swath of events that occurred throughout the Roman Empire during the 40-year span. Typically, each chapter jumps back and forth among activities in Rome, Jerusalem and other points in the Mediterranean region. All characters, events and conversations are drawn from the same primary sources used by all historians - with one exception. The story is narrated by a fictitious character, a freed Roman slave and book publisher named Attalos, who is writing from the perspective of a decade later. This intriguing device lends an air of immediacy to the proceedings while freeing them from the baggage of 2,000 years of history. Attalos is a droll fellow who adroitly guides readers through the maze of characters and events, and braces them for pivotal or especially disturbing occurrence to follow. When he encounters events of historical uncertainty, he alerts them. Staying abreast of the proceedings takes dedication, due to the confusing names of the myriad characters and destinations. Ancient names are used for cities, for example. Fortunately, maps and directories are included as appendices to help guide readers around the ancient names of cities. No such listing of principal characters is included, however. Another observation: It appears that "All God's Children" is being marketed as a religious book, judging from its title and jacket design. It is not. It is an historical account of the era covered within the New Testament, surely one of the best ever written.
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