Damascus by Christos TsiolkasMy rating: 1 of 5 stars
I know and appreciate, Christos Tsiolkas as an author 2 books - The Slap and Barracuda.
The third one, Dead Europe, I could not read. Quite early in the book, I got impression, that it is a traveler's advice, how to find a cheap homosexual partner in Athens.
Damascus - somehow I thought it is a book based on the last war in Syria and the plight of fugitives.
First pages put me into right direction - St Paul, beginnings of Christianity.
I stopped reading - why an author like Christos Tsiolkas, whose all books are deeply rooted in current issues, would go 2,000 years back, to dig into history of religion, which became marginal in general and hated in some circles?
First I wanted to find answer to this question.
The author declares it openly - in his young years, somehow interest in St Paul activity coincided with author's personal doubts about his own identity and place. Now, having the last two firmly established, he returned to the other fascination of his youth.
I returned to reading the book, but quite early I had to put id down again. Simply concentration of dirt, sheet, vomit, bile and vulgarity was beyond my endurance.
After some break I returned.
Personally I found 2 interesting points -
1. Enormous social barrier, which Moses' laws created between Jews and the rest of ancient world. From Gospels we know, that Jesus was a bit flexible in following these rules - he dined with tax collectors, did not observe Sabbath very strictly. But on the other hand he declared that he does not intend to question any point in Moses' law, that his only aim is to bring lost children of Israel on the correct path.
The book only slightly touches issues facing Saul, the Jew, in his encounters with multinational Christian communities. Still I appreciated it as it was the first time I realized this issue.
2. How essential to the newborn Christians was the message - Jesus will return (soon). It explains why it became so popular among lower classes and slaves in Roman Empire. Our burden will end soon and we will enjoy heaven while our oppressors will grind teeth in hell.
Other than that I did not find anything valuable in this book.
One important thing completely missed are his writings.
Compared to other Evangelists recognized by the official Christian churches they represent completely different style. Instead of poetic ecstasy (John), simple report (Mark), passionate story (Matthew) and detailed story (Luke), in Paul's writing I find clear, logical, classical thinking typical to Greek philosophers.
How come a person deeply submerged in Jewish society changed so much?
Damascus does not contain any hint. Saul is presented firstly as quite rough worker in a leather tents production workshop, then as a passionate Apostle. In the last chapter, his nephew mentions something about his thorough education. That's all.
Saul's close contacts with Timothy and Thomas the Twin I found rather dubious and confusing.
Plus dirt, vulgarity and cruelty all the way - thus my rating.
View all my reviews
Damascus - somehow I thought it is a book based on the last war in Syria and the plight of fugitives.
First pages put me into right direction - St Paul, beginnings of Christianity.
I stopped reading - why an author like Christos Tsiolkas, whose all books are deeply rooted in current issues, would go 2,000 years back, to dig into history of religion, which became marginal in general and hated in some circles?
First I wanted to find answer to this question.
The author declares it openly - in his young years, somehow interest in St Paul activity coincided with author's personal doubts about his own identity and place. Now, having the last two firmly established, he returned to the other fascination of his youth.
I returned to reading the book, but quite early I had to put id down again. Simply concentration of dirt, sheet, vomit, bile and vulgarity was beyond my endurance.
After some break I returned.
Personally I found 2 interesting points -
1. Enormous social barrier, which Moses' laws created between Jews and the rest of ancient world. From Gospels we know, that Jesus was a bit flexible in following these rules - he dined with tax collectors, did not observe Sabbath very strictly. But on the other hand he declared that he does not intend to question any point in Moses' law, that his only aim is to bring lost children of Israel on the correct path.
The book only slightly touches issues facing Saul, the Jew, in his encounters with multinational Christian communities. Still I appreciated it as it was the first time I realized this issue.
2. How essential to the newborn Christians was the message - Jesus will return (soon). It explains why it became so popular among lower classes and slaves in Roman Empire. Our burden will end soon and we will enjoy heaven while our oppressors will grind teeth in hell.
Other than that I did not find anything valuable in this book.
One important thing completely missed are his writings.
Compared to other Evangelists recognized by the official Christian churches they represent completely different style. Instead of poetic ecstasy (John), simple report (Mark), passionate story (Matthew) and detailed story (Luke), in Paul's writing I find clear, logical, classical thinking typical to Greek philosophers.
How come a person deeply submerged in Jewish society changed so much?
Damascus does not contain any hint. Saul is presented firstly as quite rough worker in a leather tents production workshop, then as a passionate Apostle. In the last chapter, his nephew mentions something about his thorough education. That's all.
Saul's close contacts with Timothy and Thomas the Twin I found rather dubious and confusing.
Plus dirt, vulgarity and cruelty all the way - thus my rating.
View all my reviews
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