The New Covenant

by Bob Emery

I started this post weeks ago... I think it says a lot about this book that I was not in a hurry to write a review, or even to finish it. It's not that it is a bad book, because it certainly provides the story from a different perspective (the first person, actually), but it was just so hard for me to really get into this perspective. Historically, it presents the story as if it has the same main character throughout, but we know that isn't true, and I know part of my dislike comes from that. We can't take too literally the title of the book of John meaning that John wrote it, or that the letters of John were written by the same John from decades before. If you choose not to be so literal, there is no issue, though. In part III, while being culturally and historically interpreted (the beast as Nero), I hesitate to put those words into the text and write them down as fact, as Emery does.

The best part of the book, to me, is the Appendix at the back, giving a great amount of historical and much more factual information. Maybe I'm too close to DivSchool to do this book justice, but unlike some others I've read, I can't see myself buying the others of the series unless they are significantly better than this one, nor can I see myself recommending them to people looking for a good way to read the story. It would be much better, I think, to just recommend The Message if someone wants an easier read of the story, rather than this.

Perhaps I will give it another shot at a later date. There is no reason I can't like it later, but today, Go buy another book I've mentioned before (Learning to Walk in the Dark by Barbara Brown Taylor is a good one if you're looking right now!!!).

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author and/or publisher through the Speakeasy blogging book review network. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.