The Gospel According to Jesus Christ by José Saramago
"The Gospel According to Jesus Christ" by José Saramago offers a reimagined narrative of the life of Jesus, presenting him as a reluctant figure caught in the complexities of divine will and human suffering. Set against the backdrop of first-century Nazareth, the story begins with a portrayal of Jesus’ conception and his family's struggles during the Roman census. As the plot unfolds, themes of guilt and the burden of sacrifice emerge, particularly through the character of Joseph, who grapples with the consequences of his actions during Herod's massacre of infants.
The novel delves into theological inquiries, particularly the problem of evil and the nature of God—a figure depicted as power-hungry and indifferent to human suffering. As Jesus grows, he experiences visions and nightmares that force him to confront the implications of his eventual martyrdom, raising questions about free will and predestination. Saramago’s work challenges traditional Christian narratives by omitting the resurrection and leaving readers to ponder the significance of Jesus' death. With its blend of biblical fiction and philosophical exploration, the novel invites reflection on faith, morality, and the complexities of divine purpose.
The Gospel According to Jesus Christ by José Saramago
First published:O Evangelho segundo Jesus Cristo, 1991 (English translation, 1993)
Edition(s) used:The Gospel According to Jesus Christ, translated by Giovanni Pontiero. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1994
Genre(s): Novel
Subgenre(s): Biblical fiction; parables and fables
Core issue(s): Calvinism; God; good vs. evil; guilt; Incarnation; sacrifice
Principal characters
Jesus , the protagonistMary , Jesus’ motherJoseph , Jesus’ father, guilty of the massacre at Bethlehem because he did not warn other parents before protecting his own from Herod’s soldiersMary Magdalene , who ceases her life of prostitution to become Jesus’ wifeGod , the Creator, who determines the course of events in the universePastor , God’s counterpart in the world
Overview
José Saramago reworks canonical stories of Jesus to tell the story of a somewhat reluctant son of a power-hungry God. Following the prologue, The Gospel According to Jesus Christ continues with a description of Jesus’ conception that could portray the conception of any baby in first century Nazareth. Only when Mary already knows she is pregnant does an angel (disguised as a shepherd) visit her to pronounce a blessing.
Because of the requirements of the Roman census, Joseph and a very pregnant Mary travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem in the company of numerous other inhabitants of Galilee also headed for their ancestral homes. Joseph has no family left in Bethlehem with whom they might stay, and the residents of the village have already offered any available rooms to their own kinfolk. A sympathetic woman offers the couple shelter in a cave outside the village that usually serves as a stable. Some local shepherds learn of the infant’s birth and bring gifts of milk, cheese, and bread. Among the shepherds is the angel who previously visited Mary.
During the weeks of Mary’s seclusion before her purification following childbirth, Joseph works at the building site of the Jerusalem temple. At the temple site one day, Joseph overhears the conversation of soldiers who have orders from Herod to kill all the male children of Bethlehem. Panic-stricken, Joseph runs the several miles to Bethlehem, leaving the main road to skirt the village in order not to be seen and stopped. This action, going directly to the cave to save Jesus rather than warning other parents in Bethlehem to flee, renders Joseph guilty of the deaths of twenty-five children. Henceforth he suffers from nightmares in which he is a soldier on his way to Bethlehem to kill his own son. Thus Saramago introduces the idea of guilt—both Joseph’s and God’s—and the impossibility of forgiveness.
In the midst of a lengthy rebellion against Rome, Joseph is mistakenly arrested and executed as an insurgent. After finding his father’s crucified body, Jesus begins having nightmares. He dreams nightly of being one of many children in a village square to which soldiers, among whom is his father, are coming to kill them. On questioning Mary, Jesus learns of the massacre at Bethlehem. He has inherited his father’s guilt and realizes that his own salvation as an infant came at the expense of other innocent lives. Horrified by what he views as his parents’ guilt, Jesus leaves home. He goes first to Jerusalem to ask the elders at the temple about guilt and next to Bethlehem to visit the memorial to the slaughtered children.
At Bethlehem Jesus encounters a shepherd and accepts the shepherd’s offer to join him and earn his keep. The shepherd, of course, is none other than the shepherd/angel who visited Mary at the annunciation and after Jesus’ birth. The adolescent Jesus spends four years with Pastor, the shepherd, learning the work. He learns to care for the sheep and to recognize each of them. He learns that for the good of the flock, old or weak sheep must sometimes be killed. No sheep are sold for material gain or sacrificial purposes. When Passover arrives, Jesus sets off for Jerusalem. He finds himself unable to kill a lamb merely for the purpose of God’s satisfaction. Jesus takes his lamb back to Pastor and the flock. Three years later while searching for lost sheep, Jesus encounters God in the desert. God promises Jesus power and glory after his death; in exchange, Jesus must give his life to God. To seal this covenant God demands the sheep (previously saved from sacrifice) as an offering. This sacrifice angers Pastor, who sends Jesus away.
On his way home to Nazareth, Jesus passes through Tiberias where he accidentally discovers he can predict where fish are located. (“Cast your net to the other side.”) After a few days of popularity with the fishermen, he continues on to Magdala, where he falls in love with Mary. Mary Magdalene (confounded with the biblical Mary of Bethany) accompanies Jesus throughout Galilee, where his reputation as a miracle worker grows. Of all his friends, she understands Jesus best.
When the time has come, God shows himself again. Pastor joins Jesus and God for this conversation; Jesus learns that his shepherd friend is actually the devil. God informs Jesus that he wants to be god of all people, not just the Jews. God also enlightens Jesus as to his parentage and explains that he needs his son to be martyred to stir up fervor, thereby propagating faith. From his eternal vantage point, God knows that the result of his son’s martyrdom will be the founding of a church fraught with division, resulting in death and suffering for countless martyrs and endless wars fought in Jesus’ name.
Jesus, now knowing he will be martyred as the son of God, travels about preaching repentance. He is troubled that as a consequence of promising his life to God, a promise that cannot be withdrawn, millions of people will suffer. He reasons that if he is executed for human (political) reasons, then God’s plan will be thwarted, saving innumerable lives for millennia to come. Jesus arranges for his betrayal and proclamation as “king of the Jews,” knowing that Pilate will sentence him to death; once on the cross, he realizes that he has carried out God’s plan.
Christian Themes
The primary theme addressed by Saramago is theodicy. Saramago’s is a type of protest theodicy, an approach inspired by Elie Wiesel’s work that questions the total goodness of God. The God of The Gospel According to Jesus Christ has little concern for the needy. God predetermines the course of history and is unable to rescind what he has willed, even prior to its realization. Free will is an illusion; all proceeds according to God’s plan.
In this world, there is a strict balance between good and evil. Good cannot exist without evil, nor God without the devil. The harmony of the universe requires that Satan thrive and prosper, “but the Lord will always have the last word.” To adherents of traditional Christianity this might sound like good news. To those familiar with the workings of Saramago’s God, this is small consolation, for “His pleasure is as terrifying as His displeasure.”
The Jesus Christ of The Gospel According to Jesus Christ follows the Chalcedonian definition of fully human and fully divine. Until God speaks to him in the desert, Jesus lives an ordinary life. Once God reveals to Jesus his destiny, Jesus develops his divine power, always using it for good. Yet Jesus always bears a burden of guilt for the Bethlehem innocents.
Those familiar with canonical stories of Jesus will recognize many of the incidents of the novel. A key story is lacking, however; there is no resurrection. Saramago ends with the Crucifixion, leaving one to question whether there is ultimate merit to Jesus’ death.
Sources for Further Study
Bloom, Harold, ed. José Saramago. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 2005. A collection of essays on Saramago. One essay addresses Saramago’s views on the life of Jesus Christ.
Frier, David. “José Saramago’s O Evangelho segundo Jesus Christo: Outline of a Newer Testament.” Modern Language Review 100, no. 2 (April, 2005): 317. Frier argues that the failure of individuals to take control of their destiny leads to dogmatic religions and the bleak future that Saramago foresees.
McGonigle, Thomas. “Fictionalizing the Gospel.” Review of The Gospel According to Jesus Christ. Chicago Tribune, March 6, 1994, p. 147. A favorable review of the controversial work.
Roth, John K. “A Theodicy of Protest.” In Encountering Evil: Live Options in Theodicy, edited by Stephen T. Davis. 2d ed. Louisville, Ky.: Westminster/John Knox, 2001. Exposition of the protest theodicy that underlies Saramago’s novel, with critiques and rejoinder.