A compelling novel about Paul’s life and struggle for inner freedom.
No matter where he traveled, Paul faced conflict. From fanatical persecutor to zealous bondservant, his faith placed him at the epicenter of the battle for the very soul of the Church.
And what about the battle he tried to hide-even from himself?
More than a fictional tale, In the Shadow of His Hand is a biographic dramatic commentary revealing missing elements of the backstory and context of Paul’s life-elements each of us can relate to and glean from.
About the Authors
Donald L. Brake Sr., PhD, Dallas Theological Seminary; Dean Emeritus, Multnomah Biblical Seminary of Multnomah University.
The author’s experience as president of the Jerusalem University College (previously Institute of Holy Land Studies) has given him insight into the historical and geographical background of Israel and the life of Christ.
Dr. Brake has led tours to the Holy Land and has taught the life of Christ and the Bible’s historical/cultural backgrounds for more than thirty-five years.
Dr. Brake has written fifteen articles for the St. Louis Metro Voice, has published the Wycliffe New Testament, and has written various mission articles for magazines. His book A Visual History of the English Bible was published in 2008 (a 2009 Evangelical Christian Publishers Association Christian Book Award finalist); A Monarch’s Majestic Translation, in 2017; and A Visual History of the King James Bible, in 2011 (with Shelly Beach; also translated into Portuguese as Uma Historia Visual Da Biblia King James), a commemorative edition celebrating four hundred years of the King James Version. His major article “Versions, English” was published in The Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible, vol. 5, and he wrote Jesus, a Visual History with Todd Bolen, published in 2014.
Shelly Beach, MRE, Grand Rapids Theological Seminary
Shelly is an award-winning author of eight books of both fiction and nonfiction. She served as managing editor of Zondervan’s Hope in the Mourning Bible (Fall 2013) and was one of three writers of Zondervan’s NIV Stewardship Bible, as well as a contributor to Tyndale’s Mosaic Bible. She is cofounder of the Breathe Writer’s Conference and the Cedar Falls Christian Writer’s Workshop and speaks nationally on a wide variety of issues and presents seminars for Daughters of Destiny, a national women’s prison ministry. She is cofounder of PTSD Perspectives and presents educational seminars on posttraumatic stress disorder to medical and mental health professionals, counselors, social workers, law enforcement officers, child advocates, educators, and other professionals.
My Review:
:-):-):-):-) 1/2
4 1/2 Smiles
An interesting and in-depth look into the New Testament and the life of Apostle Paul. Opening with Saul’s premature birth was a brilliant way to explain his lifelong physical battles and the “thorn” he mentions in 2 Cor. 12:7. A boyhood trauma–suffered because of Saul’s disobedience to the Law and his parents–provided the lifelong motivation necessary to make Saul the hard-driving, successful young Pharisee he became. Deft storytelling makes the reader ponder questions like: During his years of training in Jerusalem, how many times did young Saul encounter Jesus of Nazareth? Did those encounters–and that boyhood shame–create his overzealous hatred for the early Church? The use of Hebrew terms and historical facts lends authenticity to the story but pulls the modern-day reader out of the story. Time jumps are necessary to cover the breadth of Saul’s/Paul’s lifetime but feel a little disjointed in some places–as do multitude of POVs. However, if you’re looking for a beautiful synopsis of Paul’s life, including a glimpse of the order in which he wrote some of the New Testament epistles, this novel is a FABULOUS read! If you love biblical fiction for edu-tainment–this book is for you! (I love the cover, BTW.)
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