Ann Rice: What did you think of her new book: Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt?

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Ann Rice is better known for her Vampire Chronicals. I learned from reading a Catholic newspaper that she is a revert to the Catholic faith and has stated in an interview that she is done with writing about vampires and that she wanted to write about Christ.

Has anyone read her new book? Was it any good? How faithful to the Catholic faith is it? Are there theological problems with it?

I understand that she based her fictional account of the early years of Christ from some ancient writings that were excluded from the Bible Canon.
 
Haven’t finished reading it yet, but the first page threw me off.
In it, a 7 year-old Jesus kills a bully accidentally(!) and soon thereafter brings him back to life.

Here’s a link to the first pages in an excerpt from the publisher.
randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780375412011&view=excerpt

I think Mrs. Rice’s reversion is a good thing. I have read many of the Vampire novels before I myself reverted. They were very dark and they had some metaphysical incompatibilities with Catholicism (and Christianity in general). Memnoch the Devil for example.

I hope this presages some good Catholic fiction. I am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.
 
I read about 1/2 through it and got bored. I returned it to the book store for credit.
 
Have not read it but, I heard it was based on the some of the Apocrypha (non canonical books of the bible… not inspired by God).
 
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jpusateri:
Haven’t finished reading it yet, but the first page threw me off.
In it, a 7 year-old Jesus kills a bully accidentally(!) and soon thereafter brings him back to life.

Here’s a link to the first pages in an excerpt from the publisher.
randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780375412011&view=excerpt

I think Mrs. Rice’s reversion is a good thing. I have read many of the Vampire novels before I myself reverted. They were very dark and they had some metaphysical incompatibilities with Catholicism (and Christianity in general). Memnoch the Devil for example.

I hope this presages some good Catholic fiction. I am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.
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That little story about Jesus killing a bully is in the apocrapha, so she must be going right to the texts to tell her story.

I haven’t read it, but when I was in high school I read pretty much all of her other books. They are very scary! I liked them.

Did you read Queen of the Damned? In it the Vampire Lestat is basically portrayed as an incarnation of the sun god Apollo. If you’re not familliar with the occult mythology you probably wouldn’t catch it. Apollo is the son of Jupitor, the punisher, who is the son of Saturn, Father Time, also the Christian Satan. So Apollo is in mythological/occult terms the grandson of Satan. He is also known as Lucifer in the occult, the savior, cursed to be born again and again into the world to save humans from their follies by imparting that gnostic wisdom .

We know that there is all this apocrapha that was not approved of by the Church because it was not inspired by the Holy Spirit. What I don’t think many people realize is that at the same time Jesus was alive there was also a very famous magician and philosopher named Apollonius who was also living in the Roman Empire. He had many followers, and they called him the Christ. He is portrayed as Simon Magus in the Acts, although his supporters say that it is not an accurate portrayal. Apparently he is also the Apollos mentioned in Corinthians and Apollyon, the king of the locusts, mentioned in Revalation 9:11. Many heretics followed Apollonius, like the Paulicans, who were gnostics, and basically followers of Apollonius - who they believed was the Apostle Paul. They got this idea from Corinthians (he who plants and he who waters are the same). Apollonius and his followers wrote many, many texts, some claim even a few of the texts that made it into the canon, and this is why there was such heated debate and so many book burnings. In fact it is asserted that the library at Alexandria was burned to destroy all memory of Apollonius the philosopher magician, and Antichrist.

My point is that I am very familiar with the work of Anne Rice, and this Christ that she is portraying is not the Word of God but more likely a resurrection of Apollonius, since he is very popular again in the imagination of the masses with the discovery of the gnostic texts. She is one of the many false prophets.
 
tiny'(name removed by moderator)my:
My point is that I am very familiar with the work of Anne Rice, and this Christ that she is portraying is not the Word of God but more likely a resurrection of Apollonius, since he is very popular again in the imagination of the masses with the discovery of the gnostic texts. She is one of the many false prophets.
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Thank you for this insight. I will take it under advisement.
 
Ok, I’m getting kind of concerned about this new book.

The reason I say this is because, why would she continue to allow her occult books on vampires to continue to be allowed on her official web site?

annerice.com/

Isn’t encouraging the sale of the vampire chronicals a contradiction of her new found faith?

I’m not passing judgement here. I’m asking the question though that I am considering in light of the comments of tiny’(name removed by moderator)my (that she is well informed of the occult…and therefore may be encouraging this new “Apollonius” Christ-figure instead of the actual Christ).
 
I’ve only browsed through the book (the style is a little choppy and hard to read). I have read interviews with Rice that make me question the extent or basis of her conversion. Most recently, in the LA Times, it is clear that she is returning to Catholicism on her own terms. She very clearly states that if she, personally, does not agree with a Church teaching or does not find it in the Bible, she doesn’t have to accept it. Some of the teachings she mentioned in this light were the Church’s stands on contraception, homosexuality, and woman priestess’----the usual Cafeteria Catholic hot buttons.

The article also mentioned that a lot of Christian magazines and radio stations are falling over each other to interview her about her conversion. In some of the ones I’ve seen, she doesn’t go into all this. Since the LA Times has such as liberal readership and the book is now enjoying decent sales, she (or her agent) is probably more comfortable revealing these things at this point. I think it’s a little early to start getting to excited about Rice as a “Catholic” writer.

It reminds me about when Jane Fonda supposedly embraced Christianity, and then it turned out she had not changed her anti-life views and otherwise made it clear she was embracing a Christianity of her own making. These entertainment types tend to be flaky, IMHO.
 
I read it and I think it is pretty good.

It should be remembered that it is her own imagination weaved into this, but it is probably the most orthodox type of fiction you are going to find by someone like her.

This books gives very good reasons and background to Mary’s virginity and puts it more into a perspective of the times in those days, not with the new evangelical thoughts on this.

I think that this book can be a good stepping stone to read more of this sort of thing, though I was sort of disturbed by the killing and bringing back to life of the kid in the beginning.

It is way better as a step in the right direction, compared to the Lestat novels. I think we just need to give Ann Rice some time and she might put out some good stuff.

I am hoping for some Quo Vadis type stuff in the future.

God Bless
Scylla
 
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Fidelis:
I’ve only browsed through the book (the style is a little choppy and hard to read). I have read interviews with Rice that make me question the extent or basis of her conversion. Most recently, in the LA Times, it is clear that she is returning to Catholicism on her own terms. She very clearly states that if she, personally, does not agree with a Church teaching or does not find it in the Bible, she doesn’t have to accept it. Some of the teachings she mentioned in this light were the Church’s stands on contraception, homosexuality, and woman priestess’----the usual Cafeteria Catholic hot buttons.

The article also mentioned that a lot of Christian magazines and radio stations are falling over each other to interview her about her conversion. In some of the ones I’ve seen, she doesn’t go into all this. Since the LA Times has such as liberal readership and the book is now enjoying decent sales, she (or her agent) is probably more comfortable revealing these things at this point. I think it’s a little early to start getting to excited about Rice as a “Catholic” writer.

It reminds me about when Jane Fonda supposedly embraced Christianity, and then it turned out she had not changed her anti-life views and otherwise made it clear she was embracing a Christianity of her own making. These entertainment types tend to be flaky, IMHO.
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This is going to sound silly but I think we should pray for Jane and pray for Anne. They are both (especially Anne) new converts and I think as they grow to love Jesus more they will grow to understand his truth…
 
tiny'(name removed by moderator)my:
I haven’t read it …
My point is that I am very familiar with the work of Anne Rice, and this Christ that she is portraying is not the Word of God but more likely a resurrection of Apollonius, since he is very popular again in the imagination of the masses with the discovery of the gnostic texts. She is one of the many false prophets.
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How can you make assertions about Rice’s portrayal of Jesus when you by your own admission haven’t bothered to read the book?

Then, without even bothering to read her work you accuse her of being a “false prophet”. Based on what? YOUR interpretation (informed by your vast knowledge obtained before finishing high school!) of stuff she wrote 20+ years ago?

Give me a break
 
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bekalc:
This is going to sound silly but I think we should pray for Jane and pray for Anne. They are both (especially Anne) new converts and I think as they grow to love Jesus more they will grow to understand his truth…
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Amen! This is not a silly idea at all. 🙂
BillP re: tiny'(name removed by moderator)my post:
Then, without even bothering to read her work you accuse her of being a “false prophet”. Based on what?
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For me, I don’t know if I’d go as far as calling her a false prophet, however, I am concerned about her motives nonetheless.

The reason for my initial post: I got this book for my brother and my wife (both of whom have been Ann Rice fans) after reading that Ann Rice had reverted back to her Catholic faith.

My brother called me and said that he thought the book was a blasphamy. He didn’t want to read it after the first chapter. I explained to him that the book was fictional and claimed to be such (he understood that) but was based on some early writings that were excluded from the bible canon. He replied (and rightfully so) that this book could give a false impression on the life of Christ (Jesus didn’t kill any kid…as he put it). Also, after I read the first chapter, it is clear that Jesus seemed confused about his supernatural powers. God confused?..seems theologically problematic to me.

Then my wife started to read it. She got bored reading it and stopped. She didn’t feel that Ann Rice’s heart was really into it. Her other Vampire novels were much better written.

After the post by tiny’(name removed by moderator)my, I researched and saw that Ann Rice is still promoting her Vampire chronicals on her official web site. With all the occult contained within the Vampire Chronicals, you would think that she would stop promoting those works that would potentially lead others astray. (Just asking the question why she would continue doing that if Christ is now in her life).

However, I admit that we all have things to work on in this life, and Ann Rice may indeed be on her way home…God’s working on her just like the rest of us.

Having said that however, it might be dangerous to say that she is a great example of what it means to return home to the Catholic Church if she hasn’t really returned in her heart (which I can’t say because I can’t see inside of her soul).
 
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spanky:
Haven’t read the book but bought it as a Christmas gift for someone. Check out Michelle Arnold’s review on jimmyakin.org:

jimmyakin.org/2005/11/christ_the_lord.html
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Thanks for that link. I’m now back on the fence again. I really don’t know what to think. What I’ve gathered thus far:
    • Two Catholic publications have embraced her that I’m aware of (National Catholic Reporter & Our Sunday Visitor)
    • Ann Rice’s official web site is still promoting her Vampire Chonicals which are filled with occult rhetoric.
    • Jimmy Akin’s web site seems to endorce the attempt by Ann Rice to spin an Orthodox understanding of the early life of Christ (yet does acknowledge some theological inaccuraces)
    • From what I’ve read, and what others have posted, she doesn’t have an orthodox view of Catholicism in the sense of embracing all of the teachings of the Church (in particular homosexual marriage).
    • She has told a compelling conversion story which had her married to a confirmed atheist for forty years and then returned to the Church after a 41 year absense.
    • Her fictional tale of Christ is not a very interesting read leading (at least my wife) one to conclude that she may be a Christ-story bandwagon jumper (with all the hoopla post-Passion of the Christ).
    • Part of me wants to give her the benefit of the doubt that her efforts are sincere and that she will improve in writing style regarding how Christians (particularly Orthodox Catholic Christians) view Jesus Christ.
    • Part of me senses that an unsuspecting public may embrace her version of Christ that may never be close to the Jesus Christ of Catholic teaching…but may be a deception.
In a nutshell, I want to embrace Ann Rice’s return to Catholic truth, but is she really writing about it?
 
I started reading the book because someone on another forum recommend it but I am not a fan it all.

For some one returning to church and still struggling to understand the major faith teaching, it looks like jesus is some form of magician who can kill and revive people at will.

I understand why these are stories never accepted as apostolic tradition because they ridicule the message itself. Like Jesus has some sort of power he has to learn to control.

I get the feeling, it ridicules christian faith. Sorry that’s my impression.

I think any writing about Jesus without “divine” revelation to do so, can only become a failure.

I read a lot of historiv novels of any kind - but this one is not particular catching.

I will read till the end but I cannot recommend it.

Brigitte
 
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teresa613:
I started reading the book because someone on another forum recommend it but I am not a fan it all.

For some one returning to church and still struggling to understand the major faith teaching, it looks like jesus is some form of magician who can kill and revive people at will.

I understand why these are stories never accepted as apostolic tradition because they ridicule the message itself. Like Jesus has some sort of power he has to learn to control.

I get the feeling, it ridicules christian faith. Sorry that’s my impression.

I think any writing about Jesus without “divine” revelation to do so, can only become a failure.

I read a lot of historiv novels of any kind - but this one is not particular catching.

I will read till the end but I cannot recommend it.

Brigitte
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I haven’t read it and almost certainly won’t. It just sounds like yet another pop culture, childishly written yawn. Her portrayal of Christ sounds like Tabitha in Bewiched-- “Tabitha! Don’t turn daddy into a potted plant!”, etc.

As to Ann Rice, I truly hope that her conversion is sincere, but from everything I’ve heard she seems like someone who moves into your house and says she loves it if only you’d tear 3/4 of it down, rebuild and move it to a different neighborhood.

Hope I’m wrong.
 
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