The Lion, the Lamb, and the Dawn of Christianity is a work of historical fiction based on the four New Testament Gospels of the Christian Bible. By imbuing some major events in the Gospels with dramatic connective tissue, the story will engage the reader with some fresh new concepts, as well as traditional ones.

Many Christian stories have you standing with Jesus and speaking out to the crowd. This book will put you into the crowd. By interacting with the characters, readers have the opportunity to compare them to their own mantra. They will experience Roman life, war, conversion, martyrdom, and the feelings of the first Christians as they await the Pentecost.

Readers will step into the skin of some powerful men who encounter the living Christ and are converted by him. Why were they converted? What did they feel? Why were the words of Jesus relevant to them? How did the centurion come by the faith that Jesus called the greatest he had seen in all Israel (Matthew 8:10)? Why was the centurion’s faith tolerated by the Empire-or was it? How did the Pentecost transform a small number of fearful followers into blazing evangelists?

The story was written to be concise and a fast read. You will keep turning the pages and will not want to put it down. There are no slow parts. A reread for a second and third time? Certainly. It is a multifaceted story for a book group. You can discuss not only the story but the wealth of sources cited in the End Notes, which will enrich the experience-and the fun-with websites for further research and what many will find to be surprising facts.

Isolate yourself while reading this book. It is a true escape from today’s noise.