The Testament

THE TESTAMENT
By John Grisham
Century. 436 pages. £15.99
£12.00 (traveller's edition)
ISBN 0 7126 8012 8

This is not a theological treatise on the New (or Old) Testament. It does not study biblical covenants. It is a secular novel by a writer on a last will and testament.
I rarely find time to read novels, but often take some with me on holiday. Recently I was away from home for a month of overseas ministry, and picked up this book at the airport. It is the latest from Grisham and gripped me quickly. He is a lawyer and author of a series of successful books. He uses his legal training to explore a range of social issues through story-telling. Earlier books covered issues such as the death penalty, care for the needy in society, litigation for cigarette-induced illnesses and so on.
I am not going to spoil it by disclosing the plot of the new book (except to say that it centres around the interaction between a lawyer and a missionary who has rejected materialism for evangelism in the jungles of Brazil), but it certainly shows how Christian teaching can be conveyed in this medium. If you want a good, relaxing read which will move you spiritually too (or it should!), put it on your holiday list. I have no idea if Grisham is a Christian but this book certainly leaves me wondering.

JHJP

(According to our sources, John Grisham is a Christian, Southern Baptist and Sunday School teacher. Ed.)

John Peet

© Evangelicals Now - August 1999
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