Theophilos [Hardcover]

'Theophilos' by Michael O'Brien is a fictional depiction of the lives of St. Luke (author of the Gospel bearing his name as well as the Acts of the Apostles) and the individual to whom he addressed these writings, Theophilos. O'Brien establishes Theophilos as a dear uncle who had the responsibility of raising the young "Loukas" from the age of twelve. The book is written primarily in first person from the perspective of Theophilos--a physician steeped in the belief system of the Greek Gods though who still is more effectively an agnostic--who has now become quite disturbed by his nephew's sudden belief in the cult of "the Christos"---The Way of Jesus Christ. The book is a "present" narrative (mostly in 65 A.D.) with a collection of letters, journal entries, and examinations (interviews) woven into it, along with many reminiscences of the childhood years of not only St. Luke, but Jesus of Nazareth.

I think the first question that most O'Brien fans would ask is, "How does Theophilos measure up to the `Children of the Last Days' series?" To this, I would say that it is more a change of venue than a change of pace. The familiar elements of the author's craft: well-developed multi-dimensional characters, poetic dialogue (both interior and spoken), and thought-provoking scenarios--are not only intact, but I would even suggest further honed. The second question is, "Is 'Theophilos' more the high-action, overtly Catholic/Theological thriller (the likes of 'Fr. Elijah' or 'Plague Journal')... or is it more the evenly-paced, thoughtful novel--rich in Catholic philosophy though more subtle in its presentation (the likes of 'A Cry of Stone')?" I would honestly say this book bridges the gap between the two, with a slight lean towards the latter, yet full of intriguing happenings as we traverse a familiar historical landscape where peripheral biblical "acquaintances" are given depth and personality in very compelling and believable ways.

The historical research is so meticulous, the cultural understanding so cohesive, and the biblical exegesis so sound, that this story becomes more than just plausible; the reader could easily be led to believe that the author had a profound mystical experience of the lives of Theophilos and St. Luke. The change of time period permits O'Brien to delve more deeply into the mystery of the human person, exploring interior realities that transcend culture and time yet which are no doubt influenced by both in how they are manifest. One example is when the adolescent Loukas approaches Theophilos, wrestling with the idea of cutting his hair (he has left it long in emulation of the ancient Greek philosophers). The boy wonders if this act would dilute his "Greekness". In a beautiful exchange between the two, his uncle agrees that, though a man's exterior and interior should "be as one", this is only in the "essentials" (his character, actions, and words), not necessarily in the "accidentals" (physical appearance). An astute Catholic can draw from this exchange not only a reflection on the common--if not universal--experience of adolescent angst (NOT rebellion), but also an even more profound reflection on our understanding of the Eucharist.

Once again, Michael O'Brien has created a masterpiece that I believe affirms his place as one of the top fiction writers of our time. At this point, I find that there are two realities which I lament: first, that Ignatius Press is not the large powerhouse publisher with the marketing machine to get this book in front of more people, and second, that it will most likely be at least a year before I will have the joy of reading a new Michael O'Brien novel.

Other books readers of this book and others by Michael O'Brien may enjoy:

A Canticle for Leibowitz (A post-apocalyptic saga rooted in sound Catholic theology and in excellent literary form)
Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana (***Caveat! I include this with "fear and trepidation". No claims to theological soundness here -- I only include it because it is in the same genre as 'Theophilos' and Fr. Richard John Neuhaus found it to have literary merit nonetheless)
Dominion I: Seed (Those who enjoyed the genre of 'Father Elijah' may find this Catholic apocalyptic series intriguing)

At first glance, Theophilos appears to be a work of historical fiction--yet, in a much more profound sense, it is an examination of conscience for the present age: an examen of original sin and salvo of original grace.

The protagonist is Theophilos, the correspondent whom Luke mentions at the beginning of Luke's Gospel and Acts. The Greek-born son of a man freed from slavery, Theophilos seems free of both the slavery his father endured and the delusions imposed by the world and the excesses of passion.

A practicing physician on the Isle of Crete, Theophilos is every bit the modern rationalist--but with the soul of a virtuous pagan. In fact, Theophilos is an archetype of the best that the world and human effort, intellect, and technos have to offer. A fitting Virgil to lead us through the ancient world in the decades immediately following the Death and Resurrection of Iesous the Christos, he guides us pilgrim readers through the follies and glories of humankind in a journey that stretches beyond a particular age. The suspense of the plot is evoked in our--and Theophilos'--haunting doubt as to whether ours is the path to Inferno or Purgatorio.

Rescuing Loukas (Luke) from a plague that has wasted Loukas' mother (Theophilos' sister), father, and city (Thessalonika), Theophilos takes the boy to his home on Crete, raising the child as his own and training him in medicine, a labor and science that Theophilos again and again heroically and vainly wields against the forces of chaos.

For, outside Theophilos' well-stocked library and even the walls of his home town lurks man's capacity for evil. Repeatedly, the good physician struggles to snatch a few more years of life for one of his patients, only to witness humanity's thirst for death. This book is a meditation on the physician who cannot heal himself and the worldly agonies that tear open his heart.

Like Aeneas carrying his father from burning Troy, Theophilos is Antique pagan man--and the best of contemporary man--struggling to save from the burning ruins of human civilization something that marks our dignity and purpose in the cosmos. Theophilos dialogues with the young Loukas upon the latter's interpretation of the Aeneid, both physicians assenting to the vanity of human effort, even that of the greatest empire in history:

"the dream of noble Rome, the forgiving and just Rome, is an illusion ... the sword is always thrust into those whom she conquers." (47)

But Loukas adds an important coda that foreshadows his--and the pagan world's--embracing an unforeseen hope: the resurrected Christos, who carries us out of the flames:

"There is a scene I love most of all ... when Troy is burning and Aeneas ... escapes carrying his aged father on his back--and with his little son clinging to his hand." (47-48)

I will not tell you here whether Theophilos is saved from the burning ruins of the City of Man ... for that story is our own story--the story of our age, which is yet in the telling. In the meantime, O'Brien invites our age to dare believe that we are not "shameless apes" deserving to die in our burning cities.

Read Theophilos to discover why.

Yes, Theophilos, by Canadian author and painter Michael O'Brien is a multi-levered, erudite, yet very human story reaching back to the First Century. It is a literary exploration of the oral traditions - and of the Tradition - that gave rise to the Gospel According to St. Luke in particular and the New Testament in general.

Theophilos is different from O'Brien's standard fare. He has written a lot about Christianity at the end times, but this book is about the very beginning of the Church.

In this Gospel "according to Theophilos," O'Brien presents to us a wide panorama extending from Crete, into Greece, and then into Judea, to Nazareth and Jerusalem, of an investigation into the person and character of a certain "Yeshua," acclaimed as "Mashiach" or "Christos "by some, and ridiculed and rejected by others. But no one was left unaffected.

In this story, "Theophilos"- to whom St. Luke dedicated his Gospel and Acts of the Apostles - is "Loukas'" uncle, stepfather, and the one who taught the medicinal arts to the evangelist. Theophilos engages in his own exploration of the Nazarene, conducts interviews, and in the process we get to know him, as well as his life, family, friends, dreams and aspirations. We get an insight into Theophilos' highly rational intellect, not unlike that of modern man and yet, placed in the context of his age without anachronisms. We also get a sweet profile of Loukas, the physician-evangelist who described Yeshua at the most humane.

We also find a Church that was Catholic, and very charismatic, and I mean charismatic in the sense of Pentecostal, filled with the Holy Spirit, brimming with charismata, liturgical, centered on the Eucharist, and proto-Marian. It was also a Church with dissenters, gossips, people who meant evil, and people who meant well.

It was also a Jewish-Church, but one already opened to the gentiles in equality of membership. You see, like I like to say, Yeshua had torn down everything that separated men from the God of Israel. He had erased the boundaries. The election was Israel's became now the heritage of every man who believed in Yeshua as God, Savior, and Messiah.

The novel is also a tour-de-force into classical studies in the context of the First Century Roman Empire. Several Greek myths are explored as well as the art of ancient medicine. Dark magical arts are also explored, but more in the context of the psyches that gave them birth, not the arts themselves. Also, Theophilos/O'Brien gives us a report on the state of mathematics, astronomy, navigation, weather prediction, wardrobes, and even cuisine in the First Century Levant. Types of cursive handwriting are also mentioned and, did you know there were seven qualities of papyri for sale in ancient stationery stores? I didn't until I read this novel.

I highly recommend Theophilos. I don't know any other way to say it! Like all his works, it's full of light, wisdom, and peace. Read it, and become Theophilos yourself as He who is the Way, the Truth, and Life, comes to your encounter.

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