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Eli
What If Jesus Had Not Come Until Today?Who Would Follow Him?Who Would Kill Him?A fiery car crash hurls TV journalist Conrad Davis into another world exactly like ours except for one detail―Jesus Christ did not come 2,000 years ago, but today.Starting with angels heralding a birth in the back of a motel laundry room, the skeptical Davis watches the gospel unfold in today’s society as a Messiah in T-shirt and blue jeans heals, raises people from the dead, and speaks such startling truth that he captures the heart of a nation.But the young man's actions and his criticism of the religious establishment earn him enemies as ruthless as they are powerful.An intense and thought-provoking novel, Eli strips away religious tradition to present Jesus fresh and unvarnished. With gripping immediacy, Bill Myers weaves a story whose truth will refresh your faith.
432 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
87 people are currently reading
1,127 people want to read
About the author
Bill Myers
316books380followersBill Myers was born into a Christian home, and although as a child he became bored with Christianity, he decided at the University of Washington quote, to "make God my boss." Ironically, at the University his worst subject was writing. He claims to have prayed, and said that he would be able to do anything for God, except write. Even so, he has become a prominent Christian writer, and has a large amount of successful books and films to his credit.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews
September 1, 2024
Bill Myers brings the Gospel story into modern times with Eli, a story of a parallel universe where Jesus didn't come two thousand years ago, but today. A powerful allegory, with crisp writing and a compelling story, this is definitely worth reading; it may make you think about your walk with God.
EDIT: I've had and read multiple copies of this book since I first heard it mentioned in a sermon over two decades ago...but, imagine my surprise when I opened the cover of my most recent edition, which I bought at a garage sale last year, and saw Mr. Myers' autograph!
EDIT: I've had and read multiple copies of this book since I first heard it mentioned in a sermon over two decades ago...but, imagine my surprise when I opened the cover of my most recent edition, which I bought at a garage sale last year, and saw Mr. Myers' autograph!
February 5, 2015
I read Eli a few years back. I've never been a huge fan of Christian fiction, but I found it at the local Goodwill and figured it looked interesting. Never would I have imagined that I'd still be referencing it some ten years later.
I can't really speak to the writing style of the author, as some folks have. I've always been of the mind that an author's job is to connect with the reader. Do that effectively, and the reader will forgive any number of literary sins. Do it poorly, and it won't matter how eloquent they write -- the story will fall flat.
I found Eli very easy to read, and quite engrossing. Sure, there are concepts that I didn't really care for, but consider the story being told. This is Jesus, in Jesus' time, with that time being today. Jesus had a bit of a following before the Crucifixion, but it was small potatoes compared to what He had just forty days later, let alone at the formation of the canon, some 350 years later. Jesus changed the whole world... but not during His earthly lifetime. In His day, very few realized the full significance of His coming.
So it is with Eli. He had a profound impact on those close to him, but we don't follow his story long enough for him to "change the world". We only know that it's coming because we knew how it happened for Christ.
The thing that sticks with me about the story is this one revelation that I'm sure I'd thought a thousand times, but never really considered it directly. It's the seemingly contradictory nature of God's interaction with man. God is absolutely, infinitely holy, so His sense of justice cannot be compromised. By the same token, God is absolutely, infinitely loving and merciful, so His sense of love cannot be compromised. With the advent of sin, these two natures would seem to conflict. God CAN'T simply forgive -- that would compromise His holiness. But neither can He simply sit in judgment -- that would compromise His mercy. So we're at an impasse.
Enter Jesus, who PERFECTLY satisfies BOTH His holiness AND His mercy. In Jesus, God passes a holy, righteous, unflinching, merciless judgment... and then satisfies it Himself. God demands the Lamb, then provides Himself AS the Lamb.
The revelation of this concept, and the way Bill Myers describes it at the climax of the book, is well worth reading whatever imperfections the rest of the book contains. Myers does this masterfully :)
I can't really speak to the writing style of the author, as some folks have. I've always been of the mind that an author's job is to connect with the reader. Do that effectively, and the reader will forgive any number of literary sins. Do it poorly, and it won't matter how eloquent they write -- the story will fall flat.
I found Eli very easy to read, and quite engrossing. Sure, there are concepts that I didn't really care for, but consider the story being told. This is Jesus, in Jesus' time, with that time being today. Jesus had a bit of a following before the Crucifixion, but it was small potatoes compared to what He had just forty days later, let alone at the formation of the canon, some 350 years later. Jesus changed the whole world... but not during His earthly lifetime. In His day, very few realized the full significance of His coming.
So it is with Eli. He had a profound impact on those close to him, but we don't follow his story long enough for him to "change the world". We only know that it's coming because we knew how it happened for Christ.
The thing that sticks with me about the story is this one revelation that I'm sure I'd thought a thousand times, but never really considered it directly. It's the seemingly contradictory nature of God's interaction with man. God is absolutely, infinitely holy, so His sense of justice cannot be compromised. By the same token, God is absolutely, infinitely loving and merciful, so His sense of love cannot be compromised. With the advent of sin, these two natures would seem to conflict. God CAN'T simply forgive -- that would compromise His holiness. But neither can He simply sit in judgment -- that would compromise His mercy. So we're at an impasse.
Enter Jesus, who PERFECTLY satisfies BOTH His holiness AND His mercy. In Jesus, God passes a holy, righteous, unflinching, merciless judgment... and then satisfies it Himself. God demands the Lamb, then provides Himself AS the Lamb.
The revelation of this concept, and the way Bill Myers describes it at the climax of the book, is well worth reading whatever imperfections the rest of the book contains. Myers does this masterfully :)
January 3, 2012
I heard author, Bill Myers, speak at a Christian writer's conference in California last spring. His voice mesmerized me. His message captivated me. At the end of the conference I purchased his book, Eli, for my husband and had Bill sign it for him, secretly knowing I would also benefit from this "gift". I let it sit on my hubby's shelf with his other "to be read" books. I plowed through my pile of "to be read" books, until December, a month off book club, fewer school days, fewer activities, more nights by the fire.
I pulled Eli off my husband's shelf and dove in.
Eli is the retelling of the gospel (in novel form), like you've never heard it before. It's twisted out of its familiar settings and verses into today's terms. I take such comfort in my tried and true Bible, but I must admit, I sometimes take for granted or skim over the deep lying messages within. What if Christ had been born in Santa Monica in the early 70's and a bunch of hippies were told by some glowing dudes they would find a new king, someone to change the world, in the laundry room of a motel, wrapped in motel towels? Bill Myers describes down to the beads and scent of smoke what it would be like. If I were in that motel, would I believe?
The nativity presented in this manner drew me in as I gazed at the stockings hanging by our fireplace. As I read on, Eli helped me reposition front and center in my mind what Christmas is all about.
Follow Eli Shepherd as he heals the lame, feeds the hungry, gives sight to the blind and raises the dead - all with twentieth century paparazzi, politics and media.
Read this book.
Hear his message of love.
Ponder if you would follow him.
July 25, 2009
Not actually all that great. The premise is that Jesus comes in the present day. I just couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that Bill Myers assumes the future would be the same whether Jesus had come 2000 years ago or today. Everything we see around us has had the influence of Christ. Nothing can escape that.
May 4, 2024
I first read Eli close to twenty years ago. I can actually remember borrowing it from the Bookmobile one summer while I was in high school, and thinking that it was such a cool concept. Imagine a parallel world exactly like ours, except for the fact that Jesus didn’t come as a babe in a Bethlehem manger over 2,000 years ago. Instead, He was born in a motel laundry room in 1970. Through the eyes of Conrad, a journalist from our world who is currently in a coma, we witness the unfolding of the ministry of Jesus—or Eli, as He is named in this book—in our time, in America. While there were a few instances of kind of cheesy writing that was so prevalent in early 2000s Christian fiction but, for the most part, Eli was a really compelling and thought-provoking reimagining of The Greatest Story Ever Told.
We flip back and forth between Conrad’s story as he follows Eli in this parallel universe, and Conrad’s daughter Julia’s story as she wrestles with what to do about her father, as he is in a seemingly irreversible coma. I have to admit that I was much more interested in the Eli story than in what was happening in Conrad’s “real� world, though both were handled well. Strangely, it was this real world story that had most of the moments that had me cringing just a bit, not the story of the Christ figure’s ministry in 2000s America. I could tell that it was this Eli portion of the story that had so taken root in the author’s mind, and that the Julia story was more of a necessary afterthought. I totally understand that, though. The question of what Jesus’s ministry would look like if He walked the earth today is a fascinating one.
Speaking of ministry, I thought Myers did a great job hitting all of the important highlights of Jesus’s earthly ministry. He stayed true to them theologically while showing how they might’ve looked here and now instead of then and there. And he was careful to cover every significant portion of the Gospel account, from all of the major miracles to the parables, from the Nativity to Holy Week. Obviously this was all incredibly speculative, but it was easy to see how much care and thought and prayer had gone into each of these plot points.
Eli is a book that has stayed with me, at least in concept, for a very long time. And I think that it will stay with me for even longer now that I’ve revisited it. The writing wasn’t incredibly literary, but it was solid and workable. As I stated above, there were a handful of scenes or writing decisions that felt just a bit cheesy, but it honestly wasn’t anything major. This is really solid, interesting Christian fiction that I would have no qualms recommending to anyone, no matter their personal stance on faith. It’s a really good story.
We flip back and forth between Conrad’s story as he follows Eli in this parallel universe, and Conrad’s daughter Julia’s story as she wrestles with what to do about her father, as he is in a seemingly irreversible coma. I have to admit that I was much more interested in the Eli story than in what was happening in Conrad’s “real� world, though both were handled well. Strangely, it was this real world story that had most of the moments that had me cringing just a bit, not the story of the Christ figure’s ministry in 2000s America. I could tell that it was this Eli portion of the story that had so taken root in the author’s mind, and that the Julia story was more of a necessary afterthought. I totally understand that, though. The question of what Jesus’s ministry would look like if He walked the earth today is a fascinating one.
Speaking of ministry, I thought Myers did a great job hitting all of the important highlights of Jesus’s earthly ministry. He stayed true to them theologically while showing how they might’ve looked here and now instead of then and there. And he was careful to cover every significant portion of the Gospel account, from all of the major miracles to the parables, from the Nativity to Holy Week. Obviously this was all incredibly speculative, but it was easy to see how much care and thought and prayer had gone into each of these plot points.
Eli is a book that has stayed with me, at least in concept, for a very long time. And I think that it will stay with me for even longer now that I’ve revisited it. The writing wasn’t incredibly literary, but it was solid and workable. As I stated above, there were a handful of scenes or writing decisions that felt just a bit cheesy, but it honestly wasn’t anything major. This is really solid, interesting Christian fiction that I would have no qualms recommending to anyone, no matter their personal stance on faith. It’s a really good story.
August 26, 2017
3.5 Stars
This book helped me to picture what life may have been like for the disciples of Jesus. It was a fast read, and gave me a better understanding of biblical events.
This book helped me to picture what life may have been like for the disciples of Jesus. It was a fast read, and gave me a better understanding of biblical events.
January 2, 2025
Not sure what expected, but this book moved me. The author does a good job of interpretating the scriptures with a modern lens and weaving it into a captivating story while developing multiple story lines. Would recommend.
July 26, 2013
I thought this was a very interesting concept, and I wanted to like it, but just couldn't. Maybe if it was a shorter book (432 pages?) it would have been worth finishing, but I've made it half way through and can't justify spending more time. I'm afraid what was a great concept was buried in a long, long book. Some story lines in the book are just ridiculous - beer that never runs out - because Eli (aka Jesus) is there? Come on! The story flings you back and forth between a man in a coma / altered state, and being a follower of Eli. The author had a great opportunity with this idea, and I feel it was wasted. Many others liked this book, and it's probably worth a try if you're interested, but it just wasn't for me.
September 28, 2018
The idea was great. Execution? Not quite.
I wanted to like it, I really did but the writing and editing was so poor that it was extremely hard to keep going. I try but all a could do was getting upset at the editor of this for not correcting all the holes and problems.
Realmente quería que me gustara. La premisa me parecía genial y me entusiasmaba la idea de una historia de ficción cristiana que fuera más original pero solo me terminó decepcionando la calidad de la escritura y edición. Me costaba horrible avanzar más de 5 páginas. Una pena la verdad.
I wanted to like it, I really did but the writing and editing was so poor that it was extremely hard to keep going. I try but all a could do was getting upset at the editor of this for not correcting all the holes and problems.
Realmente quería que me gustara. La premisa me parecía genial y me entusiasmaba la idea de una historia de ficción cristiana que fuera más original pero solo me terminó decepcionando la calidad de la escritura y edición. Me costaba horrible avanzar más de 5 páginas. Una pena la verdad.
January 10, 2016
I can't recommend this book strongly enough. Reading Jesus' story set in contemporary times helped me to see what the Bible has to say in a fresh light and this novel has had a profound, lasting effect on my faith and how I see what it means to be like Jesus. Absolutely, absolutely read this. At worst, you'll have enjoyed a well-written novel that deserves a place on the bookshelf of every Christian reader.
September 28, 2024
Audible Plus 11 hours 56 min. Narrated by Richard Ferrone (A)
Unique plot (to me): What if Jesus Christ had not been born until the end of the 20th century and did not begin His ministry until 2000? How would the Messiah be received? I was introduced to this book by a ŷ review, and I wasn't certain how I would feel about the change of context.
The first sentences caught my attention and compelled me to listen to more.
"Monday was an inconvenient day to die. Come to think of it Tuesday through Sunday, weren't all that agreeable either. Conrad Davis has too many important things to do."
Thus, we introduced to Conrad "Connie, " a television journalist seeking a new angle to cover for his producer. Connie is an unbeliever, a skeptic. He's been divorced three times, with a daughter Julia from his first marriage to his wife Suzanne, a believer. Conrad loves Julia, but they have been estranged since his divorce from her mother. These three characters are brought together again after a horrible car crash leaves Connie in a coma and on life support.
Connie "wakes up" in a parallel universe in which he meets a strange, young man calling small crowds on the coast of California to repentance and baptism, and he decides it might the just the angle he's searching for. On his next visit, he has his cameraman and soundman, and they witness the baptism of Eli Shepherd.
The author did a good job of portraying ELI as Jesus in a modern-day context. I wasn't as enthusiastic about his treatment of the disciples, but they played a lesser role in the plot. I think the book could have been more effective if it had been a little shorter. The conflict between JUSTICE and MERCY is handled well throughout the story.
"Richard Ferrone's thoughtful narration captures the true conflict of a man's struggle with the decision to give his life over to Christ."
This book was out of my reading comfort zone, but it certainly kept my attention and had a thought-provoking conclusion.
Bill Meyers has an interesting author profile on ŷ.
Unique plot (to me): What if Jesus Christ had not been born until the end of the 20th century and did not begin His ministry until 2000? How would the Messiah be received? I was introduced to this book by a ŷ review, and I wasn't certain how I would feel about the change of context.
The first sentences caught my attention and compelled me to listen to more.
"Monday was an inconvenient day to die. Come to think of it Tuesday through Sunday, weren't all that agreeable either. Conrad Davis has too many important things to do."
Thus, we introduced to Conrad "Connie, " a television journalist seeking a new angle to cover for his producer. Connie is an unbeliever, a skeptic. He's been divorced three times, with a daughter Julia from his first marriage to his wife Suzanne, a believer. Conrad loves Julia, but they have been estranged since his divorce from her mother. These three characters are brought together again after a horrible car crash leaves Connie in a coma and on life support.
Connie "wakes up" in a parallel universe in which he meets a strange, young man calling small crowds on the coast of California to repentance and baptism, and he decides it might the just the angle he's searching for. On his next visit, he has his cameraman and soundman, and they witness the baptism of Eli Shepherd.
The author did a good job of portraying ELI as Jesus in a modern-day context. I wasn't as enthusiastic about his treatment of the disciples, but they played a lesser role in the plot. I think the book could have been more effective if it had been a little shorter. The conflict between JUSTICE and MERCY is handled well throughout the story.
"Richard Ferrone's thoughtful narration captures the true conflict of a man's struggle with the decision to give his life over to Christ."
This book was out of my reading comfort zone, but it certainly kept my attention and had a thought-provoking conclusion.
Bill Meyers has an interesting author profile on ŷ.
September 7, 2022
Eli was a wonderful book. It is a retelling of the story of the new testament set in a modern setting. The book’s main character, Conrad Davis, is sent from our world into an alternate universe because of an accident. In this new world Jesus was born in the 70’s and Conrad arrives just in time to witness the latter part of his life. The book switches between this universe and ours, where Conrad is fighting for his life, this makes for an interesting dynamic, while Corad is starting to find his life in this new universe, he is losing in ours. The book functions as a retelling of the new testament, with some liberty taken in order to modernize it, for those that are familiar with the stories of the new testament finding a parallel between it and the book acts as a little reward for the reader that makes them read on. Overall it functions as a powerful retelling of the events of the new testament, and a great book, the only reason I’ve given the book four insead of five stars is that the introduction is slow and may lead to readers putting down the book before getting to the real story. I would recommend this book if you have read the new testament and feel like a simple recap would be helpful.
May 18, 2021
4.5 ⭐️
The first time I read the plot of this book I was amazed and very intrigued. The story caught my attention because it’s about Jesus coming just in the 2000.
Sometimes I felt strange when there were some scenes where Eli (Jesus) appeared because he was so human but at the same time so holy. I put myself into the disciples� shoes and I realized that it wouldn’t be easier to believe in Jesus as the Son of God.
This book made me reflect about the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. And if you want to read it prepare yourself for a confronting story.
The first time I read the plot of this book I was amazed and very intrigued. The story caught my attention because it’s about Jesus coming just in the 2000.
Sometimes I felt strange when there were some scenes where Eli (Jesus) appeared because he was so human but at the same time so holy. I put myself into the disciples� shoes and I realized that it wouldn’t be easier to believe in Jesus as the Son of God.
This book made me reflect about the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. And if you want to read it prepare yourself for a confronting story.
Read
November 7, 2019If you are a fan of the musical Jesus Christ Superstar or at least can suspend disbelief a bit, you will LOVE this book. If you are one who is offended by the resetting of Jesus life you may not want to go with this one. I loved the book from beginning to end.
June 1, 2014
Bill Myers, Eli, copyright:2000, ZondervanPublishingHouse, Grand Rapids, Michigan,
This book by Bill Myers, "Eli" follows the story of a TV Journalist named Conrad Davis. He is thrown into another world after a car accident. He is thrown into a world where Jesus Christ was not born 2,000 years ago, but born in today's society. Jesus in this book is a man named Eli Shepard, who goes around d oing what Jesus did but in a white shirt and blue jeans.
The first act of the book when Conrad is thrown into the alternate universe immediately had me hooked. He is thrown into a dystopian universe and it reminded me of the Time Machine and 1984 mixed together. It was interesting to see how it would be like if Jesus was in our current timeline. It was not what I expected it to be and I was a little dissapointed. I wanted Jesus to have a bigger impact on the world. I wanted him to challenge the world and her leaders and have the leaders try to fight back and contain him. I also did not like how the book changed the name of Jesus to Eli. It did not make me connect to him and have as much of an impact as it would if his name was just Jesus.
If your interested in alternate universes, dystopia, alternate timelines, then this is a good book to pick up and read. It(in my humble opinion) will not have a great impact on you when compared to other dystopia era novels. And if you are a believer of Christ, it may not be what you expect and may be somewhat dissapointed in some parts of the novel. I would recommend this if you are sick of reading anything else and want to try something, somewhat new.
This book by Bill Myers, "Eli" follows the story of a TV Journalist named Conrad Davis. He is thrown into another world after a car accident. He is thrown into a world where Jesus Christ was not born 2,000 years ago, but born in today's society. Jesus in this book is a man named Eli Shepard, who goes around d oing what Jesus did but in a white shirt and blue jeans.
The first act of the book when Conrad is thrown into the alternate universe immediately had me hooked. He is thrown into a dystopian universe and it reminded me of the Time Machine and 1984 mixed together. It was interesting to see how it would be like if Jesus was in our current timeline. It was not what I expected it to be and I was a little dissapointed. I wanted Jesus to have a bigger impact on the world. I wanted him to challenge the world and her leaders and have the leaders try to fight back and contain him. I also did not like how the book changed the name of Jesus to Eli. It did not make me connect to him and have as much of an impact as it would if his name was just Jesus.
If your interested in alternate universes, dystopia, alternate timelines, then this is a good book to pick up and read. It(in my humble opinion) will not have a great impact on you when compared to other dystopia era novels. And if you are a believer of Christ, it may not be what you expect and may be somewhat dissapointed in some parts of the novel. I would recommend this if you are sick of reading anything else and want to try something, somewhat new.
August 23, 2011
So this is kind of a weird book to review. This is actually the second time I've read it- the first time was when I was a kid, and I pulled it off my parents' bookshelf because it looked interesting. I remembered bits of it, and a few weeks ago decided I wanted to read it again.
It's still an interesting book. The writing style is pretty hokey in places, I won't lie, but then again flawless writing style isn't really the point of the book. It is basically a retelling of the Gospel story, set in the modern day. It's really interesting to read the stories again set with modern styles and meanings. Instead of being born in a manger (seriously, who does that anymore?) he is born in a motel laundry room. Instead of fish and loaves, he feeds a crowd with a burger and side of fries (it's set in America, after all). Instead of throwing out the moneychangers from the temple, he trashes a gift shop in a overly-elaborate mega-church.
Again, a lot of it is kind of hokey, but in the end it's okay because it really does recast these stories in a new light. It's easy to think "hey, no one has money changers in their churches anymore, it's all good" when really you've got the same effect from a million other influences. It stuck with me as a kid (I never did like mega-churches) and I'm glad to have reread it. It's a pretty good "thinkin' book".
It's still an interesting book. The writing style is pretty hokey in places, I won't lie, but then again flawless writing style isn't really the point of the book. It is basically a retelling of the Gospel story, set in the modern day. It's really interesting to read the stories again set with modern styles and meanings. Instead of being born in a manger (seriously, who does that anymore?) he is born in a motel laundry room. Instead of fish and loaves, he feeds a crowd with a burger and side of fries (it's set in America, after all). Instead of throwing out the moneychangers from the temple, he trashes a gift shop in a overly-elaborate mega-church.
Again, a lot of it is kind of hokey, but in the end it's okay because it really does recast these stories in a new light. It's easy to think "hey, no one has money changers in their churches anymore, it's all good" when really you've got the same effect from a million other influences. It stuck with me as a kid (I never did like mega-churches) and I'm glad to have reread it. It's a pretty good "thinkin' book".
July 24, 2007
In this evangelical novel, Myers utilizes a lot of dialogue to move the story along fairly quickly, and the parallel occurrences between the two worlds come together neatly. There is also a fair amount of action, and because Conrad is transported into a parallel universe where God sends his son to earth in modern day society, there is a challenge in trying to connect the experiences Eli and his followers go through with the experiences known of Jesus from the Bible. All of the characters are flawed, grasping with their faith in God and His Son, although only Conrad and his daughter are fleshed out in any detail. Some are fleshed out just enough to be unbelievable. Instead, Myers relies on the ideas and teachings of the Bible to carry the story. The mood is mainly curious and romantic for Conrad in the parallel world, and more sad and contemplative for his daughter. Although Myers often employs a humorous tone, he also sometimes gets very preachy.
January 2, 2017
I wasn't crazy about this book. I liked the concept, but didn't care much for the execution. Conrad is a reporter who is looking into a story about parallel worlds. He's in a car accident, and is in a coma. He finds himself transported to another parallel world, where Jesus did not fulfill His Messianic return 2000-ish years ago, but rather He is fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies in the present time, as "Eli". The book presents the Gospels in a current setting. Mary is conspicuously absent, other than once when she and Eli's "brothers" try to visit Eli, and He basically tells His followers to tell her that He is too busy, and that His followers are His new family. She also makes a brief appearance at the end of the book. While Conrad recognizes that Eli is Jesus in his parallel world, he seems oddly unaware of many of the parallel occurrences, and doesn't seem to realize what comes next. I didn't quite get it.
July 13, 2008
This parallel history imagines what the world would be like if Christmas occurred not 2000 years ago, but 30 years ago. Some of the "bad guy" characters are a bit over the top, but it really clarifies how pathetic they truly are, rather than trying to make them seem Uber Evil.
Since I was familiar with the gospels' version of the events, I was familiar with the parallels the author made, and it kept me guessing about which character represented whom (with a few obvious exceptions).
As a general rule, I dislike "Christian" fiction intensely. When authors imply that XYZ happening is God's will for the characters, it creeps me out. It implies that God's thoughts are like the author's thoughts, which totally goes against Scripture. Myers was more subtle than that.
Intriguing and refreshing. One of my favorites.
Since I was familiar with the gospels' version of the events, I was familiar with the parallels the author made, and it kept me guessing about which character represented whom (with a few obvious exceptions).
As a general rule, I dislike "Christian" fiction intensely. When authors imply that XYZ happening is God's will for the characters, it creeps me out. It implies that God's thoughts are like the author's thoughts, which totally goes against Scripture. Myers was more subtle than that.
Intriguing and refreshing. One of my favorites.
February 16, 2018
It's an interesting perspective on what if Jesus came into today's modern world instead of two thousand years ago. One big thing wrong with it as the story of Jesus is not just a story it's the good news the Gospel which is lacking from this book. There's no Gospel teaching at all in this. Maybe there isn't supposed to be but I think if one is going to talk about the life of Jesus one has to give the Gospel and Jesus and the Gospel go together hand in hand.
July 6, 2009
I loved this book and made it a book club selection last year. My whole family listened to this in the car.
The story will stay with you a long time.
My favorite quote is "you are only as good as your word".
which maybe isn't so good. hopefully,if given the chance, you can always try again.
The story will stay with you a long time.
My favorite quote is "you are only as good as your word".
which maybe isn't so good. hopefully,if given the chance, you can always try again.
March 13, 2012
Very thought provoking book. I found myself going back through the gospels to compare the stories of Jesus's life to what I was reading in Eli. This book places the setting of Jesus's story in modern day. I now completely "get" why Jesus was so controversial and such a threat to the establishment.
April 5, 2008
A very thought-provoking novel about what it would be like if Jesus came now for the first time.
December 10, 2010
A really great book shows us how everything is great and worth to die for
May 18, 2017
Not as good as the story on which it is based.
June 1, 2017
What if Jesus had been born in our modern era instead of 2000 years ago?
An amazing storyteller, Bill Myers, provides a riveting look into this alternate possibility. A man of Jewish descent is born to a young couple in 1970s Santa Monica, California during the height of the hippy movement. Told through the eyes of Conrad Davis, a man who questions everything to do with faith and who is catapulted into an alternate universe where Jesus has not existed...until now. Taking human form as Eli Shepherd, the Messiah walks along the California communities introducing His ministry that introduces the Kingdom of God amongst the backlash of Big Americanized Religion. The parables are the same, just a different setting. The feeding of the 5,000 occurs beside a lake in a quiet California community, where not fish and bread multiplied, but burgers and fries! The healing of the demonic occurs on a CA overpass when a homeless woman is freed of her captors, and the demons are cast into her band of feral cats. The driving out of the money handlers of the temple takes place at the heaven/worship theme park in Georgia. And most shocking of all, is the unjust arrest and conviction of the Messiah Eli wherein he is wrongly accused of a horrendous attack of a worship center. Powerful and wealthy religious leaders use their political sway to set Eli up, ending in His unjustly lynching and His ultimate sacrifice. While this is merely fiction, as the author prefaces, it offers a gut wrenching and eye opening view into what it could have been like had Jesus postponed his coming until our modern age. I dare you to come away unchanged my this phenomenal fictional portrayal of our Savior's ministry and sacrifice.
An amazing storyteller, Bill Myers, provides a riveting look into this alternate possibility. A man of Jewish descent is born to a young couple in 1970s Santa Monica, California during the height of the hippy movement. Told through the eyes of Conrad Davis, a man who questions everything to do with faith and who is catapulted into an alternate universe where Jesus has not existed...until now. Taking human form as Eli Shepherd, the Messiah walks along the California communities introducing His ministry that introduces the Kingdom of God amongst the backlash of Big Americanized Religion. The parables are the same, just a different setting. The feeding of the 5,000 occurs beside a lake in a quiet California community, where not fish and bread multiplied, but burgers and fries! The healing of the demonic occurs on a CA overpass when a homeless woman is freed of her captors, and the demons are cast into her band of feral cats. The driving out of the money handlers of the temple takes place at the heaven/worship theme park in Georgia. And most shocking of all, is the unjust arrest and conviction of the Messiah Eli wherein he is wrongly accused of a horrendous attack of a worship center. Powerful and wealthy religious leaders use their political sway to set Eli up, ending in His unjustly lynching and His ultimate sacrifice. While this is merely fiction, as the author prefaces, it offers a gut wrenching and eye opening view into what it could have been like had Jesus postponed his coming until our modern age. I dare you to come away unchanged my this phenomenal fictional portrayal of our Savior's ministry and sacrifice.
July 24, 2018
I was on the clock at Abbots when I picked this book up to decide it's fate, toss or stock, when I took a few extra seconds to look at the cover. Then one of those moments happened where you're not sure what's happening but you know SOMETHINGS happening so you listen. So I did just that. I then set that book aside waiting to get confirmation on what I assumed was being communicated to me (it's happened enough times where I've misunderstood to know my imperfectness also translates here). I ended up buying the book and kept it laying around my room so I would be tempted to pick it up. And BOY am I glad I did.
I've been in a reading slump for a few years now, so whenever I finish a book it's a huge deal. But the fact that I gained some wisdom from God is what brings me the most joy. God leads us to lessons and challenges, and this one was a pleasent one that involved self-reflection, realization, and awe in the fact that God and his message can be spread in so many different ways. Even through fiction in such a facinating way.
I've been in a reading slump for a few years now, so whenever I finish a book it's a huge deal. But the fact that I gained some wisdom from God is what brings me the most joy. God leads us to lessons and challenges, and this one was a pleasent one that involved self-reflection, realization, and awe in the fact that God and his message can be spread in so many different ways. Even through fiction in such a facinating way.
April 19, 2023
I met Bill Myers at a writers conference in Oregon years ago. That's where I obtained a signed copy of his book, Eli. He was a wonderful, inspiring speaker, and his talk at the conference encouraged me in my own writing goals. After all those years, I finally found time to read the book during Holy Week this year, and I'm glad I did. It is a compelling depiction of what it might be like if Jesus came into the world today, and the writing and storytelling are excellent. There are some things in the story that may not be exact parallels to the circumstances in the Bible, but its powerful message is clear and convicting. It also provides a fresh perspective on the relationship between Jesus and His followers in a similar way to The Chosen television series. In fact, the story motivated me to share the book with others, instead of keeping it to myself.
September 7, 2021
A friend recommended I try out Bill Myers and this book did not disappoint. I loved his style of writing and how he portrayed a modern day Jesus coming to Earth for the first time.
I could not put this book down, and his style of writing left me wanting more with each chapter.
While it's fictional and addresses what it would be like if Jesus was born in modern times, the book includes biblical content and discussion from the gospels that addresses issues and topics that Jesus addressed in the Bible. It really made me reflect and think about my response as a Christian in today's world, and how I would have reacted to Jesus' truth.
If you want a refreshing and suspenseful fiction read that brings the Bible to life in modern times, Eli is a must read.
I could not put this book down, and his style of writing left me wanting more with each chapter.
While it's fictional and addresses what it would be like if Jesus was born in modern times, the book includes biblical content and discussion from the gospels that addresses issues and topics that Jesus addressed in the Bible. It really made me reflect and think about my response as a Christian in today's world, and how I would have reacted to Jesus' truth.
If you want a refreshing and suspenseful fiction read that brings the Bible to life in modern times, Eli is a must read.
October 1, 2023
I'm giving this 4 starts because of how much I love the concept, and because of how much I can't stop thinking about it... about how I would respond if this were true. Would I know Him? Would I follow Him??
But the actual writing style wasn't my favorite, and as much as I wanted to (duh!), I wasn't super drawn to Eli (or the other characters, either)... I wanted to love him but I wasn't attached to him as a character, which I desperately wanted to be!!
But the actual writing style wasn't my favorite, and as much as I wanted to (duh!), I wasn't super drawn to Eli (or the other characters, either)... I wanted to love him but I wasn't attached to him as a character, which I desperately wanted to be!!
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