Gamache 1
Melissa Gamache
Sonia Zylberberg
Sex & Religion
November 23rd
The Gospel According to Jesus Christ by José Saramago
Catholicism is one of the most know religions around the world. It is meant to “learn to know, love, and serve God from Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who teaches us through the Catholic Church” (Online, Catholic. "Catholic Facts and General Knowledge”), yet people may have different beliefs and views on certain religions like catholicism. Accordingly, living in a society in which we’re allowed to have different opinions allows us to express ourselves differently than what other religions might do. For instance, this essay will explore the differences and similarities between the fiction book “The Gospel According …show more content…
Saramago by doing this book, believes that if Lucas was able to interpret and tell Jesus’ story, he believed that him too could do his own version. The story starts by telling us about young Mary, which is in Saramago’s version already married to Joseph. Then, Jesus is conceived in the most natural and carnal way. Soon enough, one of the moments that determines the future of Jesus, is the massacre of newborns by King Herod as Joseph learns about it but does not tell anyone and only runs to save the life of his son. Because of this event, Joseph is haunted by nightmares as he feels guilty for not telling anyone and ends dying. Jesus then, at the age of thirteen learns about this secret and decides to leave his mother, brothers and sisters. Saramago also talks about Jesus as a “normal” adolescent. After, he introduces us to Mary Magdala which is a prostitute and that falls in love with Jesus. Then, Saramago narrates how they end up having sex and how this was Jesus’ first time at the the age of 18 and how very normally and naturally they end up living together,like husband and wife. Saramago also introduces us to the miracles that Jesus makes (multiplying fish and bread, walking on water, the marriage at Cana , curing ill people…) and almost everything that was told in the Gospels by Mark, Matthew, Luke and …show more content…
This is portrayed as the author mentions, “...Lord knows our corporal needs, which are not confined to food and drink, there are other forms of abstention just as hard to endure” (Saramago, 227). This phrase is mentioned just right before Jesus has his first encounter with Mary Magdala and with which he will lose his virginity to. After, during the part in which Jesus and Mary Magdala relationship is narrated, the author mentions, “Jesus and Mary Magdala embraced a long time before exchanging a farewell kis, which did not take too long at all, and little wonder, for kissing was not the custom then.” (Saramago,243). We can understand that by the author saying his own commentary on that kissing, he wanted to emphasize the difference between what was actually “permitted” during those times and what he imagined in this story for Jesus. In this version, Jesus also has the chance to introduce Mary Magdala to his mother, brother and
Melissa Gamache
Sonia Zylberberg
Sex & Religion
November 23rd
The Gospel According to Jesus Christ by José Saramago
Catholicism is one of the most know religions around the world. It is meant to “learn to know, love, and serve God from Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who teaches us through the Catholic Church” (Online, Catholic. "Catholic Facts and General Knowledge”), yet people may have different beliefs and views on certain religions like catholicism. Accordingly, living in a society in which we’re allowed to have different opinions allows us to express ourselves differently than what other religions might do. For instance, this essay will explore the differences and similarities between the fiction book “The Gospel According …show more content…
Saramago by doing this book, believes that if Lucas was able to interpret and tell Jesus’ story, he believed that him too could do his own version. The story starts by telling us about young Mary, which is in Saramago’s version already married to Joseph. Then, Jesus is conceived in the most natural and carnal way. Soon enough, one of the moments that determines the future of Jesus, is the massacre of newborns by King Herod as Joseph learns about it but does not tell anyone and only runs to save the life of his son. Because of this event, Joseph is haunted by nightmares as he feels guilty for not telling anyone and ends dying. Jesus then, at the age of thirteen learns about this secret and decides to leave his mother, brothers and sisters. Saramago also talks about Jesus as a “normal” adolescent. After, he introduces us to Mary Magdala which is a prostitute and that falls in love with Jesus. Then, Saramago narrates how they end up having sex and how this was Jesus’ first time at the the age of 18 and how very normally and naturally they end up living together,like husband and wife. Saramago also introduces us to the miracles that Jesus makes (multiplying fish and bread, walking on water, the marriage at Cana , curing ill people…) and almost everything that was told in the Gospels by Mark, Matthew, Luke and …show more content…
This is portrayed as the author mentions, “...Lord knows our corporal needs, which are not confined to food and drink, there are other forms of abstention just as hard to endure” (Saramago, 227). This phrase is mentioned just right before Jesus has his first encounter with Mary Magdala and with which he will lose his virginity to. After, during the part in which Jesus and Mary Magdala relationship is narrated, the author mentions, “Jesus and Mary Magdala embraced a long time before exchanging a farewell kis, which did not take too long at all, and little wonder, for kissing was not the custom then.” (Saramago,243). We can understand that by the author saying his own commentary on that kissing, he wanted to emphasize the difference between what was actually “permitted” during those times and what he imagined in this story for Jesus. In this version, Jesus also has the chance to introduce Mary Magdala to his mother, brother and