#Biff jesus fav free

Out of the many Disciples of Christ, it is statistically probable that at least one would be a total asshole. 9), is, according to the angel Raziel, “an asshole” (2). I love that Levi, aka Biff, which translates roughly as “smack upside the head” (p. If the Council of Nicaea had perceived Jesus in the way Moore portrays him as a child, there would likely have been little argument as to the combined humanity and divinity of Christ. As a child, it likely wouldn’t occur to Josh that it may be more compassionate to just let the lizard stay dead than to continue bringing it back to life so it can be tortured repeatedly. Josh’s little brother is bashing a lizard to death, and the Son of God resurrects the lizard time after time. These themes are constant from the very first passage of the book, when Biff describes his first meeting with Joshua. And while Joshua is in no way perfect, he feels a constant compulsion to always do the right thing despite the fact that he doesn’t always know what that is. He doesn’t want to lie and say it’s Moses’ face on the unleavened bread: Not because he wants it known that it’s him but because it’s simply not the truth. He wants to grow up and do the work of his Father. Sure, Joshua has a certain “otherness” to him. No matter what Jesus supposedly did as an adult, he probably was just a regular kid at one time (anyway, as regular as any kid could be given the fact that his mother insists he is the Son of God.) This is the Joshua who Biff remembers and loves. While Biff writes of Joshua’s human side, the angel Raziel wants Biff “to convey more of Joshua’s grace” (18). Then I can teach him to be a man” (17).Īlthough Joseph isn’t technically Joshua’s father, he takes his role seriously and realizes the necessity for Josh to be in touch with his human side to grow into the man he is meant to be. He needs a friend to teach him to be human. When the two friends are still quite young, Joseph tells Biff, “You go with Joshua. This purposeful humanization is counteracted by the innate divinity with which Joshua struggles throughout his life. The constant humanization of Jesus, aka Joshua, through the use of humor is an ongoing theme in Lamb. That and the fact that “ Jesus Christ” so easily plays along. I think it has something to do with the specific sentiment Moore develops using Joseph’s seriousness and Joshua’s presumed divinity suddenly being trivialized by Biff’s smart-ass remarks. When taken out of context, I’m not sure why I even found this particular passage so funny.

“He’s going to teach me to fling my own dung and run headlong into walls” (27). “I’ve been talking to Bartholomew the idiot,” I said.

“He has a God-given talent,” Joshua said. “I was thinking about becoming the village idiot, if my father will allow it.” For example, when Joseph asks Biff if he wants to become a stonecutter, Biff replies, I’m not normally one to cry or laugh out loud when reading any book, but the sarcasm and irreverence used to create humor throughout Lamb definitely had me going. For me, Lamb has earned the cliché, “laugh out loud.” In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me to hear that Biff himself had coined the phrase to begin with. Moore manages to integrate a high level of intellectual humor throughout most of the novel.

#Biff jesus fav free

Throughout this novel, Moore explores such deep theological questions as the divinity of Christ and free will, using modern language sometimes reminiscent of a contemporary television sitcom. Christopher Moore’s Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal, is Biff’s often hysterical account of the life of Christ during this oft-debated period. Response to “Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal”Īfter thousands of years, the mystery of Christ’s whereabouts from the time he was 12 until the age of 30 has been solved. Here’s a throw-back Thursday review of a book that I read in the spring of 2011. This morning, I came across this reader response I wrote for one of my favorite books that I have ever read for school and thought I would share it with you.

I’m in the process of editing my “Papers” project that I am planning to publish here in a few weeks, and I keep stumbling across book reviews and other pieces that I think will also make interesting blog posts. The front cover of Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood PalISBN-10: 0380813815 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)