The Didymus Contingency

by Jeremy Robinson

[kentholloway]

I have to admit...I'm late getting to this, the first novel by Jeremy Robinson. I'm not sure why it took me so long. It's right up my alley in terms of my interests...time travel and biblical accounts. I've read most of Robinson's books with gusto. But for some reason, this book wasn't much of a priority on my list of books to read. What a mistake that was! I absolutely loved it! And honestly, after reading this book, it's no wonder that Robinson went on to become one of my favorite authors out there.

One of the things that struck me most was the insight he had into the biblical account of Jesus's ministry. Even more, was the insight he had into a few of Jesus's personal relationships with His disciples and with his friends. I have a Master's Degree in Biblical Studies. I specialized in the New Testament. And while Robinson did take artistic liberties in creating this tale (it's a time travel story...focused on a period in history in which we have little recorded. How could he not take liberties?), much of it was very well researched and depicted accurately. I was completely intrigued with his portrayal of Judas, in particular. Especially the enigmatic account of his part in the Last Supper. In Scripture, the scene where Jesus hands Judas the bread, indicating who will betray him, isn't very clear. But Robinson's portrayal of this event is believable and as good a guess as anyone could make.

Furthermore, I read one negative review that criticized the book for flat characters and nothing but fast-paced action. Really? The action is what it's all about. Want a coming of age story of someone overcoming impossible personal odds to cope with something? Find a literary fiction book. This is a thriller. Action is where it's at! However, I'll say that I enjoyed the characters in this story...good and evil characters alike. But no matter how well-developed characters are, without action in a thriller novel, the author would have failed miserably. Thankfully, Robinson knows his action very well.

Other negative reviews of this book have focused on the lack of time paradoxes, I personally say, "Bravo!" I loved this story because of the fact that Robinson used a different approach to time travel than most sci-fi stories. Whereas, in Doctor Who, there are certain fixed points in time that can't be changed, Robinson posits that all of time is fixed. This, to me, makes the most sense...especially if the universe is created by an all-powerful and organized God (which I believe).

Of course, this brings us to the topic most of the negative reviews seem to harp on. It's Christian perspective. I'm sorry. Did these readers NOT read the book's description? How could you not know what you were getting when you read it? I don't fault a person who doesn't like the story for its theistic worldview. That is a matter of taste and choice. But I don't understand how people can penalize an author for writing what is on his heart. I've read tons of books by authors who attempt to tear the Christian faith apart. I've never once written a negative review because of that fact. Still, I personally loved the Christian viewpoint in this tale, and will wholeheartedly spread the word of the wonders of The Didymus Contingency to all my friends and family. As a matter of fact, I've already bought a paperback edition specifically to give to my mother. And in my opinion, there should be no greater compliment to Mr. Robinson than that.

Oh, side note: I also listened to the Audible edition of this book, narrated by R.C. Bray. Once again, Mr. Bray killed it. His performance was top notch. His vocalization and characterizations were superb. Especially his portrayal of the demon-horde, Legion. Amazing!