W. R. Pursche

The story of The Eternal Messiah: Jesus of K’turia is obviously very, very similar to the New Testament story of Jesus. There are just so many parallels! What I like about the book is that certain sections in the book seems to have a double meaning. For example, in one scene, Jesus appeared to Win and told him that He will help him overcome his despair. After that encounter with Jesus, it is written:

"With each step he (Win) grew stronger, and as he left the camp and entered the orchard, the path, which should have been hidden in darkness, was miraculously easy to see."

I like the way there is a double meaning behind that sentence. Firstly, it can mean literally, ie. physical light and darkness. Secondly, it can mean figuratively, ie. spiritual light and darkness. Another thing I like about this book is its many sub-plots. The sub-plots usually occur at the same time and this adds intrigue to the story. When I received this book, I was a little apprehensive since I’ve never read a book which tries to recreate Jesus’ life in a different setting and era. But, I soon found out that this book stays true to one of the themes of Jesus’ life, His sacrifice for mankind. Overall, The Eternal Messiah: Jesus of K’turia is a thought-provoking and challenging read. The end of the book does not clearly indicate what happens to the League, so maybe a sequel is coming soon? I’m certainly interested in learning about how things work out for the League in the end!… (más)

I'd like to start this review with two related thoughts. First off, it takes a lot of guts to write about Jesus. Almost everyone, and all Christians, has an ideal of Jesus, a set of mindsets and actions, and any deviation by the author is likely to annoy some readers.

Secondly, though I have a degree in Religious Studies with a focus in Christian History and Theology, I'm not actually a Christian.

Which I guess is my way of saying, I'm well versed in the ideas this story deals with, but I have no dog in the fight.

So, what is this story about? The title would seem to indicate a hybrid of the Gospels and Star Trek. And I'll admit that was what I was expecting to read as I got into the book. So, I was pleasantly surprised to find an elegant and gentle treatment of the transformative power of faith.

The theology is clean and simple. Anyone who possesses a faith and works mindset should be pleased. Anyone who is a fan of Paul's criticisms of the Law will probably enjoy this as well. If you too believe the Law is old and dead, and the heart of the Christian message is drop everything, love your fellows, and follow Jesus, then you'll probably like this book, and be sold on it's main premise: that that message can immediately change, heal a man.

But I'm not sold on that message, so I would have liked to seen a bit more emotional depth of transformation. The main characters find Jesus, literally, and are changed. They see Him in action, feel the healing balm of His presence, and in less than two days, are ready to completely change their lives. Now, perhaps that's the point, interaction with the real Jesus is so powerful, it immediately changes you. But it didn't feel real to me.

There is a phenomena with hard core Star Trek fans. If you ask them what happened in any given episode, they can tell you not only what happened on the screen, but they also fill in extra bits of story that weren't really there. Parts that are emotionally meaningful to them are amplified, more detail added, occasionally entire extra scenes or bits of dialog take place. The result is a much rounder, more fulfilling story than the actual TV show on the screen.

I have a feeling actual Christians will have a similar response to The Eternal Messiah. People who already believe the message, who already have felt the power of Jesus in their own lives will likely have no problem connecting the dots of this story and adding in the extra bits of depth necessary to make it great. People like me, on the outside looking in, will likely find the transformation a bit shallow.

Which is not to say it's badly written. It's a solid B effort. But it's not the sort of change where you slide effortlessly into the characters and accept what is going on. This isn't Michael Corleone joining the dark side.

I would have liked to have seen a more defined climax to the story. I know when the plot is character change that a major, well-defined climax is problematic, but this story ended almost tentatively. Yes, it wraps at a logical point, but it feels like the first book in a series.

All in all, I liked The Eternal Messiah. I enjoyed reading it, and wanted to know what came next. There are shades of Dune as well as Star Trek in this story, and I appreciate a bit of sci-fi in my theology.… (más)

This book has a totally different twist than most christian fiction that I read.
This book takes place on a planet called K'Turia which is light years away from Earth. Captain Trebor Win mans the reasearch ship Anatar which falls under the military branch known as the Interglactic League of Worlds. When he is called to go on a covert operation to find missing weapons he winds up on K'Turia, and soon learns of a preacher who calls himself Jesus.Things start unfolding that are eerily simaliar to what took place on Earth. What will happen on the planet of K'Turia?
I would easily label this book christian fiction with a sci-fi twist.It took me awhile to learn the characters, and the cast of characters list at the beginning of the story was quite helpful, but once I figured out who everyone was the story was quite intriguing and thought provoking,a story about faith that doesn't come off preachy at all. The ending left me wondering if there might be a sequel to this one. Fans of sci-fi will certainly enjoy this one, but its a page turner for anyone who enjoys a story that will stay with you long after you finish the last page. Highly recommended!… (más)