Burning Words
by Terry & Ursula Loucks
(Fiction)
Paperback, 272 pages
Published by InfoNovels
Publication date: December 1997
ISBN: 0965692930
Synopsis:
Finding the missing link to the Maya code in the jungles of Guatemala was
challenge enough for intrepid anthropologist, Christina Sheridan, until
a fateful trip to the Middle East unveiled ancient gospels discovered in
the parched sands of Egypt...nearly two millennia after the Romans thought
they had burned them all. Burning Words is the compelling saga of one woman's
journey through the controversy which immediately erupted between biblical
scholars and the Christian clergy over the historical Jesus. In a gripping
adventure, where her orthodox beliefs are threatened even more than her
life, Christina searches for the Gospel of Gospels, the one which pre-dated
the New Testament, in hopes of bringing truth to light. The authors, in
their explosive fiction debut, masterfully weave captivating historical
information into the fabric of an inspirational odyssey. Strong, authentic
and courageous, Burning Words will stimulate your intellect as well as your
emotion.
Author's Review:
There are more dangerous places to travel than Kashmir, Upper Egypt and
the West Bank in spite of the perils of religious strife in these blood
soaked regions. The most dangerous places to travel these days are the pages
of New Testament scholarship, where the origins of Christianity are under
siege. The historicity of Jesus and his disciples is undoubtedly the most
controversial subject in our times. The long held Christian beliefs of our
society are being threatened by scholarly research on recently discovered
manuscripts like the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi codices. The debate
raging between New Testament scholars and the orthodox clergy often erupts
on television and our weekly new magazines. In the past few months Jesus
has appeared on the covers of Newsweek, Time and Atlantic monthly almost
as often as Princess Diana. Most of us, however, do not know enough about
these manuscripts or the ongoing scholarly research to know whether or not
they impact our most sacred beliefs. Is our New Testament Jesus preserved
in these scrolls and codices? If not, what new picture of Jesus emerges?
What impact does this have on our core beliefs about life, both now and
hereafter? These questions and many more, including the impact of Eastern
religions are addressed in Burning Words, as are the religious implications
of recent physics discoveries. We are confident that the adventures of Christina
Sheridan, an anthropologist who pursues the most important manuscript known
to Christianity, will be so captivating that the reader will be unaware
of how much they have learned until the smoke clears in the final scene
of the chase.
Reviews:
David Miles, 3/18/99 Wahoo. This is a great story.
This book picks you up by the back of the neck and won't let you down. Burning Words is absorbing, interesting, exciting, stimulating and gripping. It's chuck full of revealing information about the controversial origins of Christianity. The way the authors have woven into this adventure story the enlightened perspective of Asha, a physicist from India, is truly amazing. This character alone makes the book worthwhile, as she explains her personal philosophy of science, the anthropic principle, and the evidence she sees of a universal intelligence. Burning Words sets a new standard for fiction, going well beyond the wonderful historical novels of Michener.
Joy Jones, 3/18/99 Burning Words has made a profound impact on my life!
I loved this story of romance, adventure and, most of all, a search for truth. As the reader, I felt compelled to examine my own spirituality and clarify my own basic beliefs. I purchased two copies, one to loan and one to re-read again and again. Anyone who is on a personal journey should read Burning Words. It will provoke conversations, questions, study and spiritual growth. I thank the authors for helping me along my way.
Schooley, 3/18/99 Great religiousroller coaster ride. My heart is still pounding.
This book was the answer to an unspoken prayer. I devoured Burning Words
in a few days and nothing else got done. I lost myself in it. A true page-turner
but with more meaning that the usual cotton candy stuff. Time after time
I said, "I knew it! I knew it!" I took Burning Words to the library
and looked up most of the books in the bibliography and now I'm rushing
to read them. The authors took some extremely important, but pretty dessicated
scholarly works and made it fun, lively, interesting and personal. Burning
Words is a major work and deserves critical acclaim and should be an instant
hit. I hope it does for others what it has done for me, change my whole
perception of religion and life.
About the Author :
Ursula Loucks joins her husband, science writer, Terry Loucks, Ph.D., for
their first novel together. A physicist and entrepreneur, Terry founded
several Nasdaq companies while Ursula, a Berkeley biochemist, spent most
of her career as a venture capitalist. They are known for their ability
to explain complicated scientific subjects and for their intensive research,
which often includes rigorous and sometimes dangerous travel. Having recently
sailed 15,000 miles in the Caribbean and Central America while writing this
adventure, they now divide their time between northern Florida and southern
Indiana, and are working on their second novel.