The Gospel according to the Son. One of America's greatest living writers takes a dramatic departure in theme with bold and thoughtful book, a recreation of the life of Jesus. With remarkable psychological acuity, Mailer presents an image of a skilled and devout carpenter confronted with the perplexing. Is God speaking to me? Do the voice that I hear come from God? And if so, why has he chosen me? Following the New Testament closely, Mailer vividly recreates the world of the Holy Land two thousand years ago. The public world into which Jesus is thrust by is governed by a complacent but fearful establishment that rules over a despairing middle class. As his sermons and miracles rock that world, the son of God emerges as a protagonist both divine and human, wracked by passion and doubt as he progresses inexorably toward his apocalyptic end.