The Constantine Codex - eBook

On the final day of her archeological dig along the Jordan River, Shannon Jennings Weber visits the Greek Orthodox Church of St. James the Just. Leafing carefully through an ancient manuscript by the early church historian Eusebius, she discovers some age-browned pages of another ancient document stuck in Eusebius' text. She whisks the pages off to America and back to Harvard, where her husband, Jon Weber, world-renowned author of a biography of Jesus and expert on antiquities, can use the tools of modern science to help translate the pages and authenticate their provenance. Through a whirlwind journey of mystery and intrigue, they eventually discover, with the help of a team of scholars, that the codex dates from the early fourth century; it's one of 50 copies of the Holy Scriptures commissioned by the Emperor Constantine and contains the original ending of the Gospel of Mark and a Second Acts giving details of Paul's death. The subject is intriguing, but Maier's book falls short, with superficial and unbelievable characters, thinly drawn plot elements, clumsy errors in historical research, and a lack of suspense. (June) Copyright 2011 Reed Business Information.

The Constantine Codex by Paul L. Maier follows the adventures of Harvard Professor Jonathan Weber as he finds himself wrapped in an international, life-threatening controversy. The contention arises from an Arabic translation error in his latest best-selling book – think here of Salman Rushdie. While fleeing Muslim enemies, Jon and his wife Shannon embark on a journey that takes them back and forth between the haven of the United States and Muslim-dominated Eastern Europe. But the discovery of an ancient text turns their escapade into an attempt to bring lost biblical records into the light, before their mysterious opponents can shut down their efforts.

Maier constructs his thriller as a credible, real-world incident, incorporating factual archaeological findings and extensive history. The plotline explores the conflict between Christianity and Islam (taking time to delve into ideological differences) and ultimately adopts a message of harmony and goodwill. In that way, the book agrees with Scripture: "Make every effort to live in peace with all men" (Heb 12:14).

The characters of the novel are true to life in many ways: speech pattern, cultural interaction, and attitudes. Maier's delivery is intelligent and well-researched. However, in my estimation, the dialogue often fails to drive the story, and although the characters are believable, they are shallow. Though marketed as a fast-paced, action-oriented plot, the prose frequently lapses into staleness and cliches.

The book is the third installment in Maier's Skeleton Series, but it also functions as a standalone book. Built on a sturdy premise, but burdened by clunky storytelling, I recommend the book primarily to fans of theological fiction. – Daniel Morton, www.ChristianBookPreviews.com