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Print “Please, before the gods,” she seized my arms, “tell me you are not a Christian!” “I cannot swear to you by any of the gods you worship, Paulina. But can tell you of the One True God. Whom I love.” “Don’t you see? If you stay a Christian, you might be killed.” Terror lept in and out of her eyes. I have never seen a woman so fearful. “Killed, Perpetua! Dead!” She shook me. “You have a son,” she pled, growing frantic. “I choose Jesus.” With one statement of faith, she was condemned to death, thrown to the beasts of the coliseum. It is a story transformed into legend—a romance, a historical biography, and a theological commentary. Perpetua boldly recounts the narrative of a young noblewoman from ancient Carthage who comes to the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Her resistance to pagan, Roman religions ultimately leads to her death. Perpetua became a martyr for Jesus Christ and is adopted by Christians throughout the ages as an emblem of feminine Christian strength. Amy Rachel Peterson’s historical fiction novel is creative and poetic. Touchstones of modern culture are set in the structure of antiquity to tell a remarkably simple story. Romance, girlish giddiness, social competition, and spiritual warfare are grafted into the ancient Roman background: vivid descriptions of buildings, mobs, pagan worship, and Roman ideology. Yet Peterson writes any way but simply. Her fusion of Latin and English challenge the reader to grasp the entirety of Rome, in speech and thought. And yet her Latin references are not awkward, but smooth and natural, as if the storyteller was a hybrid of ancient Rome and millennial America. Though the story could be told in a few short chapters (as it has been done before), Peterson creates layers of creative tension. There is an obvious spiritual battle, epitomized by Perpetua’s own dramatic conversion. Peterson doesn’t conjure spiritual warfare from the gossamer realities of angels and demons, but rather gives them faces, personalities, and places in everyday society. Greedy, self-serving socialites and bitter, vengeful servants juxtapose the sincere and honest-hearted seekers—the devout, humble Christians. It gives the ready a true understanding of the scripture, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). Layers of family history and social division turn the narrative into an involved journey into the heart of the heroine and the culture. Tertullian, the great apologetic and forerunner in the Arian controversy, appears in this novel as a wise (and somewhat legalistic) shepherd—a presbyter over a large congregation in Carthage, one that Perpetua’s mother is a part. Peterson does not back down from theological controversy in this narrative. She illustrates the Christian leaders just as they were—sincere, yes, but heady, arrogant, and a bit malicious when their personal views about Jesus Christ and the Scriptures were crossed. “You act like a bunch of drunkards,” he growled, “you wave your hands and sway like you’re a pagan procession in the filthy streets, your women dance. Dance!” he spit out the word as if it was dirty. “We must love the Lord with all our heart and soul and strength. Not just our mind,” Aspasius was flushed, but calm. “Come, Aspasius, do not throw Scripture around as if it were your own private tool.” Peterson’s gritty description of monumental instances in church history makes the truth accessible to the reader. Though it is a romantic novel, it is not romanticized. Christians are not depicted as flawless saints. The reader can identify with the characters—their faults, emotions, questions, and ultimate triumphs. Perpetua is an ancient story with profound modern applications. The effort to keep oneself pure in light of sexual awakening, the longing for physical love, then for spiritual fulfillment and ultimately the submission to God’s perfect will is what makes this narrative universal. When it is finished, the reader will discover the true peace of Jesus Christ—remaining steadfast and fearless no matter what is lurking in the shadows. Even when faced with imminent death, the reader can have the strength to say, “I choose Jesus.”
ninetyandnine.com © 2005, Jessica L. Simpson --------- Jessica L. Simpson currently resides in Dover, DE with her husband of two years. She thinks Perpetua was a truly remarkable icon in Christian history. She also thinks everyone should be required to study Ancient Roman History. |
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