Teachable Books: Free Downloadable Discussion Guides from Cokesbury

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1 Teachable Books: Free Downloadable Discussion Guides from Cokesbury The Galilean Secret Evan Drake Howard Discussion Guide The Galilean Secret, by Evan Drake Howard (Guideposts Books, copyright 2010), is a novel about the complexities and dilemmas of love and about the inner healing that turns heartbreak to hope. The story alternates between Jerusalem today and Jerusalem in the time of Jesus. It focuses on the power of politics and religion, and on brave people who stand up to this power when it becomes corrupt and brutal. Most of all, The Galilean Secret is about the spiritual path that leads both individuals and societies toward peace. Permission is granted to reproduce this discussion guide. Session One Chapters Do you empathize with Karim Musalaha s decision to run away from home? Why or why not? 2. Have you ever been in a life crisis and then made a discovery that took you in a new direction, as Karim did? How do such surprising discoveries interface with your understanding of God s providence? 3. What is your response to how Judith of Jerusalem handles being betrothed to Gabriel ben Zebulun but being in love with his brother, Dismas? 4. Is Gabriel s attempt to take his own life as a result of unrequited love realistic? Can you name other characters in literature who made this choice? How about in real life? In light of your answers, how important is it for Christians to understand the dynamics of falling in love? 5. Compare how Nicodemus ben Gorion is portrayed in the Gospel of John with how he is portrayed in The Galilean Secret. How are the two portrayals similar? How are they different? The Galilean Secret Discussion Guide / 1

2 6. On page 27, Nicodemus says to Gabriel: It takes more courage to live with suffering than to leap from the Temple wall. If you listen, the pain will become your wisest teacher, and you will find new life beyond it. Is this statement true? Why or why not? 7. Were the goals of Jesus and those of the Zealots the same or different? What about the means for achieving the goals? 8. Was Judith s experience of falling out of love with Dismas similar to or different from the experience of couples today? If a relationship is going to survive beyond this experience, what needs to happen? 9. What can we learn about Jesus and the Christian life from how he treated the prostitute who anointed him at the home of Simon the Pharisee? 10. What insights from Brother Gregory Andreou s journal speak to you? 11. Are you surprised that Judas Iscariot is portrayed as a Zealot? Why or why not? 12. How do you respond to how Mary Magdalene is portrayed in the first part of the novel? Session Two Chapters How is the desert used as a metaphor of life in the novel and in the Bible? 2. When Judith becomes desperate to change her life and makes tragic choices, what are the consequences? What can we learn from her mistakes? 3. Why was Jesus more inclusive of women than most other religious leaders? What role, if any, might Mary Magdalene have played in shaping his thinking on this subject? 4. Do you think that Jesus was above being romantically attracted to a woman, or could his relationship with Mary Magdalene have been like the one dramatized in the novel? 5. Could Jesus have written a letter to Mary Magdalene? Why or why not? 6. As Nicodemus explains the Jesus letter to Gabriel, he presents an interpretation of the early chapters of Genesis not often heard in the church. What insights emerge from this interpretation that might be relevant to people today? 7. An underlying theme of The Galilean Secret is how unhealthy it is to become romantically obsessed with another person. What help for this dilemma does Nicodemus offer as he explains the Jesus letter to Gabriel? (see pps. 182 ff.) 8. On page 134, Nicodemus makes this statement: Jesus warns of the darkness in each of us. It makes us do dreadful things. The only way to contain this dark side is to increase The Galilean Secret Discussion Guide / 2

3 our awareness of it, and to work tirelessly to bring it into the light. Is this statement in agreement or disagreement with the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament? 9. How is the Palestinian-Israeli conflict similar to the conflict between the Jews and the Romans in Jesus day? How are the conflicts different? 10. Compare the character of Barabbas in the novel with what you know of Barabbas in the New Testament. Do you find the fictional Barabbas believable? Why or why not? 11. Among the disciples of Jesus, would Judas Iscariot be more or less likely than the others to become romantically involved with Mary Magdalene? Explain the thinking behind your answer. 12. Can you imagine a love story like the one between Karim Musalaha and Rachel Sharett happening in real life? How might such an interfaith relationship bring hope to Palestinians and Israelis? Session Three Chapters Mark 15:7 says that Barabbas committed murder in the insurrection. Is it possible that the Romans thought Jesus was leading an insurrection when he cleansed the Temple and thus considered him a Zealot? Share your reactions to this plot line in the novel. 2. Gabriel eventually comes to believe that when Judith and Dismas betrayed him, they had not acted maliciously but out of ignorance (p. 234). Could many of the problems that bedevil our lives personally and collectively be solved by increasing our level of spiritual knowledge/enlightenment? 3. What does the concept of the Messiah mean to you? How has this novel confirmed, challenged, or expanded your understanding? 4. Does Nicodemus forgive Judith too easily for stealing the scroll from his closet? Or are the reasons he gives for forgiving her sufficient? (see p. 249) 5. What is your response to the reasons Jesus gives Mary Magdalene for not being free to marry her? (see pps ) 6. Do you think jealousy could have been one of the reasons Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus? Why or why not? 7. Rachel Sharett helps to organize a march for peace in Jerusalem to bring Jews, Christians, and Muslims together. At a pre-march rally, she articulates the stakes for the The Galilean Secret Discussion Guide / 3

4 future if no peace is found. Would such a march foster peace? Does she accurately explain what is at stake or does she overstate the case? (see p. 277) 8. What possibilities do you see for hurt and healing in family life as exemplified by the Musalaha and ben Zebulun families? How do these possibilities apply to real families today? 9. Is it possible that Judas Iscariot could have betrayed Jesus to Pilate before going to the Temple leaders? If so, what implications would this reversed order have for our understanding of who is responsible for the Crucifixion? 10. Share your impressions of Judith s encounter with Jesus in prison. How does Jesus come to us in our prisons today? 11. Have you ever been in a situation in which you were deeply hurt and didn t deserve it, like Gabriel ben Zebulun? If so, what can you learn from how he handled his pain? 12. On page 257, Jesus tells Mary Magdalene, Only those who find the depths of love become fearless. Does this sound like a statement the real Jesus could have made? Do you agree or disagree with it? Session Four Chapters How do you respond to the suggestion in The Galilean Secret that the two men crucified with Jesus were not thieves but Zealots? 2. How would your understanding of the crucifixion of Jesus change if the men crucified with him knew one another and were involved in a revolt with Barabbas? 3. How has The Galilean Secret changed your impression of Judas Iscariot, if at all? 4. If Judas committed suicide not just because of his guilt over betraying Jesus but also because of unrequited love, does he become a more sympathetic character or less of one? 5. Is it possible that Judas wrote a suicide note and that it could be found today? 6. What new perspectives on the Crucifixion and Resurrection have you gained from The Galilean Secret? The Galilean Secret Discussion Guide / 4

5 7. Grace and forgiveness are important themes in The Galilean Secret. What new insights did the reconciliation of Dismas and Gabriel in the historical plot and Karim and Ezra in the contemporary one give you into these themes? 8. Can the Palestinian-Israeli conflict be resolved by politics alone, or are spiritual and theological breakthroughs also needed? If so, are the breakthroughs suggested in the novel workable or hopelessly naïve? 9. How would integrating the feminine image of God with the masculine image that dominates Judaism, Christianity, and Islam make a difference in practical terms for adherents of these religions? 10. How would integrating the feminine with the masculine in individuals and in God affect the possibilities for human wholeness and peace in the world? 11. On page 385, Rachel Sharett tells a story about sacrificial love and offers an interpretation of it. How are her insights relevant to the quest for peace in the Middle East and throughout today s world? 12. How has reading The Galilean Secret made a difference in your life? Share any ways the book has inspired faith, hope, or love in you. The Galilean Secret Discussion Guide / 5