Jung Chan et al / 정찬 / 2011 / KDC구분 > literature > Korean Literature > Korean Fiction > 21st century

Fiction. Southeast Asia Studies. Translated from the Korean by Yoo-Jung Kong. This literary rewriting of the life of Pontius Pilate is a South Korean contribution to the rich body of world literature based on the life of Jesus and other biblical characters. The novel focuses on Pilate as a pragmatic foreign leader striving to maintain peace in a region rife with religious and political tension. It brings to life a large, diverse cast of fictional and historical characters, including: the philosopher Philo; Saul, who later became the apostle Paul; and finally Jesus himself. Based on considerable historical research on the period, this novel is bound to spark controversy with its interpretations of sacred texts and figures.