A Novel Christian Worshippers Should Read

TGC's Justin Taylor is finishing a blog series (with guest writers) on what novels Christians should read. After some thought, I thought I'd add one to the list. When I studied philosophy of the arts, I was required to read through My Name is Asher Lev, a fictional story about a painting prodigy named Asher Lev, born into a Hasidic Jewish family in 1950's Brooklyn. It's still on my shelf.

The story will strike a chord for many. It portrays the tension between uninhibited artistic genius (similar to what we say in Forman's Amadeus) and religious tradition. My Name is Asher Lev will can raise many questions about the purpose of art, especially in religious contexts, and what religious traditions can mean to the artistic community.

You can read about and order the book here. I would have loved to see it become a movie, and may have to buy the sequel.