Street Evangelist Pens Trilogy on the Life and Faith of John
For author Rolin Bruno, writing a story about the teenage apostle John is a calling.
Christian writers often seem to pay less attention to John, and preachers quote less from his literature than other parts of the Bible. Little do they know there is something about John, ‘the disciple Jesus loved’, to whom Jesus said “Here is your mother”—the disciple who was expected to remain alive until Jesus’ second coming, and the apostle who outlived all the others. In Bible scholar Rolin Bruno’s series of books, John finally gets the attention he deserves.
Bruno combines faith and fiction, piety and creativity in JOHN! (from WestBow Press). This historical fiction series gives readers “a fresh and insightful look into the lives of Jesus and His young followers”, although the story is about John. Why John?
“Like any teen, John and his friends would get in trouble at times,” the author said in an interview with a publishing firm. “After a particularly unwise stunt, he and his best friend Andrew ended up at the Jordan, listening to John the Baptist. You know the rest.
“They met with this Jesus character that the Baptist kept going on about, and got invited to a wedding. John wasn’t even 14 yet. But his life was changed, and he’d never be the same again.”
To date, Bruno has already written three books for the JOHN! series, and each new book is just as exciting as the one before. Episode One – AD 27 (pub. 2015) takes place in the year when the would-be disciple meets Jesus for the first time and sees his first miracle at a wedding in Cana. Episode 2 - AD 28 (pub. 2015) ensues in the year that Jesus chooses twelve men to be his apostles, forgives a woman of her sin of adultery, and preaches in parables. Then Episode Three – AD 29 (pub. 2017) follows Jesus and his apostles travelling widely while danger and threats of death follow closely in their tracks.
The events in each book feature John not only as one of the closest companions of Jesus but also as a primary witness to His world-shaking life on earth. Indeed, John’s relations with Jesus, especially at the cross, inspired him to write a Gospel, several letters, and the Book of Revelation – a task that occupied him as the disciple who might remain until the return of Jesus.
Writing a series of books based on the life of an apostle proves to be Bruno’s calling. He not only fills in the gaps with a tale of fascinating adventure (or given John’s youth, a spiritual coming-of-age story) but also gives his readers a moment to reflect on their own spiritual journey.
All three episodes of Bruno’s JOHN! are available at Amazon, WestBow Press, and on the author’s website at http://www.rolinbruno.com/ .
Announced Sept 1, 2017, respected book reviewer Kirkus Reviews writes, “"This tale delivers a fresh and well-researched fictionalization of the assembling of the Apostles from John’s point of view."
JOHN!
Written by Rolin Bruno
Published by WestBow Press
Published dates: Episode One - AD 27 (June 24, 2015), Episode 2 - AD 28 (Oct. 14, 2015), Episode Three – AD 29 (February 8, 2017) Paperback price: $13.95 each book. Also available in hardcover and ebook.
About the Author
Rolin Bruno is a Bible scholar and street evangelist with a vivid imagination that fills the gaps in the Bible stories. He is a pastor, evangelist, missionary, and ordained deacon who has served Skid Row Los Angeles, Hurricane Katrina rebuilding, addiction recovery, and new church plants. His master's thesis is on the letter of Jude: Jude and the Scoffers (2006). An avid camper, he lives in the Southern California Mountains and has hiked the Grand Canyon, Mount Whitney, and 570 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail.
Quote: JOHN! should appeal to today’s youth who are on fire for Jesus.
