From Publishers Weekly The Jesus figure， central to Girzone s earlier bestsellers， Joshua and Joshua and the Children ， is once again introduced into a contemporary setting. This time he first appears as a young man dressed in baggy khakis， beckoning across a field， in the dream of a newly consecrated bishop， David Campbell. Bishop Campbell is known for his strict interpretation of church law， often at the cost of the human element. Profoundly changed by the dream and， soon after， by a meeting with "that friendly stranger，" Joshua， Campbell embarks on a radical plan to implement the message of Jesus. He dismantles the chancery， joins forces with his peers in other sects and forms small communities bound by faith， acts that court the wrath of his clerical enemies. Events reach boiling point over Campbell s ingenious maneuver， with the compliance of the pope， to retain a married priest. Late-night calls to a friendly pope and advice from Joshua (who dwells in a compound for the homeless) are prelude to the imaginative conclusion of Campbell s spiritual campaign. Girzone s undemanding prose and nondidactic approach to the implementation of the Christian message in modern times is beguiling. Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information， Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From Library Journal On the eve of David Campbell s consecration as a Catholic bishop， he has an all-night vision that changes him from a strict observer of church law to a radical reformer. Advised by the mysterious Joshua (featured in the author s Joshua ， Richelieu， 1983， and Joshua and the Children ， Macmillan， 1989)， David challenges the traditions of the church in parochial education， social services， ordination， celibacy， and other areas. Because the novel s primary intent is to convey the author s views on the Catholic Church， its characters never come to life， the dialog is stilted and repetitious， and many plot devices are left hanging without resolution. Still， fans of Joshua will ensure this book an audience.- James E. Cook， Dayton & Montgomery Cty. P.L.， OhioCopyright 1990 Reed Business Information， Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. See all Editorial Reviews