Book Review: The Robe, by Lloyd C. Douglas

This book was recommended by Vince. I went to the library and expected to see maybe a 10-20 year old book. It was actually written in 1942! I later found out that my mom had read it as a teenager.

The book is the fictional story about what happened to Christ's robe. In the well known story of the crucifixion, as written in the Bible, the Roman soldiers gambled to win his robe, as Jesus hung on the cross.

I thought the book was going to lead up slowly toward that moment. But that moment is toward the beginning, and is not really a primary focus of the book. The book focuses on one of the Roman soldiers who crucifies Jesus and wins the Robe, and of his faithful Corinthian slave. Then in the rest of the book, we hear more about who Jesus was, and find out how that affects people a year after the crucifixion.



For me, it was educational about the Roman culture and dominance of the day, and about Jewish culture. It was good to read about how possibly the message of Jesus spread across the world. These are things that I have not reflected on in depth. Honestly, I wish many of those hours I spent in Sunday School or in Christian teaching were spent on historical subjects rather than only theology or Christian living.

This is a really great book, and I recommend it. Learning more (fictionally, but maybe also realistically) about how people who knew Jesus reacted to him, and to his death and resurrection helps me to connect with Jesus as well.

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I had wondered why it hadn't been a movie, and I just looked this up and it was made into a movie in 1953. It was nominated for several Academy Awards, including Best Picture, which I wasn't aware of. I'm not sure I would want to ruin my remembrance of the book by watching the movie. But I do like movies from the 50s.

Also, I read that it was one of the best selling books of the 1940s.