A retired corporate lawyer has turned to fiction to explore the origins of Christianity. T. Walter Taylor, who practiced law for over 30 years, has published his debut novel, Matthew's Story: A Novel About Jesus. The book is narrated by the Apostle Matthew at the end of his life, offering a first-person account of the man he followed and how that man's story evolved into a new religion.
The novel opens with Matthew's confession: "I am an old man. I will die soon. I have decided that it is now time for me to share the story of some deceptions which gave rise to what is now called Christianity." This framing immediately signals that Taylor is not simply retelling familiar gospel narratives but is instead proposing a provocative reinterpretation of Christian origins. By placing a confession of deception at the heart of the apostolic witness, the novel invites readers to consider how historical, political, and social forces may have shaped the Jesus movement.
Matthew is depicted as the son of a tax collector in Tiberias. He first hears of Jesus at about sixteen, and part of the initial pull is Mary of Magdala, who cannot stop talking about him. Matthew then follows Jesus from John the Baptizer's camp on the Jordan to Galilee and on to Jerusalem. Some of the sharpest ideas come from Marcus, a slave in his family's household who knows more scripture than any of them and is not afraid to say so. This inclusion of a slave as a key intellectual influence underscores Taylor's interest in giving voice to figures often marginalized in traditional accounts.
The story begins in 26 AD and runs through Paul's ministry, the Jerusalem Council, the Jewish War, and the fall of Masada. Taylor grounds the narrative in first-century history, Hebrew scripture, and classical writers such as Josephus and Livy. The book closes with a final revelation that readers will not see coming. According to Taylor, "I imagined a close follower of Jesus who, at the end of his life, confesses the secrets he kept, and how those secrets, woven into Greek, Roman, and Jewish beliefs, turned Jesus into a new path to God."
The implications of this announcement extend beyond the realm of historical fiction. By presenting Christianity's emergence as the result of deliberate deceptions and cultural synthesis, Taylor enters a long-running debate about the historical Jesus and the formation of early Christian identity. The novel's premise challenges the notion of a single, pure apostolic tradition and instead suggests a more complex, human process involving memory, interpretation, and perhaps even manipulation. For readers of historical fiction and for anyone curious about the historical Jesus and how Christianity began, Matthew's Story offers a narrative that blends scholarly research with imaginative reconstruction.
T. Walter Taylor holds degrees in science, business, and law. He began his career as a science and physical education teacher, later earned an MBA, and practiced corporate law for over 30 years. He has kept a lifelong interest in classical studies and world religions. Matthew's Story is his first novel, and he lives in British Columbia, Canada.
The book was published on September 11, 2026, and is available in paperback (ISBN 978-1-0679746-0-2) for $16.99 and as an eBook (ISBN 978-1-0679746-2-6) for $9.99. It can be purchased from Amazon and through bookstores and libraries via Ingram.
