I Believe in the Resurrection of the Body

This small, but beautifully written book, translated from the Portuguese, contains a refreshing look at an old theme, the resurrection of Jesus. Part poetry, part verbal painting with it Alves reframes the idea of Christ's resurrection in such a way that whether it factually, scientifically happened or not, ceases to be important. Alves contends that God came to earth as Jesus, because God wanted to live in a human body--to experience its living--because he envied humanity and our humanness. Living life as a human was a gratifying thing for God. When God got here, in the form of Jesus, he wanted to experience all the wonderful and mysterious, gratifying and un-gratifying, joyfilled and sorrowful things about being a human. Alves says if we were to ask God what God wanted to be when he grew up, God would say: "There is nothing better to be than a man, a woman, a child. All of this is very good. Let everything be redeemed. The earth will yet be a place of laughter and play. That is what I want, this is my desire. God's desire is salvation; salvation is deep joy for life, for body, for nature."