Steven Adrian Cunningham

Judas' Lament Steven Adrian Cunningham

Judas' Lament is an epic poem of truly epic proportions. It revives a literary genre, epic poetry in rhyming couplets, last seen 250 years ago. Although epic poetry was at the very epicenter of the literary landscape for four millennia, it is nowhere to be found in the world of modern literature. It is time for this once-celebrated style of literature to be reanimated. Judas' Lament brings to life the person of Judas Iscariot, widely considered to be the most notorious sinner in the Christian tradition and one of history's greatest villains. His very name has become synonymous with betrayal and treachery. But does he deserve his monstrous reputation? Should he be such a universally hated and reviled character? Was his banishment by Dante Alighieri to the very lowest level of hell, right next to Satan himself, in the epic masterpiece, The Divine Comedy, truly justified? Read Judas' Lament and then decide for yourself. Very little is actually known about such a famous (or infamous) character, so the author draws on poetic license with great passion to explore the mindset and actions of Judas in a manner never before seen. And the story of Christ, arguably the most told and retold story of all time, has never been told like this. The machinations and motivations of the High Priest Caiaphas are also brought to life in dramatic fashion. The great dichotomies of life and literature are on bold display in Judas' Lament: good and evil, love and hate, right and wrong, pride and humility, taking and giving, wealth and poverty, hope and despair, truth and deceit, and courage and cowardice. And so too are the great themes of Christianity: sin, faith, love, mercy, grace, sacrifice, forgiveness, repentance and redemption. This is a momentous work, made more so by its strong metaphorical language, "true to life" dialogue and character interaction, and robust rhythm and rhyme. Readers who appreciate powerful poetry in general and classical poetry in particular will be captivated by Judas' Lament. And they will never think of Judas Iscariot in the same way again, nor should they.