Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal

Darker than Horatian satire but lighter than Juvenalian satire, Menippean satire targets human nature, attitudes, and institutions rather than specific individuals. Christian myth’s inherent association with morality and its cast of powerful, instantly recognizable characters make it fertile ground for writers looking to explore humanity’s foibles. One of the most famous examples is Christopher Marlowe’s play Doctor Faustus, which was first produced in London in 1592. The titular scholar summons a demon named Mephistophilis and promises his soul to Lucifer in exchange for 24 years of limitless power, wealth, and glory. Mephistophilis and Faustus visit a number of European cities in scenes that combine moral commentary with adventure and slapstick humor. The playwright also incorporates Christian elements in Scene 6, in which the Seven Deadly Sins take physical shape and parade before Faustus. In the play, Marlowe criticizes hubris and intellectual greed. The protagonist believes that he can outsmart God and the devil, and he is dragged to hell as punishment for his arrogance at the end.

Another highly influential satire that draws on Christian myth is Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita. The novel was published in 1966, over two decades after the author’s death, because the Soviet Union found its content controversial. In the story, Satan disguises himself as a man named Woland and visits Moscow in the 1930s. Like Mephistophilis, Woland tests humans’ ethics by offering them tempting deals. Thus, the novelist uses Satan to expose hypocrisy, arrogance, and immorality. In addition, the story satirizes the dangers and failings of bureaucracy. Bulgakov’s Satan is himself part of a cosmic bureaucracy because God regularly dispatches him to earth to reward the good and punish the sinful. The novel contains two narratives: one about Satan’s visit to the Soviet Union and one about Christ’s execution. Pontius Pilate emerges as a key figure in the story and is presented in a far more sympathetic light than in the Gospels. Bulgakov’s Pilate is fascinated by Christ’s message of compassion for all but is powerless to avert his crucifixion and is plagued with regret afterwards. The author also creates a disciple named Levi Matvei, who takes Christ’s body down from the cross, wishes to kill Judas, and records Christ’s teachings.

Likely as a nod to Bulgakov’s work, Christopher Moore gives the name Levi to Christ’s childhood friend, who usually goes by the nickname Biff. Moore credits The Master and Margarita as one of the inspirations for his own satirical take on the Christian mythos:

I come across this section which is the trial of Jesus as told from the

point of view of Pontius Pilate, and I find that I’m completely sucked in

by the humanity of the characters. And I’m wondering why, after

hearing this story all my life, I’m suddenly affected by it, and I realize

that it is, indeed, the point of view (Moore, Christopher. “Christopher

Moore on Lamb.” HarperCollins Publishers, 2007).

Unlike Doctor Faustus and The Master and Margarita, Lamb doesn’t use a devil to steer the action and offer social commentary. Instead, Biff’s first-person narration provides a lens for satire as well as a distinctive and human point of view. Christ’s pugnacious, concupiscent best friend is a poster boy for human fallibility. Moore’s work draws heavily on Christian myth because the novel’s main plot is the “lost years” of Christ’s life and the cast includes Jesus, the wise men, apostles, and many other biblical figures. While most of the story takes place 2,000 years ago, Moore resurrects Biff so that he can poke fun at the absurdity of modern life, such as when an angel becomes absorbed by soap operas. In Lamb, Moore satirizes human nature, particularly the ease with which people succumb to temptation and humans’ tendencies toward hypocrisy, judgmental attitudes, and preoccupation with religious and cultural differences. These tendencies, the book suggests, distract people from what truly matters. Amidst an abundance of action-packed scenes and absurdist humor, Moore’s satire teaches that all people deserve compassion.