Christian Fiction

[SPALATIN]

What with Christian Fiction becoming more popular over the past few years with the "LEFT BEHIND" series (total fiction) and the Bodie Thoene novels I thought I would start a thread for those of us who would like to promote any new story we've read and why we like it. Whether the theology is any good or whether the story is so good the theology doesn't matter. We can also give information about where we bought the book.

Basically just review the book and give it a :thumbsup: or a thumbs down in the post icons. Does this sound like a good plan to you?

[Flipper]

Sure, sounds great. I'll start.

Left Behind Series - all books.

:thumbsup: - in being an interesting and very easy, Sunday Afternoon Read

:Thumbsdown: - in being theologically incorrect in that there is a dangerous amount of decision theology, and there's that bit about the rapture.

[SPALATIN]

Sure, sounds great. I'll start.

Left Behind Series - all books.

:thumbsup: - in being an interesting and very easy, Sunday Afternoon Read

:Thumbsdown: - in being theologically incorrect in that there is a dangerous amount of decision theology, and there's that bit about the rapture.

THREE by Ted Dekker
West Bow Pub.

This is a real psycho-thriller. A main character gets a call from someone who wants him to answer a riddle or his car will explode. He is unable to answer the riddle and has to ditch his car before the bomb goes off. This is only the start of the story. It has some Catholic undertones but the theology doesn't get in the way of this thriller. I highly suggest it for anyone who likes to read mysteries and action thrillers.

Mr. Dekker also has a trilogy that was published a few years back called the Martyr song series The first novel called "Heaven's Wager" is set in Denver, CO. The second "When Heaven Weeps" is actually a Prequel to the first and is set in both America and Bosnia just after World War II. And the third is set in the Jungles of the Amazon called "Thunder of Heaven" This is about terrorists in South America and the main characters faith in God being tested.

His new series is a trilogy in which all the books are coming out in 2004. The First one called "Black" Second is "Red" and the third is titled "White." I have just started to read "Black" and will give a review as soon as I am finished with it.

[ByzantineDixie]

I have two Paul Maier (the well known Lutheran historian) fiction books on my bookshelf right now I got at a bookstore sale this summer, A Skeleton in God's Closet and More than a Skeleton...but my schedule has been so crazy and I spend too much time here to do much non-serious reading. Someday I hope to get to them.

I did read the first four of the Left Behind books but then they got so violent, action packed, whatever...that's just not my favorite kind of genre. As you might guess...being a girl I like more romance than battle!

I have read a couple of Christian mystery / romances. Of course the theology is so not Lutheran...

Anyway...if someone has read the Maier books...let me know if you liked them. Otherwise, if I ever get around to reading them, I'll post.

Peace

Rose

[Phoebe]

The Prodigy- Alton Gansky


Blessed Child- Bill Bright and Ted Dekker

Both stories are about a child with the gift of healing.

[filosofer]

Maier's books are excellent. See also Pontius Pilate and Flames of Rome that he wrote 40 years ago.

Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis

[filosofer]

Hank Hannegraf and Sigmund Brower are co-writing a series that counters the theology of Left Behind. The first one was released this past week: The Last Apostle

[night2day]

I have several books in mind:

Frank Perretti's "Darkness" novels (This Present Darkness and Peircing the Darkness as well as The Oath. The first two speak on the subject of spiritual warfare. The latter is an analogy for sin (cast as a dragon not all too easily seen until the story progresses), how dangerous it is, and Jesus being our only hope from it.

Roger Elwood's Angelwalk series: Angelwalk, Fallen Angel, and Steadfast. All of which look at human events from the angelic point of view...whether they be fallen or unfallen.

One thing I noticed about Elwood's works. He was rather insightful in how radical Muslims would soon call Jihad on the Christian West. And this was back in the late 80's, early 80's. (Although someone should explain to them that unlike Islam, Christianity is not a cultural religion. If it ever became a cultural religion...it would no longer be Christianity. But anyway...)

(Ok...so some of the above has a minor thread weaving through. Always have enjoyed reading about spiritual warfare in a war we cannot see.)

The last series is written by Beverly Lewis. Her mother or grandmother was born and raised Amish and it's from her that she gleaned much of her information. The series is entitled The Lancaster County Chronicles with the books The Shunning, The Confession, and The Reckoning forming the trilogy.

About a young Amish woman who has already been baptized into the community. Everything is fine until she comes across a newborn Englisher's dress in the attic while preparing for her wedding day. This sets certain events into motion, leading to her severely imposed shunning. But, leaving the community as she does she sets out to find her birth mother. Along the way, she's shown the power of the Gospel and how it differs from the Amish order.

The series of books were rather detailed in their description of the Amish way of life which most of us will never really know about.

As a side note, there was a story in one of the past Lutheran Witness of a real shunning of a former Amish woman who was brought to faith in Jesus Christ. The story was in the March 2004 edition I think.

[night2day]

P.S.
The woman who left the Amish order and became Lutheran irl was Ruth Irene Garrett. Can be read online here (http://216.109.117.135/search/cache?p=Ruth+Irene+Garrett%2C+LCMS&ei=UTF-8&fl=0&u=www.lcms.org/graphics/assets/media/Lutheran%2520Witness/Mar04.pdf&w=ruth+irene+garrett+lcms&d=2B84952ADE&icp=1&.intl=us) or downloaded in pdf format here (http://www.lcms.org/graphics/assets/media/Lutheran%20Witness/Mar04.pdf).

[SPALATIN]

P.S.
The woman who left the Amish order and became Lutheran irl was Ruth Irene Garrett. Can be read online here (http://216.109.117.135/search/cache?p=Ruth+Irene+Garrett%2C+LCMS&ei=UTF-8&fl=0&u=www.lcms.org/graphics/assets/media/Lutheran%2520Witness/Mar04.pdf&w=ruth+irene+garrett+lcms&d=2B84952ADE&icp=1&.intl=us) or downloaded in pdf format here (http://www.lcms.org/graphics/assets/media/Lutheran%20Witness/Mar04.pdf).
At first I thought you were talking about that girl on the show "Amish in the City" as her name was also Ruth.

[night2day]

At first I thought you were talking about that girl on the show "Amish in the City" as her name was also Ruth.

Nah. Don't watch too much reality T.V. At least if it's going to be staged and such...might as well be honest about it. ;)

[night2day]

...Left Behind Series - all books.

:thumbsup: - in being an interesting and very easy, Sunday Afternoon Read

:Thumbsdown: - in being theologically incorrect in that there is a dangerous amount of decision theology, and there's that bit about the rapture.

I read the LB series too. And while as fiction I found them ok...there's alot of theological pitfalls caused mainly by the authors' misconception of God's grace. (If anything, it gives an idea why those who believe in this type of theology do so and it's reasoning.) Not to mention instead of the Gospel being the primary focus for the life of the Christians (before and after the "Rapture") it's more "make sure you're not around for the Tribulation.

God never promised the Church wouldn't be assaulted...just that the gates of Hell would not prevail against it. Romans 8:37-39 really applies.

As a side note, I always found Dispensational theology offensive. Not only does it carry aspects of a racist religion (with the Jewish people being considered to be of the church for just being born of certain bloodlines, and thus do not need to be brought to faith to Christ) but also how it completely dismisses all the suffering and persecution of fellow Christians that's going on in many parts of the world. "It's fine over there. But it's not real persecution and tribulation until it comes to the west." :doh:

Much like when almost everyone seemed to be saying "the world changed after 9/11". No it didn't. America just woke up to what the rest of the world had been already facing for how many years before her.

[Flipper]

I did read the first four of the Left Behind books but then they got so violent, action packed, whatever...that's just not my favorite kind of genre. As you might guess...being a girl I like more romance than battle!


We much only be a little bit the cosmic twins. ;) I can't stand romance literature. I love a good mystery thriller or science fiction/fantasy.

[night2day]

I have two Paul Maier (the well known Lutheran historian) fiction books on my bookshelf right now I got at a bookstore sale this summer, A Skeleton in God's Closet and More than a Skeleton...Anyway...if someone has read the Maier books...

I prefered A Skeleton in God's Closet over the other. Not only did More than a Skeleton appear to not have a believable premise...but I didn't really care for Maier's slipping in his liberal theology and some of his cutting remarks regarding those who hold to the Scriptures as God's inerrent and infallible word.

Or his remarks regarding the situation with praying with those of other faiths when referencing the Yankee Stadium/Benke affair. Brushing it off as if it was just a fight over who can "pray any time, pray any place" yet neglecting to comment the real issue was over a Lutheran minister violating the 1st Commandment by praying alongside and with other clergy of other religions. But that's another issue.

Based on how many people rely on science and "proof" in today's society, though fictional, I found A Skeleton in God's Closet to be much more of a believable scenario.