The blockbuster Twilight Saga is being read by teenager and adult alike. These powerful novels are gaining even more popularity as the movies hit theaters. But what should a Christian response be? And is there a helpful way to approach a teenager or young adult captivated with the books without alienating her?
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Dave Roberts is the author of the best-selling The Toronto Blessing and Red Moon Rising with joint sales in excess of 100,000. He is a former editor of Christianity and won awards for his work on Renewal magazine. He is a local church pastor and conference director for three major annual conferences on worship, children's ministry, and women's ministry.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
One of the most successful writing franchises in recent history is the `Twilight' series by Stephenie Meyer. And one of the most controversial writing franchises in recent history is the `Twilight' series by Stephenie Meyer... Many parents have kept their children from reading these books because of their supernatural content.
`The Twilight Gospel: The Spiritual Roots of Stephenie Meyer's Vampire Saga,' by Dave Roberts, takes a look at the spiritual implications of these books.
According to the back cover of the book:
With these powerful novels getting even more popular as the movies hit the cinemas, the call for a Christian response is strong. What values and ideas do Meyer's novels promote? What is good about them, and what deserves closer inspection?
The spirituality and worldview of the Twilight Saga are fascinating, but they do not sit easily with orthodox Christianity. This book carefully and graciously assesses what is praiseworthy and what is less so...
The central point of the book is to help teens (and their adults) discern what is excellent from what is unhealthy, helping to create robust, shrewd, and literate young adults.
I must admit that I have neither read any of the books nor seen any of the movies in this series. I am aware of the Team Edward versus Team Jacob debate (I would argue for the Team Edward side!), and I know there are vampires and werewolves involved. I also know that a lot of mothers are equally (or more) fanatical about these books and movies than their teens and preteens, but that's the extent of my knowledge. So I am a perfect candidate to read a book about this series; I am looking for additional information as to whether or not to pursue this entertainment.
Mr. Roberts describes the books this way:
They reflect on material aspiration, prejudice and stereotyping, family breakdown, self-control and human dignity. They invoke the Bible and one of the characters speaks of the perspective of the Creator. They explore ancient myths and mystical practices that are entering the mainstream culture of the West. (p. 13)
He proceeds to summarize each book in the series - `Twilight,' `New Moon,' `Eclipse,' `Breaking Dawn,' and `Midnight Sun' (currently unpublished).
Our author explains that he is not operating from a perspective of fear of popular culture, but instead from this place:
I want to write from a place of wisdom - not my own, but rather the wisdom I find throughout the Hebrew/Christian scriptures. In critiquing other worldviews, I desire to help people understand and respond and make good choices. I don't want to tell them what to believe about contemporary vampire culture! I do want to hold up the ideas in the Twilight Saga to scrutiny, and to help the reader to ask good, penetrating questions about those ideas. (p. 22)
Sounds logical and reasonable to me!
Mr. Roberts explores the history of the vampire in folklore, history, and entertainment; it was fascinating! He explains:
Creatures who escape from the grave and attack the living in order to satisfy their need for blood can be traced to the folklore of nations on all five continents. (p. 26)
With regard to the subject of sex in this series, Roberts states:
As you would expect from a Mormon writer, who made it clear in several interviews that sex scenes with explicit descriptions would not be part of the Twilight project, the books frown on the promotion of sexual activity outside the boundaries of a genuine relationship. (p. 91)
One of the most controversial aspects of the `Twilight Saga' is the occult element. I found that chapter (Chapter 6 - The Occult Sting in the Tale) to be fairly weak in not strongly stating the danger of dabbling in the occult as warned about in scripture.
In terms of a Christian worldview, Roberts states:
The books explore ideas of forgiveness, moral restraint and the personal goodness of several characters, while ignoring any idea that Jesus' life, death and resurrection might have a bearing on our relationship with God.... The God that we see in the Twilight Saga feels like the God of the Deists, who created the world, gave us moral frameworks and now leave us largely in peace to work out how we must live until he intervenes in history again. (p. 122)
Roberts summarizes the series this way:
Yet the Twilight Saga has much to admire. Apart from anything else, the books are an excellent read, and there is much in them that is wholesome and good. But the flaws are serious, and the series should be read with caution and thought.... Enjoy, but do not believe. (p. 155)
My verdict? I think I would read the books and watch the movies; I have enough spiritual discernment to separate the wheat from the chaff. God has given us a brain; we should use it! However, I would make sure to instruct young people to read and watch with care and caution, and watch the movies and read the books with them. I think far too many Christians run away from popular culture in fear instead of assessing it using Godly wisdom. They forbid their children from the content. Guess what happens when they finally get the freedom or opportunity to read or see them? They will consume them - perhaps with an uncritical, ungodly eye/viewpoint. I think this book is a valuable tool to help people consume these media critically, and I commend it to anyone who wants to assess this series with a Christian mindset.
Dave Roberts ([...]) is a professional journalist, editor and speaker.
You can read an excerpt from this book here ([...]).
This book was provided by Monarch Book. I am proud to be part of the LitFuse Publicity Group's blog tour.
Reviewed by Andrea Schultz - Ponderings by Andrea - [...]
`The Twilight Gospel: The Spiritual Roots of Stephenie Meyer's Vampire Saga,' by Dave Roberts, takes a look at the spiritual implications of these books.
According to the back cover of the book:
With these powerful novels getting even more popular as the movies hit the cinemas, the call for a Christian response is strong. What values and ideas do Meyer's novels promote? What is good about them, and what deserves closer inspection?
The spirituality and worldview of the Twilight Saga are fascinating, but they do not sit easily with orthodox Christianity. This book carefully and graciously assesses what is praiseworthy and what is less so...
The central point of the book is to help teens (and their adults) discern what is excellent from what is unhealthy, helping to create robust, shrewd, and literate young adults.
I must admit that I have neither read any of the books nor seen any of the movies in this series. I am aware of the Team Edward versus Team Jacob debate (I would argue for the Team Edward side!), and I know there are vampires and werewolves involved. I also know that a lot of mothers are equally (or more) fanatical about these books and movies than their teens and preteens, but that's the extent of my knowledge. So I am a perfect candidate to read a book about this series; I am looking for additional information as to whether or not to pursue this entertainment.
Mr. Roberts describes the books this way:
They reflect on material aspiration, prejudice and stereotyping, family breakdown, self-control and human dignity. They invoke the Bible and one of the characters speaks of the perspective of the Creator. They explore ancient myths and mystical practices that are entering the mainstream culture of the West. (p. 13)
He proceeds to summarize each book in the series - `Twilight,' `New Moon,' `Eclipse,' `Breaking Dawn,' and `Midnight Sun' (currently unpublished).
Our author explains that he is not operating from a perspective of fear of popular culture, but instead from this place:
I want to write from a place of wisdom - not my own, but rather the wisdom I find throughout the Hebrew/Christian scriptures. In critiquing other worldviews, I desire to help people understand and respond and make good choices. I don't want to tell them what to believe about contemporary vampire culture! I do want to hold up the ideas in the Twilight Saga to scrutiny, and to help the reader to ask good, penetrating questions about those ideas. (p. 22)
Sounds logical and reasonable to me!
Mr. Roberts explores the history of the vampire in folklore, history, and entertainment; it was fascinating! He explains:
Creatures who escape from the grave and attack the living in order to satisfy their need for blood can be traced to the folklore of nations on all five continents. (p. 26)
With regard to the subject of sex in this series, Roberts states:
As you would expect from a Mormon writer, who made it clear in several interviews that sex scenes with explicit descriptions would not be part of the Twilight project, the books frown on the promotion of sexual activity outside the boundaries of a genuine relationship. (p. 91)
One of the most controversial aspects of the `Twilight Saga' is the occult element. I found that chapter (Chapter 6 - The Occult Sting in the Tale) to be fairly weak in not strongly stating the danger of dabbling in the occult as warned about in scripture.
In terms of a Christian worldview, Roberts states:
The books explore ideas of forgiveness, moral restraint and the personal goodness of several characters, while ignoring any idea that Jesus' life, death and resurrection might have a bearing on our relationship with God.... The God that we see in the Twilight Saga feels like the God of the Deists, who created the world, gave us moral frameworks and now leave us largely in peace to work out how we must live until he intervenes in history again. (p. 122)
Roberts summarizes the series this way:
Yet the Twilight Saga has much to admire. Apart from anything else, the books are an excellent read, and there is much in them that is wholesome and good. But the flaws are serious, and the series should be read with caution and thought.... Enjoy, but do not believe. (p. 155)
My verdict? I think I would read the books and watch the movies; I have enough spiritual discernment to separate the wheat from the chaff. God has given us a brain; we should use it! However, I would make sure to instruct young people to read and watch with care and caution, and watch the movies and read the books with them. I think far too many Christians run away from popular culture in fear instead of assessing it using Godly wisdom. They forbid their children from the content. Guess what happens when they finally get the freedom or opportunity to read or see them? They will consume them - perhaps with an uncritical, ungodly eye/viewpoint. I think this book is a valuable tool to help people consume these media critically, and I commend it to anyone who wants to assess this series with a Christian mindset.
Dave Roberts ([...]) is a professional journalist, editor and speaker.
You can read an excerpt from this book here ([...]).
This book was provided by Monarch Book. I am proud to be part of the LitFuse Publicity Group's blog tour.
Reviewed by Andrea Schultz - Ponderings by Andrea - [...]
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
For the past several years, I've been intrigued with the popularity of the "Twilight" saga. It certainly has rivaled the hysteria seen with Harry Potter, though this audience seems to be skewed slightly older and with a higher percentage of females.
Although I'm a fan of the Potter series, I didn't feel highly compelled to read Stephenie Meyer's books. I don't prefer vampire stories. In fact, the subject of one of my lectures in a college speech making class was "Bram Stoker's Dracula" and why my fellow Wheaton students should choose to not patronize the 1992 film.
There's much debate in the Christian community about whether believers should be reading "Twilight" and its subsequent sequels. Vampire mythology has always been rooted in death, darkness and occultist practices. Just recently I read in "Home Life" magazine, "[we] encourage readers to think about why so many Christian women are drawn to the Twilight series when the plots and characters depicted are obviously contrary to biblical principles." (April 2010)
As a reviewer for Litfuse Publicity, I was pleased to receive Dave Roberts' book, "The Twilight Gospel". I wanted to get his perspective on this topic, especially as a Christian writer, speaker and minister. Dave is the author of the best-selling "The Toronto Blessing" and "Red Moon Rising". He is a former editor of "Christianity" magazine and won awards for his work on "Renewal" magazine. He is a church pastor and conference director for three major annual conferences on worship, children's ministry, and women's ministry.
In order to prepare for Roberts' book, I thought it would be appropriate to at least read "Twilight", the first book in Stephenie Meyer's series. This would give me at least a working knowledge of Roberts' topic, if not a completely informed one. Because this book has been reviewed dozens of times over the years, I don't feel the need to post a full critique. I will say that I found "Twilight" entertaining, not as sinister as some have made it out to be, yet not for children or young teens.
After reading "Twilight" I dove into Roberts' "The Twilight Gospel". He begins with short plot synopses of all the books in the series, plus the unpublished draft of "Midnight Sun", available on Stephenie Meyer's website. Roberts then goes on to explain his motivations and goals for the book, showing that he has no desire to turn his back on popular culture. Unlike many who criticize popular culture, he doesn't write from a place of fear, but "from a place of wisdom", wanting "to help people understand and respond and make good choices." (p.22)
Chapter 2 is centered mostly on the history behind vampires and other "undead." I found this to be very helpful in understanding the bigger picture, as I'd either forgotten these themes or had never explored them. The mythology behind these characters and stories has a long tradition, with varying degrees of darkness and occultism. Fortunately for the readers of "Twilight", there are no coffin-shaped beds, sinister gothic clothes or repellent crosses.
The rest of the book explores several themes that are of interest to Mr. Roberts. He addresses the seemingly heavy emphasis on materialism and physical beauty seen in the lives of the vampires. We see how sexuality and occultist issues are handled, the "theology" of Meyer's vampires, free will and pacifism. He concludes with a few personal words of wisdom, and a few book recommendations of his own.
My thoughts: At 155 pages, "The Twilight Gospel" was a quick read and held my attention well. I felt a little out of sorts at times, as Roberts refers to plot elements in books 2-4, which I haven't read. If you want to avoid plot spoilers, read this book after you've finished the series. However, if this isn't a concern because you're reading this to be an informed parent or reader, do read "The Twilight Gospel" first.
While I don't disagree with Mr. Roberts' assertion that materialism and beauty are given a lot of emphasis in the Twilight series, these elements didn't concern me. Those factors are a part of the fantastical tale--to complain about them would be like complaining about Snow White being the "Fairest of Them All" or Cinderella having the most beautiful gown at the ball. However, if you are easily influenced by these issues, then he has some good points to consider.
Although the sexual tension in "Twilight" was much chaster than I've seen in other romantic stories, Roberts tells us that it takes a more predominant role in the subsequent books. I admired Meyer's choice to have abstinence to be the rule rather than the exception in "Twilight", but Roberts writes that things become spicier as the series goes on.
Overall I enjoyed "The Twilight Gospel". I didn't feel the urgency that Roberts feels in some of his topics, but I can understand where he's coming from. I wouldn't call this the definitive Christian response to "Twilight", but it certainly raises some interesting ideas, ones that are worth considering as these stories continue in popularity, both in print and on screen. I'm glad that he was able to show us how good, admirable themes are found in Meyer's books. He also presented some negative aspects that should be considered. I agree with him: "Enjoy, but do not believe."
Although I'm a fan of the Potter series, I didn't feel highly compelled to read Stephenie Meyer's books. I don't prefer vampire stories. In fact, the subject of one of my lectures in a college speech making class was "Bram Stoker's Dracula" and why my fellow Wheaton students should choose to not patronize the 1992 film.
There's much debate in the Christian community about whether believers should be reading "Twilight" and its subsequent sequels. Vampire mythology has always been rooted in death, darkness and occultist practices. Just recently I read in "Home Life" magazine, "[we] encourage readers to think about why so many Christian women are drawn to the Twilight series when the plots and characters depicted are obviously contrary to biblical principles." (April 2010)
As a reviewer for Litfuse Publicity, I was pleased to receive Dave Roberts' book, "The Twilight Gospel". I wanted to get his perspective on this topic, especially as a Christian writer, speaker and minister. Dave is the author of the best-selling "The Toronto Blessing" and "Red Moon Rising". He is a former editor of "Christianity" magazine and won awards for his work on "Renewal" magazine. He is a church pastor and conference director for three major annual conferences on worship, children's ministry, and women's ministry.
In order to prepare for Roberts' book, I thought it would be appropriate to at least read "Twilight", the first book in Stephenie Meyer's series. This would give me at least a working knowledge of Roberts' topic, if not a completely informed one. Because this book has been reviewed dozens of times over the years, I don't feel the need to post a full critique. I will say that I found "Twilight" entertaining, not as sinister as some have made it out to be, yet not for children or young teens.
After reading "Twilight" I dove into Roberts' "The Twilight Gospel". He begins with short plot synopses of all the books in the series, plus the unpublished draft of "Midnight Sun", available on Stephenie Meyer's website. Roberts then goes on to explain his motivations and goals for the book, showing that he has no desire to turn his back on popular culture. Unlike many who criticize popular culture, he doesn't write from a place of fear, but "from a place of wisdom", wanting "to help people understand and respond and make good choices." (p.22)
Chapter 2 is centered mostly on the history behind vampires and other "undead." I found this to be very helpful in understanding the bigger picture, as I'd either forgotten these themes or had never explored them. The mythology behind these characters and stories has a long tradition, with varying degrees of darkness and occultism. Fortunately for the readers of "Twilight", there are no coffin-shaped beds, sinister gothic clothes or repellent crosses.
The rest of the book explores several themes that are of interest to Mr. Roberts. He addresses the seemingly heavy emphasis on materialism and physical beauty seen in the lives of the vampires. We see how sexuality and occultist issues are handled, the "theology" of Meyer's vampires, free will and pacifism. He concludes with a few personal words of wisdom, and a few book recommendations of his own.
My thoughts: At 155 pages, "The Twilight Gospel" was a quick read and held my attention well. I felt a little out of sorts at times, as Roberts refers to plot elements in books 2-4, which I haven't read. If you want to avoid plot spoilers, read this book after you've finished the series. However, if this isn't a concern because you're reading this to be an informed parent or reader, do read "The Twilight Gospel" first.
While I don't disagree with Mr. Roberts' assertion that materialism and beauty are given a lot of emphasis in the Twilight series, these elements didn't concern me. Those factors are a part of the fantastical tale--to complain about them would be like complaining about Snow White being the "Fairest of Them All" or Cinderella having the most beautiful gown at the ball. However, if you are easily influenced by these issues, then he has some good points to consider.
Although the sexual tension in "Twilight" was much chaster than I've seen in other romantic stories, Roberts tells us that it takes a more predominant role in the subsequent books. I admired Meyer's choice to have abstinence to be the rule rather than the exception in "Twilight", but Roberts writes that things become spicier as the series goes on.
Overall I enjoyed "The Twilight Gospel". I didn't feel the urgency that Roberts feels in some of his topics, but I can understand where he's coming from. I wouldn't call this the definitive Christian response to "Twilight", but it certainly raises some interesting ideas, ones that are worth considering as these stories continue in popularity, both in print and on screen. I'm glad that he was able to show us how good, admirable themes are found in Meyer's books. He also presented some negative aspects that should be considered. I agree with him: "Enjoy, but do not believe."
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
What I liked about this book was the author brought the positive aspects of the Twilight Saga as it relates to religion, but the not-so-positive issues and ideas were also brought out. I read the whole book in an evening.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
What God thinks On Witchcraft!
God says this, those Christian that do Witchcraft and in the Church, God will leave them behind. God warns against this! We don't need Harry Potter or Twilight in the Church!!! Read more
Published 12 months ago by Nichole
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Twilight Gospel: The Spiritual Roots of the Stephanie Meyer...
The Twilight Gospel by Dave Roberts is quit an insightful read and I highly recommend that parents read his book and use it as a basis of discussing the Twilight Saga Series (Sneek... Read more
Published on April 25, 2010 by T. Willyard
4.0 out of 5 stars
Challenges you to see the power of a story
There's no question that Stephanie Meyer's Twilight Saga has taken teen-girl-world by storm.
The tale of Bella and her vampire beau Edward has sold more than 100 million... Read more
The tale of Bella and her vampire beau Edward has sold more than 100 million... Read more
Published on April 11, 2010 by Aaron Armstrong
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Christian parent and reader says:
Roberts' book is a must-read for the parent or young person seeking answers about Meyer's book series. Read more
Published on March 28, 2010 by Monica Brandywine
4.0 out of 5 stars
An Interesting Christian Perspective on the Twilight Craze
First of all, I would like to extend a heartfelt "Thank you" to Dave Roberts and his publisher for sending me a copy of "The Twilight Gospel" to review for them. Read more
Published on March 6, 2010 by Stacey
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good read for parents of Twilight fans
The Twilight Gospel by Dave Roberts is an overview of the different ideas and values that Stephenie Meyers' Twilight Saga promotes. Read more
Published on February 11, 2010 by Fantastacy
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