So, why haven't I read the series? Something has held me from borrowing the series and consuming them.... I can not put my finger on the reason precisely, but I am intrigued by the hype it is causing from young girls to middle age women. I will address these thoughts later this week when I review Beth Felker Jones' Touched by a Vampire.
We'll consider several thought-provoking themes Felker Jones provides for readers from a Christian perspective. Whether or not you agree, it promises to be interesting.
I have a peculiar childhood memory that relates to this conversation. There were only a few TV shows I was banned from watching as a child of the 70's and 80's. My mom forbid me from watching Three's Company, Charlie's Angels, and Bewitched. Quite an interesting combination, isn't it? Compared to today's raunchy television line-up, the former choices are quite tame (For the record, I actually did watch many episodes of all three shows - I was such a rebel!).
Just this summer, I happened to ask my mom about her logic regarding Bewitched, in particular. She had an interesting response that I now highly value. When Bewitched premiered, the TV industry did not feature witches of any sort. My mom heard a women speak of the dangers in diluting one's sense of evil in the culture. By featuring nice, ordinary, funny witches, the show's premise led people to think good thoughts about witchcraft, rather than critical thoughts. To dilute one's sense of evil, is to open the heart for further compromise. This argument transfers to many issues - violence, sexual promiscuity, disrespect towards authority, etc.
When I think of Twilight, and the obsession of so many girls towards the books and movies, I wonder about the areas of life the series dilutes. Are vampires, werewolves, and witches real? How does black magic relate to contemporary culture? Is love compatible with evil? I am uncertain of the specifics, but I know evil is very real. And, I know that when our senses are dull, we humans make poor choices.
Waterbrook Press invited Tracey Bateman to write a fictional story about vampires and love that glorifies God. I question the necessity of such a need, but I did read and enjoy the novel.Nina Parker, a married alcoholic with two children, loses everything as a result of her addiction. In her effort to start anew following rehab, she returns to her childhood home. A man in town takes an interest in her, and relates to Nina's struggle for control over her addiction. Amidst the darkness of demonic forces, Truth is battled for in the lives of everyone touching Nina's life story.
While the focus of addiction in this novel is alcohol, there is certainly room to apply other addictions. "We all have sins or temptations that are harder to resist than others," says the General (a role model of sorts in Nina's life). He describes his fight like this, "When I came to end of my rope, God showed up. And when He showed up, I knew I wouldn't _______ again" (Bateman, 2009, p. 255). We all have something we could fill-in-the-blank with, but are we willing? Nina's journey is inspiring and promotes hope!
Evil is addressed, as well. Markus (the vampire) explains to Nina, "Stranger things exist in this world. Much more than people like to believe.... It's dangerous to close your eyes to something just because you've never experienced it" (Bateman, 2009, p. 279). Oh, how I believe these statements. Most of us in the U.S. carry on from day-to-day without a care in the world for the powerful battles occurring around us in the unseen, spiritual world. I believe with all my heart and soul that evil is real, powerful, and fighting to capture every human possible. For this reason, I recommend Bateman's novel, Thirsty.
Later this week, I will discuss Touched by a Vampire. Stay tuned and watch for a give-away! If you are interesting reading more about either of these titles, here are the links:
Touched by a Vampire
These books were provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.
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