Thursday, November 19, 2009

Touched By A Vampire by Beth Felker Jones - REVIEWED


ABOUT THE BOOK:

People around the world are asking the same question, enraptured with Edward and Bella’s forbidden romance in the Twilight Saga, a four-book serial phenomenon written by Stephenie Meyer. The bestsellers tell the story of a regular girl’s relationship with a vampire who has chosen to follow his “good” side. But the Saga isn’t just another fantasy–it’s teaching girls about love, sex, and purpose. With 48 million copies in print and a succession of upcoming blockbuster films, now is the time to ask the important question: Can vampires teach us about God’s plan for love?


Touched by a Vampire is the first book to investigate the themes of the Twilight Saga from a Biblical perspective. Some Christian readers have praised moral principles illustrated in the story, such as premarital sexual abstinence, which align with Meyer’s Mormon beliefs. But ultimately, Beth Felker Jones examines whether the story’s redemptive qualities outshine its darkness.


Cautionary, thoughtful, and challenging, Touched by a Vampire is written for Twilight fans, parents, teachers, and pop culture enthusiasts. It includes an overview of the series for those unfamiliar with the storyline and a discussion guide for small groups.


My Thoughts:

I want to begin by stating that I have not read the Twilight series. However, Beth Felker Jones provides enough plot synopsis in her book, Touched By A Vampire, that I am able to appreciate all of the work she did to compile such a complete and thoughtful look at this series through the lens of Scripture and faith in Christ. What a blessing it is to have someone so closely examine the phenomena of a secular series of books in light of God’s word!


Jones takes a very specific approach to this book by addressing issues like love, sexual abstinence, gender roles, family, marriage and personal power in light of redemption. She leaves no stone unturned, and very thoughtfully places the dark themes of this series beneath the light of God’s truth. While I realize that teens are incredibly prone to follow what is popular in almost every area of their lives, I also realize the parent’s greater responsibility to place these issues within the context of God’s truth. Jones’ book is a fantastic tool for parents and teachers to use to open frank discussions about this series and the themes that run throughout the story.


There should be more books like this one. There should be tons of parents responsible enough for their children’s spiritual well-being that they take the time to examine the fiction fads that impact their teens’ lives. My hat is off to Beth Felker Jones! She did an excellent job of setting dark themes beneath the light of God’s Word, and she did it in a very open and thoughtful way rather than bludgeoning the author’s talent and the reader’s enthusiasm for the series.




You can purchase your own copy of this great resource HERE.


No comments: