Post by wilsonwriter on Jan 21, 2009 11:16:41 GMT -5
Caprice, here's a brief response, though I could go into a lot more detail.
First, I don't write my books thinking of any CBA or ECPA guidelines; I write them with the belief that I am doing what God has put into my heart. This means that I will not flinch from depicting evil or good accurately.
Yes, Gina's mother cut her to bleed out her sins...a depiction of the works-based and superstitious types of religion that still dominate throughout the world.
Yes, Gina is rebellious, because she is coming to terms with the difference between true relationship with God as compared to stale and abusive religion. If you've ever met someone who's gone through such experiences, you'll see Gina reflected there. This is a trilogy, and Gina's journey is not yet over.
As for the female vampire in Atlanta, this is a depiction of the type of sin and lust that overtake many people. She does track down and kill Gina's baby, precisely because that's the goal of the spiritual enemy we face--in the words of the book's vampires: "to feed, breed, persuade, and possess."
The reason Thomas Nelson was willing to let these things go was because there is not only the expression of sin's evil side in the story, but the slow revelation of the power of the Nazarene Blood. Each of us knows that our conflict with sin in our deceitful human hearts is no easy battle, and this had to be portrayed accurately for the story of the Nazarene's power to have any real meaning.
As for earning the right to tell such stories, I've published eight novels. I've spent most of my life in missions, youth ministry, and as a pastor's son; I graduated with a B.A. from an accredited Bible college; I've been married to the same woman for 18 years and have two daughters. But the real "earning" comes from the fact that I, as sinful and humanly flawed as I am, have a daily relationship with Jesus. That is the only thing that gives me any eternal purpose.
I hope that answers your questions in part.
First, I don't write my books thinking of any CBA or ECPA guidelines; I write them with the belief that I am doing what God has put into my heart. This means that I will not flinch from depicting evil or good accurately.
Yes, Gina's mother cut her to bleed out her sins...a depiction of the works-based and superstitious types of religion that still dominate throughout the world.
Yes, Gina is rebellious, because she is coming to terms with the difference between true relationship with God as compared to stale and abusive religion. If you've ever met someone who's gone through such experiences, you'll see Gina reflected there. This is a trilogy, and Gina's journey is not yet over.
As for the female vampire in Atlanta, this is a depiction of the type of sin and lust that overtake many people. She does track down and kill Gina's baby, precisely because that's the goal of the spiritual enemy we face--in the words of the book's vampires: "to feed, breed, persuade, and possess."
The reason Thomas Nelson was willing to let these things go was because there is not only the expression of sin's evil side in the story, but the slow revelation of the power of the Nazarene Blood. Each of us knows that our conflict with sin in our deceitful human hearts is no easy battle, and this had to be portrayed accurately for the story of the Nazarene's power to have any real meaning.
As for earning the right to tell such stories, I've published eight novels. I've spent most of my life in missions, youth ministry, and as a pastor's son; I graduated with a B.A. from an accredited Bible college; I've been married to the same woman for 18 years and have two daughters. But the real "earning" comes from the fact that I, as sinful and humanly flawed as I am, have a daily relationship with Jesus. That is the only thing that gives me any eternal purpose.
I hope that answers your questions in part.