Review of The Gospel According to Twilight by Elaine Heath

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Is this a good book, worth taking the time to read and ponder? Yes, it is. Maybe I think that because I'm a Twilight fan (not a diehard one, perhaps, but a pretty big one) and, to me, most thoughtfully-created works of literature centered on the series would seem worth the read. Maybe I think that because I was raised as a feminist and a Catholic, and Heath's non-patriarchal approach to the "Gospel" aspect of her investigation is one I find familiar and comfortable.

A quote sometimes attributed to Stephen King re: Stephenie Meyer's series is, "Harry Potter is about confronting fears, finding inner strength and doing what is right in the face of adversity. Twilight is about how important it is to have a boyfriend." While the quote may be apocryphal, I have noticed that the Twilight series is criticized for its overemphasis on romantic relationships. Before I read Heath's book, though, I had not made the connection between the apparent fear of being single in Meyer's series and Meyer's Mormon belief system. That connection makes sense to me.

I'm also glad that Heath addresses another common criticism of Twilight: that the female characters are weak and unfeminist, while the male characters - Edward particularly - exhibit behavior that, in a nonfictional boyfriend, would be red flags for abuse. Even those of us who continue to love the book and movie series should ponder/discuss/address these aspects of the novel. I agree with Heath when she suggests we don't want young girls to mistakenly pick up the message that abusive behavior in relationships is acceptable.

Not being a particularly orthodox member of any religious group myself, I don't have any specific criticisms of the way in which Heath addresses the Gospel aspect. She's an ordained minister and an associate professor of evangelism in the Methodist church, so I assume many American Protestants will accept her credentials and understand her point of view. When I finished the Twilight series, I picked up on the fact that Bella's transformation was a akin to the transformation of the Pevensie children in the Chronicles of Narnia, with Edward in this case standing in for Aslan (standing in for Jesus). Heath takes the metaphor a step further, showing how Edward, Bella and Carlisle are all aspects of a Christ figure. Bella even rises from the dead after three days.

Based on some of the Goodreads reviews, some of the criticisms of this book have been, "Heath thought too hard about a series that is, essentially, an extended romance novel with vampires and werewolves." If you fear that the author may analyze too deeply, then no, this is not the book for you.

But if you're willing to put some deep thought into how Christianity and Twilight co-exist - perhaps as part of a book club - then you've come to the right paperback.

Ripe for Revival

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I have read books by two religious leaders who call for a revolution to transform the church. However, a study of revival shows that there have been no lasting revolutions led by charismatic pastors. Rather, there have been broad-based movements of the Holy Spirit that produced a variety of leaders in many places.

The Reformation was led by a number of men including Luther, Zwingli, Calvin, Tyndale, the Anabaptists and others. It began with a deep-seated sense of dissatisfaction with the life of the church that arose out of the heartfelt prayers of believers throughout the Christian community. It was not a movement based on made-made methods or some ecclesiastical construct. Eventually the Holy Spirit raised up leaders to provide inspiration and guidance, but they were not part of the religious establishment because it was the establishment that was the problem. The same was true in Jesus' day when He cleansed the temple and swept away the entire religious establishment, replacing it with humble fishermen and tax collectors.

What got the religious leaders of Jesus day in trouble was their attitude that they were beyond reproach and their refusal to get their hands dirty. They were used to applying the Scriptures to others but not to themselves. Many modern pastors are cut from the same cloth. They limit themselves to preaching and teaching and refuse to mingle with the common people and get to know their needs and aspirations. They rarely seek the counsel of others because it would diminish their spiritual aura. We tend to be more tolerant of this kind of behavior in an age of specialization, but Jesus never meant ministry to be specialized. He intended to involve everyone in some capacity.

From the beginning to the end of the fourth century AD, the church went from being a persecuted minority to a vengeful majority that pursued its enemies with the backing of the state. In many respects, they were not unlike the modern church. Their basilicas rivaled our modern mega-churches for their opulence. Both the fourth century church and our modern churches entrust spiritual ministry to religious professionals-the priestly class in the first case, and seminary trained pastors today. The fourth century church enjoyed the power and prestige conferred by a tolerant government as does the American church today. We should be wary lest we fall prey to the allure of wealth and power that led to their downfall.

It is time to take a hard look at church leadership. If an organization is not performing, management is responsible. It doesn't matter whether it is a sports franchise, a manufacturing company, a service organization, a school or a church. The president, chief executive officer, principal or pastor is accountable. Somehow, we seem to think the church is different from other organizations and that everything that happens there is ordained by God and beyond question. As Jesus told his disciples, it is not always the best plan to follow the institutional religious leaders or Rabbis, in their case. Not to address the shortcomings of today's church leaders would be to let them become so embedded in the culture of the institution that they would lose touch with the people whom they serve.

Register Your Comments
Should church leaders be exempt from the kind of scrutiny that the leaders of other institutions face? Why do we treat church leaders with kid gloves? Is it because we are afraid we might tarnish the name of Christ? Or is it because we are afraid of the spiritual authority they wield? Isn't it rather their behavior that sullies His name? Is it appropriate to criticize under any circumstances or should the church be held to lower standards than other institutions that we hold accountable to legal, moral and ethical regimes?

The Casual Christian pp. 71-72

For a variety of resources to help you bring revival to your church, go to the Casual Christian Website at http://casualchristian.net/blog. Find more articles like this one in my book, The Casual Christian, on Amazon.com.