Oh, boy ,One More Left Behind Book!

Oh goody, the final installment of that mega seller 16 volume Left Behind series comes out this week. It's no Harry Potter, but it's put "Christian fiction" on the map. Now, I've not read any of the books, so I can be accused of judging a book only by its cover, but I read Late Great Planet Earth and I've read the book of Revelation, so I think I know the plot.
The new book, entitled Kingdom Come, is covered today by a front page article by Josh Getlin and Connie Kang at the LA Times entitled: "Left Behind? Not this book series." Although interest in the series has waned -- it peaked with book 9, Desecration, in 2001 it still is a ratings winner for its publisher. It's still a series that rests on bad theology. By trying, as they do, to take Revelation literally they present a God and a future that in my mind is simply unattractive. In it the Jesus who goes to the cross is replaced by the warrior Jesus dueling Satan on the battlefield. What was in Revelation metaphor is made literal, encouraging militant behavior. Rabbi Michael Cook of Hebrew Union College gets it right when he says that this theology is "disrespectful of the church, disrespectful of Christian theology, detrimental for Jews and detrimental for humanity."

"The series' underlying premise is that, had the Jews accepted Jesus in the 1st century, God would never have created the Church, which has now lasted 2,000 years purely as a stopgap measure until the Jews accept Jesus," Cook wrote. "This is implicitly insulting to Christianity. It means that God created the Church only as an afterthought to fill the interim," and thus the books suggest that "the onus for delay in completing Jesus' work is implicitly held to rest
upon the Jews."

As for the plot line -- well apparently this one takes place after Jesus has taken his throne. Unfortunately Satan isn't ready to give in, so the hero Rayford Steele, airline pilot turned "Christian Commando" must do battle with evil - literal battle that is.

As "Kingdom Come" begins, Jesus has established his thousand-year reign on Earth. But there are still people who do not accept him as their savior. And as Lucifer returns, scheming one last time to impose a Kingdom of Darkness, Steele and his people clash with his massive army in an apocalyptic fight to the finish.

What's interesting is the context. When dispensationalism was born it appealed to people on the margins who wanted out of life. But now it's taken hold of people who are doing pretty well -- including the authors. Getlin and Kang quote Randy Balmer on this:

The rapture is good business. But the irony may be that those who initially embraced the message are now so comfortably ensconced in American life, they may be hoping that the final reckoning, the End of Days, might be somehow postponed."

Evangelicals have become upwardly very mobile, very content with their suburban lifestyles and watching their stock portfolios, and so the mantra is, 'Yeah, Jesus is coming. But take your time. We're doing pretty well,' " said Randall Balmer, a professor of religion at Columbia University's Barnard College and the author of the forthcoming "Religion and the Presidency From JFK to George W. Bush."

"I'm not being facetious about this," he continued. "What I don't hear from evangelicals now is the same sense of urgency. For them, the Left Behind novels have become a very comfortable set-piece. They're almost kind of nostalgic."

And if you don't like to read, I'm sure the video game will be out soon!

Comments

Anonymous said…
I thought the video game was already out? I read (on secular gaming sites) that it was quite violent, and good fun for people who like violent shooters. But of course, it's really us liberals who are accommodating ourselves to the culture. ;-)

I read the first book -- it was pretty awful. Bad theology and worse writing. I thought the last book came out when I was in college, though -- apparently they decided to milk it for a little more money. *sigh*
Robert Cornwall said…
Chris,

Yes, there is already a Left Behind game out. But likely there will be one for this as well. Your actually braver than me to have read one. I don't think I could have made it through one -- any more than I could read through one of the Jan Karon's books.

If book 9 came out in 2001, I expect the remaining 7 came out about one per year.

Thanks for the post!
Chris Knight said…
This book is HORRIBLE!! Not just the worst of the Left Behind series but one of the worst that I've read *ever*.

Here's my review of this... thing.

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