Brianna Harwood Mrs. Watson English 113Section 103 Critical Bibliography April 3!

01 "ed #e$$er% Bringing &ight into #ar$ness "ed #e$$er is a Christian writer whose goal is to show how 'the light ca(e into the dar$ness! b)t the dar$ness did not )nderstand it* +#e$$er 1, thro)gho)t all o- his boo$s. He tends to write abo)t .ery dar$ s)b/ects0 s)ch as! ()rder! de(on possession! and war! his 'stories draw the reader into a world where 1od is real and acti.e and where his lo.e is a .ial o- e2otic per-)(e* +Christianboo$.co(,. So(e o- his boo$s co)ld be ob.io)sly classi-ied as Christian based and this -oc)s is seen thro)gho)t the stories. "hen there are other boo$s in which he only shows how a person searches -or 1od! or a light in their dar$ness and how they str)ggle to answer to)gh 3)estions in.ol.ing 1od and who they are. #e$$er4s own li-e shows these str)ggles and his own personal search -or light in a dar$ world and his boo$s re-lect this. "ed #e$$er4s own personal story is one that shows e2actly what his boo$s set o)t to show! how to -ind light in the dar$ness. He was born into a (issionary -a(ily that wor$ed with the headh)nter tribes o- 5ndonesia. 6ne .ery distinct dar$ ti(e that was e2perienced at a yo)ng age was when so(e o- his parents4 -riends and colleag)es were $illed and eaten by so(e o- the people that they had been wor$ing with. 5n this dar$ness he searched -or light and '7the disparity between Christianity as a religion and Christianity as a -aith in 1od has plag)ed #e$$er* +Christianboo$.co(, since he le-t that c)lt)re and saw how the (eaning o- Christian has changed -or those who do not ha.e to deal with dar$ness on a reg)lar basis. "his along with

the (any c)lt)res that "ed #e$$er grew )p in helped to -or( the -o)ndation -or his writing. "he bea)ty in his -iction (ost li$ely co(es -ro( o- bea)ty o- the di--erent places and being 's)rro)nded by the .i.id colors o- the /)ngle and a (yriad o- c)lt)res! each steeped in their own interpretation o- li-e and religion* +Christianboo$.co(, and /)st hearing that description (a$es (e thin$ e2actly o- "ed #e$$er4s boo$s! speci-ically The Circle series. "ed #e$$er shows his p)rpose -or writing his boo$s by saying%
I would like to see the tag "Christian" fiction fade away. When a novel is given this tag, it's automatically put into a very narrow and often misunderstood box that does it and the gospel of Christ no favors. In general, the term "Christian" has much less to do with following Christ and much more to do with being part of a social institution. o it goes in the literary world as well. !ost Christians don't even read "Christian" fiction, preferring instead general market fiction primarily because of the stigma associated with the Christian fiction tag. "hey think of Christian fiction in terms that no longer accurately represent it. In essence, my books boil down to #od's pursuit of man, and man's pursuit of #od. !y protagonists are rarely Christians, but rather people thrust into extraordinary situations that ultimately lead them to #od. $iction allows me to put flesh on dogma and make this pursuit real.

"his approach and (ind set gi.es #e$$er4s writing a creati.e and )ni3)e way to share his li-e (essage with the world. Se.eral o- his boo$s are ob.io)s in their approach to 1od and the battle between light and dar$. 5n The Heaven Trilogy! the connection with 1od and the need -or hi( is clearly shown. 5n the speci-ic boo$ -ro( this trilogy! Heavens Wager! #e$$er describes 1od4s power in a story o- greed! the-t! and ()rder0 'And in that (o(ent! with the light po)ring into her s$)ll! rattling her bones! she $new that nothingabsol)tely nothingco)ld e.er co(pare to this -eeling* +Heavens Wager 18,. "he power o- prayer is the so)rce o- light that is seen in this speci-ic boo$

and #e$$er shows how the light o- 1od has the power to de-eat any dar$ness inside o- )s. Another ob.io)s set o- boo$s written by "ed #e$$er wo)ld be The Circle series. "hese boo$s are di--erent in the way that they show 1od and the world! b)t they are a great representation ospirit)al war-are and the -ight between the light and dar$ness. E.erything within these boo$s that is associated with 1od is described in this bea)ti-)l! color-)l! and pleas)rable way and e.erything associated with e.il is described as dar$! rotting! and s(elly. "he senses are a big part! along with the distinct di--erences between light and dar$ d)ring a war o- good and e.il. "he light and the goodness o- 1od is described e2tre(ely well in one speci-ic boo$! White! 'E.ery ner.e! e.ery cell! e.ery bone! screa(ed with a grati-ication that red)ced all other pleas)res to a (ere grin in a roo( o- rolling la)ghter* +3 , and it shows /)st a -raction o- how it

(ight be to be in the -)ll presence o- 1od! eng)l-ed in his light. "hen there are other boo$s where the story line does not necessarily show an aweso(e connection with 1od a(ongst the characters! b)t rather a answer to the tr)th o- 1od and his light. Thr3e is a story abo)t a (an that belie.es there is (an na(ed Slater playing a $iller (ind ga(e with hi(! in which! he ()st con-ess his sins to the world or he is dead (eat. 5t is )lti(ately abo)t a yo)ng (an who has a serio)s (ental disorder and has to -ight the de(ons othe past inside o- hi( in order to -ind the tr)th and the light. "he (ain lesson in this boo$ is that 'E.il only s)r.i.es in the dar$. "his isn4t religio)s either! by the way. "he si(plest way to deal with e.il is to -orce it into the light o- tr)th* +Thr3e 309,. Another way that light is shown in his boo$s is the power o- deli.ery! which )lti(ately glori-ies 1od and 1od4s glory is -)ll o- light. 5n the boo$! Kiss! he e2plains the i(portance o- a person4s past and the reason why we sho)ld always re(e(ber it0 '"hat4s the point o- holding on to (e(ory% deli.ery! not dar$ness* +Kiss 3 ,. And in the dar$est o- stories that he has written is -)ll o- de(on possession and the e.il

that can li.e inside o- all o- )s witho)t the light o- 1od li.ing in )s and shining o)t -ro( )s. He shows in the boo$! Adam! that 'As long as yo) wal$ in the light* +38:, o- 1od that the de(ons can be de-eated. "hese boo$s are not only #e$$er4s way o- (a$ing a li.ing! b)t they are also an e2pression o- his li-e story. "he story lines and the topic choices greatly .ary! b)t they are all saying the sa(e thing0 '"here4s a reason that we are drawn to the light. A reason why we -ear dar$ness. 5t4s i(portant -or )s to be terri-ied and )nner.ed abo)t certain things. "hat way we will choose another path. "he path that leads to tr)th and lo.e* +#e$$er,. E.ery boo$ starts with a proble(! a 3)estion! or a need and ends with 1od and his light shining into the dar$ness. And they all piece together to create the i(age o- 1od! showing his characteristics and )lti(ately his light in a world that tries to hide it.

Wor$s Cited ;Abo)t "ed.; Ted Dekker: The Official Author ite. 01 % 1. Web. 9 Mar. 01 . <http%==www.tedde$$er.co(=abo)t=>. #e$$er! "ed. Adam. ?ash.ille% "ho(as ?elson! 5nc.! 008. 38:. @rint. #e$$er! "ed. Heaven!s Wager. ?ash.ille% "ho(as ?elson! 5nc.! 000. 18. @rint. #e$$er! "ed. House. ?ash.ille% "ho(as ?elson! 5nc.! 00A. 1. @rint. #e$$er! "ed. Kiss. ?ash.ille% "ho(as ?elson! 5nc.! 008. 3 . @rint.

#e$$er! "ed. ;"ed #e$$er B)otes .; "oodreads. Ed. EliCabeth D. Chandler. ?.p.! 01 . Web. 3 Apr. 01 . <http%==www.goodreads.co(=a)thor=3)otes=1::1."edE#e$$erFpageG >. #e$$er! "ed. Thr3e# ?ash.ille% "ho(as ?elson! 5nc.! 003. 309. @rint. #e$$er! "ed. White. ?ash.ille% "ho(as ?elson! 5nc.! 00:. 3 . @rint.

;Meet "ed #e$$er.; Christian$ook#com. 01 % 1. Web. 9 Mar. 01 . <http%==www.christianboo$.co(=ht(l=a)thors=:H8A.ht(l>. ;"ed #e$$er A)thor @ro-ile.; %e&'eleaseTuesday#com. I)ne 011% 1. Web. 9 Mar. 01 . <http%==www.newreleaset)esday.co(=a)thordetail.phpFa)tEidGH>. ;"ed #e$$er.; (ocus on (iction . March 01 % 1. Web. 9 Mar. 01 . <http%==www.-oc)son-iction.net=tedde$$er.ht(l>. ;"ed #e$$er 5nter.iew .; TitleTrakk#com. n.d. 1. Web. 9 Mar. 01 . <http%==www.titletra$$.co(=a)thorJinter.iews=tedJde$$erJinter.iewJ1.ht(>.