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The Gospel according to Twilight: Women, Sex, and God
The Twilight saga has become one of the most successful fiction series ever written, with more than one hundred million copies in print and several blockbuster films. Despite the tremendous commercial success Twilight has generated, few readers have analyzed its theological teachings or the messages Stephenie Meyer might be sending to women and teenage girls. This book offers both a feminist critique of Twilight and a theological review of the stories' ideas about salvation, heaven and hell, power, reconciliation, resurrection, and organized religion. Elaine Heath writes in an accessible voice, calling attention to both the "good news" of Twilight's theology and the "bad news" of its gender stereotypes and depictions of violence against women. The book includes questions for youth and adult groups or for classroom discussions.
184 pages, Paperback
First published September 2, 2011
52 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 13, 2011
As a Christian who thoroughly enjoyed the Twilight Saga both the books and movies, I was really interested in reading this book. I was a late bloomer as far as the Twilight mayhem goes, only having been introduced last year and I was hesitant at first for many of the same reasons as the author of this book, Elain A. Heath points out.
I gave the excuse of, "I don't "do" vampires." "What message of love is it sending to girls?" "Christians shouldn't read books like this." etc. Completely judging a book by it's cover and ignoring the gentle encouragement from my Christian friends who made promises like, "These aren't your regular vampires." "Read it, you'll love it!"
I finally decided if THEY read it and survived then maybe I would give it a shot too. It's just a story after all..so I read them. All 4 of them. In 5 days. What was really shocking to me was that I wasn't a "reader" before then (outside of my daily devotional and the occasional Bible Study).
What I found in the books was nothing like what Ms. Heath found apparently. For one, I wasn't looking to find Christ in Twilight. I was looking for a story, a work of fiction. I don't think it's prudent to approach every book with the intention of finding Jesus in it because chances are, we won't. We might find characters who reflect Him or the qualities of Him (Carlisle's compassion, Esme's unconditional love, etc.), much like people in real life do but unless you're reading a story of His life, chances are you'll be letdown.
I believe that while God calls us to be discerning, we need to be careful that in our efforts to do so we don't allow ourselves to become cynical, always seeing the negative in everything. I felt like Ms. Heath deferred to the negative a lot in this book. Sometimes to the extreme. She focuses a small amount of time on the positive attributes of the Saga but when she delves into the negative, it appears she got stuck there. Her views tend to take a strong feminist tone as well.
One example is when she claims that "The theme of violence against women at the hands of their intimate partners runs throughout all four Twilight novels..." "Most disturbingly, Meyer treats this theme in ways that normalize such violence." pg 32 Huh? Did we read the same books? I'll agree that Alice, Rosalie and Esme all had things happen to them in their former lives but only Rosalie was the one who came close to being a victim of a violent act by intimate partner (and his friends). Using the honeymoon scene between Edward and Bella as an example of this is taking it out of context because his intention was never to hurt her, unlike when Rosalie's fiance raped her.
She spends several chapters focusing on how violent and abusive the character of Edward really is (she explains that this was downplayed in the movies) and claims he's really not just a lovesick, overly protective boyfriend (he IS a vampire after all) but a sociopath who should be every parent's nightmare. (Keeping in mind that this is a work of fiction and he is not real.) My biggest issue, as a parent was that he was sneaking into Bella's bedroom at night. I actually loved that he was the one who kept insisting that they wait to have sex until after marriage because it's rare these days that the guy is one saying, "No." I guess from a feminists point of view though, this was just another way for him to exert his control over her.
Heath also claims that Jacob and the rest of the Quileutes are nothing more than pedophiles as exhibited my their clans "imprinting" practices. Yes, whole idea of imprinting on a baby or toddler is a little creepy but again, it's a work of fiction and I would've never gone the pedophile route. It seems a bit extreme to me.
Her feminist views are also apparent when she criticizes how the roles of the rest of Cullen women are portrayed. Esme in particular takes a verbal beating in this excerpt, "Esme is a gentle mom who cooks delicious foods for others and likes to refurbish historic homes. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for being a great mom and having architectural appreciation. But this is a traditional, overly domestic stereotype of an upper middle-class white woman. Wouldn't Esme be more interesting if, for example, she worked for immigration rights, or if she were a beekeeper? What if she wrote best-selling novels about vampires? Wouldn't readers be able to identify with her more and look up to her? She has all that undead time on her hands. Couldn't she do something rewarding and useful in addition to taking her of her family, all of whom are perfectly able to care for themselves because they are immortal adults and the world's deadliest predators?" pg 44-45
Ouch! I happen to identify with Esme because I am white, I am a mom who has chosen to stay at home, cook for my family and others (regardless of their age or undeadness), serve in my church and even educate my children at home. It would seem that traditional equates to uselessness and unrewarding to Ms. Heath. I don't know Ms. Heath but if that is how she really feels, it is bothersome and not just to me but to many other fans of the Saga too.
The Gospel According to Twilight seems to take a lot of liberties with the Twilight Saga and how it can relate to the true Gospel of Jesus. I think that anyone who chooses to read this book needs to do so with a grain of salt. The Twilight Saga is not the greatest book ever written nor is it the perfect example of life, love, marriage or family but it's definitely not the worst either. It's a work of fantasy, fiction, meant to entertain.
Discernment about what we read is important but it is possible to go overboard in the dissection of a story too. Even one about sparkly vampires.
I gave the excuse of, "I don't "do" vampires." "What message of love is it sending to girls?" "Christians shouldn't read books like this." etc. Completely judging a book by it's cover and ignoring the gentle encouragement from my Christian friends who made promises like, "These aren't your regular vampires." "Read it, you'll love it!"
I finally decided if THEY read it and survived then maybe I would give it a shot too. It's just a story after all..so I read them. All 4 of them. In 5 days. What was really shocking to me was that I wasn't a "reader" before then (outside of my daily devotional and the occasional Bible Study).
What I found in the books was nothing like what Ms. Heath found apparently. For one, I wasn't looking to find Christ in Twilight. I was looking for a story, a work of fiction. I don't think it's prudent to approach every book with the intention of finding Jesus in it because chances are, we won't. We might find characters who reflect Him or the qualities of Him (Carlisle's compassion, Esme's unconditional love, etc.), much like people in real life do but unless you're reading a story of His life, chances are you'll be letdown.
I believe that while God calls us to be discerning, we need to be careful that in our efforts to do so we don't allow ourselves to become cynical, always seeing the negative in everything. I felt like Ms. Heath deferred to the negative a lot in this book. Sometimes to the extreme. She focuses a small amount of time on the positive attributes of the Saga but when she delves into the negative, it appears she got stuck there. Her views tend to take a strong feminist tone as well.
One example is when she claims that "The theme of violence against women at the hands of their intimate partners runs throughout all four Twilight novels..." "Most disturbingly, Meyer treats this theme in ways that normalize such violence." pg 32 Huh? Did we read the same books? I'll agree that Alice, Rosalie and Esme all had things happen to them in their former lives but only Rosalie was the one who came close to being a victim of a violent act by intimate partner (and his friends). Using the honeymoon scene between Edward and Bella as an example of this is taking it out of context because his intention was never to hurt her, unlike when Rosalie's fiance raped her.
She spends several chapters focusing on how violent and abusive the character of Edward really is (she explains that this was downplayed in the movies) and claims he's really not just a lovesick, overly protective boyfriend (he IS a vampire after all) but a sociopath who should be every parent's nightmare. (Keeping in mind that this is a work of fiction and he is not real.) My biggest issue, as a parent was that he was sneaking into Bella's bedroom at night. I actually loved that he was the one who kept insisting that they wait to have sex until after marriage because it's rare these days that the guy is one saying, "No." I guess from a feminists point of view though, this was just another way for him to exert his control over her.
Heath also claims that Jacob and the rest of the Quileutes are nothing more than pedophiles as exhibited my their clans "imprinting" practices. Yes, whole idea of imprinting on a baby or toddler is a little creepy but again, it's a work of fiction and I would've never gone the pedophile route. It seems a bit extreme to me.
Her feminist views are also apparent when she criticizes how the roles of the rest of Cullen women are portrayed. Esme in particular takes a verbal beating in this excerpt, "Esme is a gentle mom who cooks delicious foods for others and likes to refurbish historic homes. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for being a great mom and having architectural appreciation. But this is a traditional, overly domestic stereotype of an upper middle-class white woman. Wouldn't Esme be more interesting if, for example, she worked for immigration rights, or if she were a beekeeper? What if she wrote best-selling novels about vampires? Wouldn't readers be able to identify with her more and look up to her? She has all that undead time on her hands. Couldn't she do something rewarding and useful in addition to taking her of her family, all of whom are perfectly able to care for themselves because they are immortal adults and the world's deadliest predators?" pg 44-45
Ouch! I happen to identify with Esme because I am white, I am a mom who has chosen to stay at home, cook for my family and others (regardless of their age or undeadness), serve in my church and even educate my children at home. It would seem that traditional equates to uselessness and unrewarding to Ms. Heath. I don't know Ms. Heath but if that is how she really feels, it is bothersome and not just to me but to many other fans of the Saga too.
The Gospel According to Twilight seems to take a lot of liberties with the Twilight Saga and how it can relate to the true Gospel of Jesus. I think that anyone who chooses to read this book needs to do so with a grain of salt. The Twilight Saga is not the greatest book ever written nor is it the perfect example of life, love, marriage or family but it's definitely not the worst either. It's a work of fantasy, fiction, meant to entertain.
Discernment about what we read is important but it is possible to go overboard in the dissection of a story too. Even one about sparkly vampires.
June 5, 2016
2.5
Okay... debo decir dos cosas: primero, que no soy fan de crepúsculo y segundo, que no soy cristiano.
Se preguntaran entonces porqué leí esto. Simple: estaba a un precio muy accesible (30 pesos mexicanos)
Y la razón de que no me gustara no tiene nada que ver con el tema religioso, de hecho, me parecen interesantes las referencias a la biblia (religión, testamento, como le quieran llamar) que Meyer hace en la saga. No,no es eso. Lo que de verdad hizo que pusiera una calificación tan baja es que hay algunos capítulos que no son más que un mero resumen de X situación en la saga.
Bastante triste porque a la larga es eso: un mero resumen del original de Stephanie Meyer.Que ya de por sí es malo.
Okay... debo decir dos cosas: primero, que no soy fan de crepúsculo y segundo, que no soy cristiano.
Se preguntaran entonces porqué leí esto. Simple: estaba a un precio muy accesible (30 pesos mexicanos)
Y la razón de que no me gustara no tiene nada que ver con el tema religioso, de hecho, me parecen interesantes las referencias a la biblia (religión, testamento, como le quieran llamar) que Meyer hace en la saga. No,no es eso. Lo que de verdad hizo que pusiera una calificación tan baja es que hay algunos capítulos que no son más que un mero resumen de X situación en la saga.
Bastante triste porque a la larga es eso: un mero resumen del original de Stephanie Meyer.
September 7, 2011
As an English major, I have an affinity for literary critcism, and I was absolutely fascinated when I saw this ARC come up. When I read Twilight, I devoured the series in about a week. I joked that there was a magical hold that the books garner on the reader--maybe even a Mormon curse!
In the book, the author takes a look at how all roads in Twilight lead back to the Bible in some ways. You would have to be blind not to notice there are religious undercurrents in Twilight. I'm not just talking about the Abstinence message. Edward doesn't want to turn Bella for fear of taking her soul, Carlisle has become a doctor to help people--trying to gain penance perhaps for an afterlife. I've found it interesting the head of the vampires, the Volturri, live in a walled city in Italy...hmm, remind you of the Vatican, perhaps?
Heath brings up so many great points of both religion as well as feminism. It isn't hard to read Twilight and get your feminist sensibilties riled. I especially liked how she brought up the violence towards women factor--You have Esme killing herself to avoid an abusive marriage and the loss of her child, Rosalie is gang raped by her fiancee and his friends, and Emily has her face mauled off by Sam when when he fazes. There's also the rather disusting imprinting aspect that is brought up.
Heath also taps into the negativty of divorce(the only divorced family, Charlie and Renee, are totally disfunctional), and everyone in Twilight is paired off by the end of the series except for poor Leah. Heath brings in the Mormon aspect that only the married get to experience the highest realms of heaven, which greatly appalled me.
There's also the parallels of ressurection with Bella's transformation; 3 days, new body, etc.
It was truly a fascinating read!!
In the book, the author takes a look at how all roads in Twilight lead back to the Bible in some ways. You would have to be blind not to notice there are religious undercurrents in Twilight. I'm not just talking about the Abstinence message. Edward doesn't want to turn Bella for fear of taking her soul, Carlisle has become a doctor to help people--trying to gain penance perhaps for an afterlife. I've found it interesting the head of the vampires, the Volturri, live in a walled city in Italy...hmm, remind you of the Vatican, perhaps?
Heath brings up so many great points of both religion as well as feminism. It isn't hard to read Twilight and get your feminist sensibilties riled. I especially liked how she brought up the violence towards women factor--You have Esme killing herself to avoid an abusive marriage and the loss of her child, Rosalie is gang raped by her fiancee and his friends, and Emily has her face mauled off by Sam when when he fazes. There's also the rather disusting imprinting aspect that is brought up.
Heath also taps into the negativty of divorce(the only divorced family, Charlie and Renee, are totally disfunctional), and everyone in Twilight is paired off by the end of the series except for poor Leah. Heath brings in the Mormon aspect that only the married get to experience the highest realms of heaven, which greatly appalled me.
There's also the parallels of ressurection with Bella's transformation; 3 days, new body, etc.
It was truly a fascinating read!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2012
Being a huge Twilight fan due in part to my hopeful romantic heart I was captivated not at first when the series because a huge hit, but after years I watched the movies, followed by reading all the books as fast as I could inhale them. I am a Christian and find that in everything, we can look at things in through what some call Gospel eyes. We can see redeeming qualities in all things while others see only the black and white or good and bad in all things.
I was particularly interested in the recent book The Gospel According to Twilight by Elaine A. Heath and what her take on this series of books and movies had to offer. Was there anything redeeming or have we been like lambs to the slaughter and simply mislead. I think she did a brilliant job and breaking down literally all aspects of what the books and movies have to show us, both good and bad and allow us to gain insight from seeing both signs of the proverbial coin.
With this book comes the understanding of the author, Stephanie Meyers motivation behind the words and actions she describes in the book being a Mormon but also shows how even she deviates from the traditional LDS or Latter Day Saints theology. Elaine goes through each circumstance outlined in the book through a variety of theological teachings from Catholic, to Eastern Orthodox and parallels how we, as Christians, can use the Twilight series to reach women and girls and create a bridge of communication.
There are many redeeming qualities in the book such as the family values that are highlighted in the Cullen (vampire) family. Carlisle, the father featured in the series, even though he is a vampire, chooses through self control to not seek his natural desire to feed on humans but instead feeds by drinking animal blood and now uses his skill as a doctor to help people. His wife, Esme is the proverbial good wife, utilizing her talents as a caregiver and mother to everyone. She even goes as far to make Bella an Italian meal when she first visits the Cullen family, even though they don't eat food. The entire Cullen family is the prime example of a loving family. The work together, they all get along great and protect one another when threats come calling.
Each of the Cullen's have come from a human life previously filled with violence and now all seek to do good and extend grace thorough their life of mortality always seeing the good in everyone, including their rival vampires, werewolves and humans. Even Bella's lifestyle is analyzed about the consequences of coming from a divorced home and having parents living on opposites sides of the country. It shows us how Bella's detachment from what works in a marriage and family is distorted and why she wants to be a part of the Cullen's so passionately. She is accepted despite all her defects, as she sees them.
Elaine Heath also provides insight in the downsides of the series and it allows readers to see why so many are adamant that this series does not belong in hands of believers. It does give you something to think about but I am a firm believer in what the enemy may chose to use for evil, God can turn it around for His glory and goodness. My personal beliefs are that this at least opens conversations up between believers and non believers and may create a great way to show people the love of Christ through this series of books where they may have been closed off before.
I received The Gospel According to Twilight by Elaine A. Heath compliments of Westminster John Knox Press and Net Galley for my honest review and think this is well written. You don't just have a confirmation that this is the perfect series of books but a great line of thinking to consider in all things we chose to take part of in life. For that I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars. I think this would make a great Bible Study for a youth group in the coming months as the final saga of the series hits theaters. It may open doors for people to come to know Christ through talking about what this series offers both to young men and impressionable young women!
I was particularly interested in the recent book The Gospel According to Twilight by Elaine A. Heath and what her take on this series of books and movies had to offer. Was there anything redeeming or have we been like lambs to the slaughter and simply mislead. I think she did a brilliant job and breaking down literally all aspects of what the books and movies have to show us, both good and bad and allow us to gain insight from seeing both signs of the proverbial coin.
With this book comes the understanding of the author, Stephanie Meyers motivation behind the words and actions she describes in the book being a Mormon but also shows how even she deviates from the traditional LDS or Latter Day Saints theology. Elaine goes through each circumstance outlined in the book through a variety of theological teachings from Catholic, to Eastern Orthodox and parallels how we, as Christians, can use the Twilight series to reach women and girls and create a bridge of communication.
There are many redeeming qualities in the book such as the family values that are highlighted in the Cullen (vampire) family. Carlisle, the father featured in the series, even though he is a vampire, chooses through self control to not seek his natural desire to feed on humans but instead feeds by drinking animal blood and now uses his skill as a doctor to help people. His wife, Esme is the proverbial good wife, utilizing her talents as a caregiver and mother to everyone. She even goes as far to make Bella an Italian meal when she first visits the Cullen family, even though they don't eat food. The entire Cullen family is the prime example of a loving family. The work together, they all get along great and protect one another when threats come calling.
Each of the Cullen's have come from a human life previously filled with violence and now all seek to do good and extend grace thorough their life of mortality always seeing the good in everyone, including their rival vampires, werewolves and humans. Even Bella's lifestyle is analyzed about the consequences of coming from a divorced home and having parents living on opposites sides of the country. It shows us how Bella's detachment from what works in a marriage and family is distorted and why she wants to be a part of the Cullen's so passionately. She is accepted despite all her defects, as she sees them.
Elaine Heath also provides insight in the downsides of the series and it allows readers to see why so many are adamant that this series does not belong in hands of believers. It does give you something to think about but I am a firm believer in what the enemy may chose to use for evil, God can turn it around for His glory and goodness. My personal beliefs are that this at least opens conversations up between believers and non believers and may create a great way to show people the love of Christ through this series of books where they may have been closed off before.
I received The Gospel According to Twilight by Elaine A. Heath compliments of Westminster John Knox Press and Net Galley for my honest review and think this is well written. You don't just have a confirmation that this is the perfect series of books but a great line of thinking to consider in all things we chose to take part of in life. For that I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars. I think this would make a great Bible Study for a youth group in the coming months as the final saga of the series hits theaters. It may open doors for people to come to know Christ through talking about what this series offers both to young men and impressionable young women!
March 23, 2015
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.
Based on some of the other 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.
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.
Based on some of the other 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.
September 26, 2011
Having read all the Twilight books and thoroughly enjoying them, I was curious about this book. I consider myself a Christian but had not thought about Twilight in religious terms at all.
The parallels the author draws between Twilight themes and religious concepts is intriguing. How did I miss the completely "in your face" symbolism of the apple on the front cover?
I had read that parent and religious groups were mostly happy with the fact that Edward and Bella wait until they are married to consummate their relationship and so I thought for the most part that morally, this was a great, acceptable book for adolescents. I did not, however, notice the similarities between Edward's character and men in abusive situations. I completely agree, and was shocked that I didn't notice that. I, like probably every other girl who read Twilight and loved Edward, forgave him for his obsessive tendencies toward Bella because he was obviously more intelligent than most men, and he wasn't even human, for crying out loud. He wasn't stalking her, he was protecting her. It never occurred to me to think that if an ordinary high school student behaved that way, it would be highly inappropriate, if not actually illegal.
I might think twice, now, before letting my daughter read these books when she gets old enough. I don't want her thinking the way Edward behaved would be romantic and acceptable from a human.
The parallels the author draws between Twilight themes and religious concepts is intriguing. How did I miss the completely "in your face" symbolism of the apple on the front cover?
I had read that parent and religious groups were mostly happy with the fact that Edward and Bella wait until they are married to consummate their relationship and so I thought for the most part that morally, this was a great, acceptable book for adolescents. I did not, however, notice the similarities between Edward's character and men in abusive situations. I completely agree, and was shocked that I didn't notice that. I, like probably every other girl who read Twilight and loved Edward, forgave him for his obsessive tendencies toward Bella because he was obviously more intelligent than most men, and he wasn't even human, for crying out loud. He wasn't stalking her, he was protecting her. It never occurred to me to think that if an ordinary high school student behaved that way, it would be highly inappropriate, if not actually illegal.
I might think twice, now, before letting my daughter read these books when she gets old enough. I don't want her thinking the way Edward behaved would be romantic and acceptable from a human.
April 6, 2012
The Gospel According to Twilight was an okay book. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't wonderful either. Some of the author's statements I disagree with, such as comparing Bella to Jesus. I can kind of see the author's point of view, but I still don't agree with her. I think I would have liked the book better if I was a Twilight fan. I've read all of the Twilight series, but I just didn't really like the series. Several times throughout The Gospel According to Twilight, the author contradicts one of the points she makes in an earlier statement. I recommend this book for Twilight fans wanting a christian reference guide.
October 11, 2012
This book.
Oh my.
I don't even know what to say about it. Well.. that's a lie. I do know what to say about it.
First off, I would like to say that I am NOT a Twilight fan. At all. I think they are a nice way to pass the time if you would like a good laugh. Now, getting to Heath's book.
This book was a review of Twilight for those who have not read it, and then Heath tries to relate it to the book that I see as the only Truth in the world. That's right, the Bible! You may be thinking, "Ummm what? Twilight relates to the Bible?" Exactly. That's what I thought. And you know what, after reading it, I'M SITLL THINKING THAT.
For those of you who do not like critique and mean words, I'll put in a few good ones for you. Heath did bring up some great points, especially about Edward, and I think that what she talks about could open eyes to some people who are going through those types of problems. I also think she did a great job in opening the publics eyes how we as Christians need to look at pop culture.
Heath starts out her book talking about how Meyer thinks that divorced families are evil, and that they can't do anything right. Then she relates the Cullen's to the "Good Family." Okay. I get that. The Cullens do represent a lot of things that a healthy family is. But this whole divorce thing? "But because they are the only divorced parents, their pervasive dysfunction provides a judgmental, unfair subtext to young readers about the defectiveness of divorced people, one that conflicts with the gracious, healing mess of Jesus Christ." (Heath 16). Yes, I agree that divorce is not an unforgivable sin and that there are wonderful people who are divorced. But do I believe that Meyer wanted to show America how bad divorced people are in her eyes? No. Heath takes EVERYTHING Meyer says and blows it WAY out of proportion, making me so very frustrated. AND I DON'T EVEN LIKE TWILIGHT! Yet I feel the need to defend Meyer, because of how crazy this book is.
The book goes on, giving more and more examples of "what Meyer meant." Here's the biggest problem I have with all of this. I do not think that Meyer indented Twilight to be a book that theologians were just dying to get their hands on. It was meant to be a story. A form of escape for teenage girls who had just been heartbroken. Though it's not the story that I would choose to get lost in, some people do, and some people like it. It's not a parallel to the Bible, or even the beliefs of the LDS. (Latter Day Saints).
Heath does bring up how Edward's behavior toward Bella is abusive, and very controlling. I would agree, that the characteristics that he shows are of someone who's brain is not rattling right. But HE'S A VAMPIRE! I just.. yeah.
The book is... is.. informative, and a nice overview if you've never read the books. Because she practically tells you all of it. But... the points are blown up, and only proceed to make me frustrated.
Good luck.
Oh my.
I don't even know what to say about it. Well.. that's a lie. I do know what to say about it.
First off, I would like to say that I am NOT a Twilight fan. At all. I think they are a nice way to pass the time if you would like a good laugh. Now, getting to Heath's book.
This book was a review of Twilight for those who have not read it, and then Heath tries to relate it to the book that I see as the only Truth in the world. That's right, the Bible! You may be thinking, "Ummm what? Twilight relates to the Bible?" Exactly. That's what I thought. And you know what, after reading it, I'M SITLL THINKING THAT.
For those of you who do not like critique and mean words, I'll put in a few good ones for you. Heath did bring up some great points, especially about Edward, and I think that what she talks about could open eyes to some people who are going through those types of problems. I also think she did a great job in opening the publics eyes how we as Christians need to look at pop culture.
Heath starts out her book talking about how Meyer thinks that divorced families are evil, and that they can't do anything right. Then she relates the Cullen's to the "Good Family." Okay. I get that. The Cullens do represent a lot of things that a healthy family is. But this whole divorce thing? "But because they are the only divorced parents, their pervasive dysfunction provides a judgmental, unfair subtext to young readers about the defectiveness of divorced people, one that conflicts with the gracious, healing mess of Jesus Christ." (Heath 16). Yes, I agree that divorce is not an unforgivable sin and that there are wonderful people who are divorced. But do I believe that Meyer wanted to show America how bad divorced people are in her eyes? No. Heath takes EVERYTHING Meyer says and blows it WAY out of proportion, making me so very frustrated. AND I DON'T EVEN LIKE TWILIGHT! Yet I feel the need to defend Meyer, because of how crazy this book is.
The book goes on, giving more and more examples of "what Meyer meant." Here's the biggest problem I have with all of this. I do not think that Meyer indented Twilight to be a book that theologians were just dying to get their hands on. It was meant to be a story. A form of escape for teenage girls who had just been heartbroken. Though it's not the story that I would choose to get lost in, some people do, and some people like it. It's not a parallel to the Bible, or even the beliefs of the LDS. (Latter Day Saints).
Heath does bring up how Edward's behavior toward Bella is abusive, and very controlling. I would agree, that the characteristics that he shows are of someone who's brain is not rattling right. But HE'S A VAMPIRE! I just.. yeah.
The book is... is.. informative, and a nice overview if you've never read the books. Because she practically tells you all of it. But... the points are blown up, and only proceed to make me frustrated.
Good luck.
April 19, 2013
I am a Christian who has read all of the Twilight books and enjoyed them, so when I heard about this book I was curious about it. Unfortunately I was extremely disappointed in it.
The Gospel According to Twilight is a quick read, which is the one of the only good things I can say about this book.
This author describes herself as a feminist Christian and that shows very much throughout this book. Many times in this book the author implies that the characters in the book are too old-fashioned in their views and should do things more worthwhile with their lives. I get very irritated when people say that stay-at-home wives and mothers aren't doing something worthwhile with their lives and that they should have a career that will fulfill them - not every woman wants that and I wish feminists would stop belittling women who have different views than them.
I hated how this author kept saying over and over how Edward was abusive. He may have cared a little too much and not trusted other people (the werewolves especially) to be alone with Bella, but he was not abusive at all to Bella. Her reasoning seemed too far-fetched to me.
I didn't like this book at all and would not recommend it.
***I received a complimentary copy of this book to review. I was asked to give my honest opinion of the book - which I have done.***
The Gospel According to Twilight is a quick read, which is the one of the only good things I can say about this book.
This author describes herself as a feminist Christian and that shows very much throughout this book. Many times in this book the author implies that the characters in the book are too old-fashioned in their views and should do things more worthwhile with their lives. I get very irritated when people say that stay-at-home wives and mothers aren't doing something worthwhile with their lives and that they should have a career that will fulfill them - not every woman wants that and I wish feminists would stop belittling women who have different views than them.
I hated how this author kept saying over and over how Edward was abusive. He may have cared a little too much and not trusted other people (the werewolves especially) to be alone with Bella, but he was not abusive at all to Bella. Her reasoning seemed too far-fetched to me.
I didn't like this book at all and would not recommend it.
***I received a complimentary copy of this book to review. I was asked to give my honest opinion of the book - which I have done.***
March 20, 2012
By the time I finished the third "Twilight" book, I realized how "Mormon" the books are even though there's no Mormon characters. Stephanie Meyer wrote a series of vampire and werewolf books through the lens of her religion. Elaine A. Heath wrote this book exploring the "Gospel" themes in Twilight. She's Methodist, but does a great job of explaining the themes that are clearly LDS and those that are generally Christian. I only caught one example that she didn't realize was LDS. Everything else was spot on.
July 2, 2012
This is the best analysis of Twilight I have read to date. Finally someone has analyzed the series from a point of view that takes into account the author's background and how that likely affected the development of the story and characters. The book has a balanced approach, looking closely at the disturbing and positive elements and offering explanations that get at the heart of why so many have responded to Twilight in the way that they have and what the implications may be, especially for young girls.
March 27, 2012
This is an outstanding book for readers who want to better understand what's going on with gender roles in the Twilight series. The first half looks at issues from a feminist perspective (Bella's incompetence, violence against women) and the series comes up short. But the second half examines the Christian theology of the series and argues that Twilight is so popular because it responds to many of the criticisms that people have of organized religion. I learned a lot.
January 29, 2013
The book started strong in the opening chapters but trailed off into redundancy in the latter half. It would have made a better essay than a book.
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