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Martyr's Song #1
Heaven's Wager
It was an absolutely perfect day . . . until everything went absolutely perfectly wrong.Kent Anthony is a brilliant software engineer who is cashing in on a brilliant career. He's finally living the idyllic life, far from thoughts of theft and murder and other kinds of horrible criminal behavior.He's left his past far behind. Or so he thinks.In his very first novel, New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker delivers a fascinating story of the almost perfect crime, interwoven with a tale of bittersweet love that is almost enough to save a soul. Heaven's Wager is a story that will bring you face-to-face with a hidden world more real than most people ever realize--a world where the unseen is more powerful than anything seen.Praise for Heaven's "Well, well, guess what I've found. A fiction writer with a rare knack for a compelling story, an expansive reservoir of clever ideas, and a unique dry wit that makes me laugh." --Frank Peretti, New York Times bestselling author"Rarely does a novel grip a reader's heart and soul the way Heaven's Wager does. Dekker is among a very small number of writers who have mastered the challenge of blending sound theology with knock-your-socks-off storytelling." --Robert Liparulo, bestselling authorBook 1 in the Heaven/Martyr's Song trilogyBonus book 1.5: The Martyr's SongBook 2: When Heaven WeepsBook 3: Thunder of HeavenBook appr. 80,000 words
386 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2000
309 people are currently reading
4909 people want to read
About the author
Ted Dekker
191 books9,989 followersTed Dekker is known for novels that combine adrenaline-laced stories with unexpected plot twists, unforgettable characters, and incredible confrontations between good and evil. Ted lives in Austin with his wife LeeAnn and their four children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 286 reviews
January 1, 2022
Ted Dekker is an amazing author who creates stories that entertain, amaze, and make you think. This is one of his early works, but it's no less great than the ones that caused him to get mainstream praise. If you've enjoyed his later writings, you should give this one a try.
August 26, 2012
I am re-reading this book, because I love the peeks into heaven described. While reading the Heaven Trilogy (Heaven's Wager, Thunder of Heaven and When Heaven Weeps), I find myself really yearning for more and a much deeper relationship with God. My spirit just soars while reading it and thinking about my favorite parts. Here is a quote from just one of the many sections that really make me think:
"Can you imagine a man living in a fish for three days? I mean, forget the story—could you imagine that happening today?” He dropped his eyes to the sidewalk and studied the expansion cracks appearing beneath them every few feet. “Hmm. I suppose. You have a reason for asking?” “I’m just trying to nail down your orientation, Bill. Your real beliefs. ’Cause lots of Christians read those old stories in the Bible and pretend to believe them, but when it gets right down to it, they can barely imagine them, much less believe they actually happened. And they certainly would balk at such events happening today, don’t you think?”"
So much of this book really makes me think; in fact I will think about a section for days. Also, I am reminded that God really does choreograph entire events, just to bring one person to Him. Which makes me realize how important we are to God, not because we are worthy, we are not at all worthy, but because He loves each one of us so much. In the book, I'm reminded that no matter what we have done, God will forgive us, if we ask for it, and also turn from our former life. I mean, He sent His son here to die for us, and Jesus left His glory in heaven, to come here, obey the Father and die in order for us to be righteous, again, all we have to do is ask Him.
I've also read the Circle series, and the Martyr's Song series all on paperback. On the back of each book it says they he combines adrenaline-laced plats with incredible confrontations between good and evil. This time I am reading on the Kindle and look forward to getting all of Ted Dekker books in the eBook format, because these book are amazing.
"Can you imagine a man living in a fish for three days? I mean, forget the story—could you imagine that happening today?” He dropped his eyes to the sidewalk and studied the expansion cracks appearing beneath them every few feet. “Hmm. I suppose. You have a reason for asking?” “I’m just trying to nail down your orientation, Bill. Your real beliefs. ’Cause lots of Christians read those old stories in the Bible and pretend to believe them, but when it gets right down to it, they can barely imagine them, much less believe they actually happened. And they certainly would balk at such events happening today, don’t you think?”"
So much of this book really makes me think; in fact I will think about a section for days. Also, I am reminded that God really does choreograph entire events, just to bring one person to Him. Which makes me realize how important we are to God, not because we are worthy, we are not at all worthy, but because He loves each one of us so much. In the book, I'm reminded that no matter what we have done, God will forgive us, if we ask for it, and also turn from our former life. I mean, He sent His son here to die for us, and Jesus left His glory in heaven, to come here, obey the Father and die in order for us to be righteous, again, all we have to do is ask Him.
I've also read the Circle series, and the Martyr's Song series all on paperback. On the back of each book it says they he combines adrenaline-laced plats with incredible confrontations between good and evil. This time I am reading on the Kindle and look forward to getting all of Ted Dekker books in the eBook format, because these book are amazing.
January 17, 2016
Only a psychotic, devotionalist, fundamentalist asshole could like this book.
Take out the side plot with Helen and Lacy, and Ted Dekker could have written a decent thriller. But the "mythological" side of this book ruined everything.
First of all, you can't create a protagonist that readers need to sympathize with, and then turn around at the end and say, "He was all wrong in everything he did." You can't invest a reader into a character, and then make him a stupid bad guy. That doesn't work in real novels. To end the book saying that Helen was right doesn't work because she was hardly developed as a protagonist. It's like she's only a...what do you call it...yes, PLOT DEVICE. She is used to show that Kent is all wrong, how could he not see it before? I seriously sympathized with Kent and didn't blame him for doing anything he did.
Second of all, I can't believe that Ted Dekker would follow the views he portrays in this book. To tell a man whose wife and son have died and whose fortune has been stolen from him that he is a murderer and suffers because he does not accept God is just a JACKASS thing to do. Dekker portrays Christians in this novel as crazy, asshole fundamentalists. Helen is the epitome of everything there is to hate about Christians. She condemns a poor priest who is shocked that she can do something impossible. There is nothing wrong with being surprised or shocked when exposed to something that doesn't happen often or ever - look at Paul/Saul or Moses!
Third of all, I can't follow a plot that expects its readers to take all of the supernatural events within it without question. Dekker introduces these odd "visions of heaven" without explaining why they happen. I also don't buy that Helen, Gloria, and Spencer could accept these visions without any sense of shock, fear, or questioning. QUESTIONS, FEAR, OR SHOCK DO NOT MAKE A BAD CHRISTIAN. Dekker couldn't expect all of his readers to take these supernatural events without wanting to know why they were happening. Helen's explanation at the end of the "novel" as to how the whole plot was based on Job's story was poor and stuffed into a three page chapter.
Fourth of all, the entire idea of faith is lost in this novel. Most good Christians will tell you that the point of Christianity is the FAITH - the belief in something you can't see. So can you praise Helen, Gloria, and Spencer for believing in something they can actually SEE? Can you blame Kent for never believing since he never saw what they saw? What kind of acceptance of God is this when they've actually seen evidence of God, unlike all REAL believers? What about all us poor normal people who rely on faith alone? This completely underlies the whole idea of God wanting his children to believe in him without good evidence.
Fifth of all, on a more personal note, Dekker needs to take his voice out of his characters. It is completely unbelievable that every single character - Helen, Lacy, Kent, etc. - talks to himself. All of the characters in this novel talk to themselves, and ALL characters use these three following exclamations: Goodness! Heavens! Good Heavens! This makes all of the characters exactly the same and indistinct. Dekker needs to learn to make characters distinctive by associating different dialogue/dialect with different characters.
Basically, I feel like I have just finished reading a book that points fingers at every poor person who has ever suffered loss, betrayal, or, uh, ANYTHING ELSE HUMAN. "Heaven's Wager" was simply a gigantic, fundamentalist metaphor that tells its readers to turn to God now or you will be driven to suicide.
The only good part about this book involved Kent's revenge and the revelation that the first chapter was taking place in a prison cell. I only feel a little better knowing that this was one of Dekker's first books - so maybe this is just crappy writing in comparison to his better novels, like "Blink." His writing got better, hopefully, after this one.
Oh, and I could hardly call this a love story in the way the back cover presented it.
Take out the side plot with Helen and Lacy, and Ted Dekker could have written a decent thriller. But the "mythological" side of this book ruined everything.
First of all, you can't create a protagonist that readers need to sympathize with, and then turn around at the end and say, "He was all wrong in everything he did." You can't invest a reader into a character, and then make him a stupid bad guy. That doesn't work in real novels. To end the book saying that Helen was right doesn't work because she was hardly developed as a protagonist. It's like she's only a...what do you call it...yes, PLOT DEVICE. She is used to show that Kent is all wrong, how could he not see it before? I seriously sympathized with Kent and didn't blame him for doing anything he did.
Second of all, I can't believe that Ted Dekker would follow the views he portrays in this book. To tell a man whose wife and son have died and whose fortune has been stolen from him that he is a murderer and suffers because he does not accept God is just a JACKASS thing to do. Dekker portrays Christians in this novel as crazy, asshole fundamentalists. Helen is the epitome of everything there is to hate about Christians. She condemns a poor priest who is shocked that she can do something impossible. There is nothing wrong with being surprised or shocked when exposed to something that doesn't happen often or ever - look at Paul/Saul or Moses!
Third of all, I can't follow a plot that expects its readers to take all of the supernatural events within it without question. Dekker introduces these odd "visions of heaven" without explaining why they happen. I also don't buy that Helen, Gloria, and Spencer could accept these visions without any sense of shock, fear, or questioning. QUESTIONS, FEAR, OR SHOCK DO NOT MAKE A BAD CHRISTIAN. Dekker couldn't expect all of his readers to take these supernatural events without wanting to know why they were happening. Helen's explanation at the end of the "novel" as to how the whole plot was based on Job's story was poor and stuffed into a three page chapter.
Fourth of all, the entire idea of faith is lost in this novel. Most good Christians will tell you that the point of Christianity is the FAITH - the belief in something you can't see. So can you praise Helen, Gloria, and Spencer for believing in something they can actually SEE? Can you blame Kent for never believing since he never saw what they saw? What kind of acceptance of God is this when they've actually seen evidence of God, unlike all REAL believers? What about all us poor normal people who rely on faith alone? This completely underlies the whole idea of God wanting his children to believe in him without good evidence.
Fifth of all, on a more personal note, Dekker needs to take his voice out of his characters. It is completely unbelievable that every single character - Helen, Lacy, Kent, etc. - talks to himself. All of the characters in this novel talk to themselves, and ALL characters use these three following exclamations: Goodness! Heavens! Good Heavens! This makes all of the characters exactly the same and indistinct. Dekker needs to learn to make characters distinctive by associating different dialogue/dialect with different characters.
Basically, I feel like I have just finished reading a book that points fingers at every poor person who has ever suffered loss, betrayal, or, uh, ANYTHING ELSE HUMAN. "Heaven's Wager" was simply a gigantic, fundamentalist metaphor that tells its readers to turn to God now or you will be driven to suicide.
The only good part about this book involved Kent's revenge and the revelation that the first chapter was taking place in a prison cell. I only feel a little better knowing that this was one of Dekker's first books - so maybe this is just crappy writing in comparison to his better novels, like "Blink." His writing got better, hopefully, after this one.
Oh, and I could hardly call this a love story in the way the back cover presented it.
March 13, 2023
An interesting story! This story focuses around a man named Kent, who has no faith in God. His wife, son and mother-in-law (Helen) do strongly. Kent is a programmer who wrote a program for the bank he works for and was promised a hefty reward for such a valuable program. One the day he was to present his program a tragedy strikes his family. Shortly after, he learns that he supervisor has taken full credit for the program at work. In less than a month he has lost his family, and want his has worked on for years. And that is just the beginning!
As Kent spirals down downward first despair and than a very elaborate plan of revenge, we have Helen who saw the death of the family before they happened. She starts fiercely praying for Kent's soul as she learns that everything that is happening is related to his salvation or ultimate demise.
Dekker has done a great job creating characters in this story. A great reversal twist to the story of Job from the Bible! I enjoyed reading the plotting and the steps Kent takes to pull off the heist. Although I must admit the death of the boy was a bit hard to read about. Very sad. Yet event that deserves congratulations! This book had me often hating Kent and feeling utterly sorry for him, often at the same time. Helen is a great character and would be so fantastic to know someone like her in real life! Well done, Ted Dekker.
2023- Audiob00k version. Decent Narration. I was impressed with the conviction behind Helen's scenes. I felt those conversations. After this past year I think I needed this read. It was hell. But I can't let it ruin me. Although I am grateful mine was nowhere near where Kent goes through. I wouldn't survive. Not a chance. I really got a sense for how shallow Kent was in a way. I get wanting the acknowledgements but anyone thinking the "deserve' those figures of dough need to rethink life's priorities.
As Kent spirals down downward first despair and than a very elaborate plan of revenge, we have Helen who saw the death of the family before they happened. She starts fiercely praying for Kent's soul as she learns that everything that is happening is related to his salvation or ultimate demise.
Dekker has done a great job creating characters in this story. A great reversal twist to the story of Job from the Bible! I enjoyed reading the plotting and the steps Kent takes to pull off the heist. Although I must admit the death of the boy was a bit hard to read about. Very sad. Yet event that deserves congratulations! This book had me often hating Kent and feeling utterly sorry for him, often at the same time. Helen is a great character and would be so fantastic to know someone like her in real life! Well done, Ted Dekker.
2023- Audiob00k version. Decent Narration. I was impressed with the conviction behind Helen's scenes. I felt those conversations. After this past year I think I needed this read. It was hell. But I can't let it ruin me. Although I am grateful mine was nowhere near where Kent goes through. I wouldn't survive. Not a chance. I really got a sense for how shallow Kent was in a way. I get wanting the acknowledgements but anyone thinking the "deserve' those figures of dough need to rethink life's priorities.
August 15, 2013
Heaven's Wager
by Ted Dekker
Ted Dekker is now a well established Christian. From his list of works I have read Adam, Blink (my favourite), House (with Peretti), The Bride Collector, and Obsessed. There may have been more, but I find that his book titles are easy to confuse because they all sound similar.
I have always enjoyed Dekker's work as I have found it to be more challenging and interesting than other modern Christian literature. (Sorry Karen Kingsbury and Janette Oke. I'm just not that into sappy romances.) Jan Karon and Frank Peretti are my exceptions to my aversion.
Unfortunately, Heaven's Wager very much missed the mark for me and I struggled to get through it. I find it strange that there are so many conflicting reviews from "THIS IS THE BEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ PRAISE THE LORD" to "I could not finish this book". To me, there was nothing phenomenal, amazing or awe-inspiring about it.
The first thing I disliked about this novel was the main character Kent Anthony. He is a 30-something systems analyst/brilliant coder who spends five years toiling away on building a program from code that will run on the computers for his banks multiple locations. Hailed as a breakthrough program that will save the company millions of dollars, he is waiting eagerly for his bonus that will create a new life for his family, wife Gloria and son Spencer.
The beginning of the book establishes that Gloria is a believing Christian who spends every Thursday morning with her mother Helen, praying and opening up the floodgates from heaven. Spencer, Gloria and Helen experience heaven in a more visceral and tangible way than anyone has. Dekker spares no words describing (and on multiple occasions) what he believes heaven to consist of including bright lights, laughing, God's presence that is ineffable, all manifesting in the viewer being almost unable to physically handle the glory. Many time the characters are twisting in their chairs, jutting their faces or jaws forward, mouths wide open, etc. In each of these prayer visits they focus their prayers on Kent, praying for his salvation.
Meanwhile, Kent flies out to a conference where he will roll out the new program AFPS and receive his credit due. However, shortly after he arrives at the conference, he receives a message saying Gloria has become seriously ill and to return immediately to see her. He frantically rushes home on the first flight he can get, instructing his coworkers to make sure to present the program aka properly give him credit. Upon arriving at the hospital, he realizes he is too late and his wife is being covered up with a sheet.
At this point it becomes clear to the reader that Helen has had some sort of revelation from God about a "game", pieces beginning to be moved into place. She had foreseen that Gloria was going to die, although when/where/how was left ambiguous. She continues to see these ominous snatches of the future and describes the scenes as "heavens watching from above, waiting".
Kent struggles immensely after Gloria's death. He returns to work and quickly discovers that his coworkers and boss have betrayed him. His dream of being a multi-millionaire is ripped away from him as his boss claims to have patented the AFPS program, taking full credit and monetary bonus away from Kent.
Of course this enrages him and he begins to plot his revenge, ignoring others around him including his son. On a fateful day he argues with Spencer and then leaves for work. Hours later he receives a call that Spencer has become a victim of a hit-and-run, left for dead.
The adjectives and phrases used to describe his reaction are ridiculous. He feels a burning or something, runs through the bank howling and screaming, shoves people out of the way, feels like he's losing his mind etc. It's all very sensational and doesn't make much sense. The descriptions made me feel as though I was losing my mind trying to understand the snarling pit of Kent's mind.
He tries to begin a legal process against the bank but that falls through. All of his attempts to restart his life fail, including starting a relationship with a college ex-girlfriend. (They meet coincidentally on the side of a highway when he stops to help her with her stalled car. Surprise, surprise...the car engine turns over right away, leading us to conclude supernatural beings are at work.)
Kent also sees strange people that are never quite explained, which is my second biggest issue with book. I should probably just make a list.
1. Kent is a boring, selfish, unevolved character. He doesn't reach his redemption until one of the last chapters and it is sadly extremely anti-climactic.
2. Pretty much at the beginning of the book Helen reveals that the reasons why these events (deaths) are unfolding is to bring Kent to God. So we basically read the entire book already knowing the ending. There is a "big reveal" that I won't spoil for a potential reader, but I didn't find it a big reveal at all.
3. Lacy, Kent's ex-girlfriend, just lost her husband to cancer and had thought she would never love another man as she did. However, suddenly she finds herself falling in love with Kent, even though they only speak a few times on the phone. The relationship at best is tenuous and certainly doesn't seem real enough to warrant her realizing she is *gasp* in love with Kent.
4. Too preachy. The person likely to read this novel is a Christian and most Christians already know that there is nothing that will satisfy one's spiritual needs other than God. We want Kent struggle as he seeks to heal from his family's deaths and as he becomes a multi-millionaire. The epiphany that he reaches about money failing to satisfy him is not surprising and frankly comes across as preachy. Yes, money doesn't ultimately make anyone happy! There's no reason to dedicate multiple chapters proving that point.
5. The dialogue and language used was horrible. Several times Kent thinks to himself 'gag me', and I would like to be introduced to one grown man that uses that term multiple times, let alone a man who embezzles 20.0 million dollars and commits a major crime. Certainly I didn't expect any F bombs to be dropped, but "shit" wouldn't have been surprising or cause TOO many waves. It seemed completely unrealistic on so many counts.
6. The characters are not lovable. As much as I wanted to connect to them and care about them, I felt they were insipid and boring. Kent is self-absorbed (the point of the novel maybe) to the point that it verges on ridiculous. Gloria and Spencer play such small parts they barely count. Helen energetically walks 24 miles a day praying and should be a role model for us, but her countless lectures to the spineless pastor grated on my nerves. Lacy is laughable and cliched.
7. The supernatural role. It was interesting to read about Dekker's ideas of what heaven would be like, especially considering many Christians do not take such artistic license. However, I felt like Dekker was trying to emulate Frank Peretti, which didn't work out well. He introduces these random characters (a vagrant, a policeman, etc) who later Kent realizes MAY be spiritual beings sent to guide him. The problem is...they didn't really guide him. The entire novel was a big mass of confusion.
After reading this novel, I hope that Dekker returns to him former writing style and leaves the Peretti-esque adaptions alone. I very much enjoyed reading This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness as a teenager, but I firmly believe that only Peretti writes about spiritual warfare with the appropriate sensitivity and logic. Dekker should probably keep writing his thriller-spiritual novels and not attempt another novel of this style.
2/5 stars.
by Ted Dekker
Ted Dekker is now a well established Christian. From his list of works I have read Adam, Blink (my favourite), House (with Peretti), The Bride Collector, and Obsessed. There may have been more, but I find that his book titles are easy to confuse because they all sound similar.
I have always enjoyed Dekker's work as I have found it to be more challenging and interesting than other modern Christian literature. (Sorry Karen Kingsbury and Janette Oke. I'm just not that into sappy romances.) Jan Karon and Frank Peretti are my exceptions to my aversion.
Unfortunately, Heaven's Wager very much missed the mark for me and I struggled to get through it. I find it strange that there are so many conflicting reviews from "THIS IS THE BEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ PRAISE THE LORD" to "I could not finish this book". To me, there was nothing phenomenal, amazing or awe-inspiring about it.
The first thing I disliked about this novel was the main character Kent Anthony. He is a 30-something systems analyst/brilliant coder who spends five years toiling away on building a program from code that will run on the computers for his banks multiple locations. Hailed as a breakthrough program that will save the company millions of dollars, he is waiting eagerly for his bonus that will create a new life for his family, wife Gloria and son Spencer.
The beginning of the book establishes that Gloria is a believing Christian who spends every Thursday morning with her mother Helen, praying and opening up the floodgates from heaven. Spencer, Gloria and Helen experience heaven in a more visceral and tangible way than anyone has. Dekker spares no words describing (and on multiple occasions) what he believes heaven to consist of including bright lights, laughing, God's presence that is ineffable, all manifesting in the viewer being almost unable to physically handle the glory. Many time the characters are twisting in their chairs, jutting their faces or jaws forward, mouths wide open, etc. In each of these prayer visits they focus their prayers on Kent, praying for his salvation.
Meanwhile, Kent flies out to a conference where he will roll out the new program AFPS and receive his credit due. However, shortly after he arrives at the conference, he receives a message saying Gloria has become seriously ill and to return immediately to see her. He frantically rushes home on the first flight he can get, instructing his coworkers to make sure to present the program aka properly give him credit. Upon arriving at the hospital, he realizes he is too late and his wife is being covered up with a sheet.
At this point it becomes clear to the reader that Helen has had some sort of revelation from God about a "game", pieces beginning to be moved into place. She had foreseen that Gloria was going to die, although when/where/how was left ambiguous. She continues to see these ominous snatches of the future and describes the scenes as "heavens watching from above, waiting".
Kent struggles immensely after Gloria's death. He returns to work and quickly discovers that his coworkers and boss have betrayed him. His dream of being a multi-millionaire is ripped away from him as his boss claims to have patented the AFPS program, taking full credit and monetary bonus away from Kent.
Of course this enrages him and he begins to plot his revenge, ignoring others around him including his son. On a fateful day he argues with Spencer and then leaves for work. Hours later he receives a call that Spencer has become a victim of a hit-and-run, left for dead.
The adjectives and phrases used to describe his reaction are ridiculous. He feels a burning or something, runs through the bank howling and screaming, shoves people out of the way, feels like he's losing his mind etc. It's all very sensational and doesn't make much sense. The descriptions made me feel as though I was losing my mind trying to understand the snarling pit of Kent's mind.
He tries to begin a legal process against the bank but that falls through. All of his attempts to restart his life fail, including starting a relationship with a college ex-girlfriend. (They meet coincidentally on the side of a highway when he stops to help her with her stalled car. Surprise, surprise...the car engine turns over right away, leading us to conclude supernatural beings are at work.)
Kent also sees strange people that are never quite explained, which is my second biggest issue with book. I should probably just make a list.
1. Kent is a boring, selfish, unevolved character. He doesn't reach his redemption until one of the last chapters and it is sadly extremely anti-climactic.
2. Pretty much at the beginning of the book Helen reveals that the reasons why these events (deaths) are unfolding is to bring Kent to God. So we basically read the entire book already knowing the ending. There is a "big reveal" that I won't spoil for a potential reader, but I didn't find it a big reveal at all.
3. Lacy, Kent's ex-girlfriend, just lost her husband to cancer and had thought she would never love another man as she did. However, suddenly she finds herself falling in love with Kent, even though they only speak a few times on the phone. The relationship at best is tenuous and certainly doesn't seem real enough to warrant her realizing she is *gasp* in love with Kent.
4. Too preachy. The person likely to read this novel is a Christian and most Christians already know that there is nothing that will satisfy one's spiritual needs other than God. We want Kent struggle as he seeks to heal from his family's deaths and as he becomes a multi-millionaire. The epiphany that he reaches about money failing to satisfy him is not surprising and frankly comes across as preachy. Yes, money doesn't ultimately make anyone happy! There's no reason to dedicate multiple chapters proving that point.
5. The dialogue and language used was horrible. Several times Kent thinks to himself 'gag me', and I would like to be introduced to one grown man that uses that term multiple times, let alone a man who embezzles 20.0 million dollars and commits a major crime. Certainly I didn't expect any F bombs to be dropped, but "shit" wouldn't have been surprising or cause TOO many waves. It seemed completely unrealistic on so many counts.
6. The characters are not lovable. As much as I wanted to connect to them and care about them, I felt they were insipid and boring. Kent is self-absorbed (the point of the novel maybe) to the point that it verges on ridiculous. Gloria and Spencer play such small parts they barely count. Helen energetically walks 24 miles a day praying and should be a role model for us, but her countless lectures to the spineless pastor grated on my nerves. Lacy is laughable and cliched.
7. The supernatural role. It was interesting to read about Dekker's ideas of what heaven would be like, especially considering many Christians do not take such artistic license. However, I felt like Dekker was trying to emulate Frank Peretti, which didn't work out well. He introduces these random characters (a vagrant, a policeman, etc) who later Kent realizes MAY be spiritual beings sent to guide him. The problem is...they didn't really guide him. The entire novel was a big mass of confusion.
After reading this novel, I hope that Dekker returns to him former writing style and leaves the Peretti-esque adaptions alone. I very much enjoyed reading This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness as a teenager, but I firmly believe that only Peretti writes about spiritual warfare with the appropriate sensitivity and logic. Dekker should probably keep writing his thriller-spiritual novels and not attempt another novel of this style.
2/5 stars.
December 14, 2024
This is one wager that never should have been made.
If Ted Decker weren’t one of my favorite authors, I never would have finished reading this book. It is over written, has over drawn characters, has a plot that’s over my tolerance level for implausibility; it’s simply
TOO MUCH !
So, why DID I keep reading? I’ve heard from many that book 2 in this series, “Heaven Weeps”, is possibly the best book Decker has written - ever; that’s why. His “Circle Series” was one of the very best projects I’ve read
in the last 30 years and it’s still holding true. I’ve actually read that massive tome 3, if not 4 times and shared it with many folks. If the next book is potentially better than “The Circle”, I had to give it a chance and that meant reading the first volume.
Back to “Heaven’s Wager” - Kent is a computer programmer of extraordinary talent. If you don’t believe it, just ask him; his ego knows no bounds. He’s got a beautiful wife who’s a follower of Christ, a son that’s bright, handsome and believes like mom and his grandmother who is a character that puts a CAPITAL Q in Quirky. She is supposed to be an example of extreme faith but IMHO, she is a caricature of all that gets mocked about holy rolling Christians.
Grandma, Helen, has a hotline to heaven. She prays and walks and walks and prays, dressed like a bag lady while invoking prayers and displaying this GIANT SIZED FAITH.
Kent is wrecking revenge on his bosses who did a terrible thing to him while he was mourning the deaths of his wife and son. It’s not just revenge, it’s like CSI gone massively wrong and the head of Mensa is coordinating retribution while consuming serious amounts of tequila, of course.
Much of the story takes place in Kent’s illness addled mind. Other characters wander thru but never really stake a serious claim. I’m hoping in the second book all the disparate pieces will come together. Kent does have a reconciliation at the end of the first book but we readers don’t get much information about it. It felt too convenient and convoluted to me. In fact, I’d be hard pressed to find much of Decker’s typical nuanced
writing style in the story. I sure hope everything others have claimed about book 2 is true; onward📚
If Ted Decker weren’t one of my favorite authors, I never would have finished reading this book. It is over written, has over drawn characters, has a plot that’s over my tolerance level for implausibility; it’s simply
TOO MUCH !
So, why DID I keep reading? I’ve heard from many that book 2 in this series, “Heaven Weeps”, is possibly the best book Decker has written - ever; that’s why. His “Circle Series” was one of the very best projects I’ve read
in the last 30 years and it’s still holding true. I’ve actually read that massive tome 3, if not 4 times and shared it with many folks. If the next book is potentially better than “The Circle”, I had to give it a chance and that meant reading the first volume.
Back to “Heaven’s Wager” - Kent is a computer programmer of extraordinary talent. If you don’t believe it, just ask him; his ego knows no bounds. He’s got a beautiful wife who’s a follower of Christ, a son that’s bright, handsome and believes like mom and his grandmother who is a character that puts a CAPITAL Q in Quirky. She is supposed to be an example of extreme faith but IMHO, she is a caricature of all that gets mocked about holy rolling Christians.
Grandma, Helen, has a hotline to heaven. She prays and walks and walks and prays, dressed like a bag lady while invoking prayers and displaying this GIANT SIZED FAITH.
Kent is wrecking revenge on his bosses who did a terrible thing to him while he was mourning the deaths of his wife and son. It’s not just revenge, it’s like CSI gone massively wrong and the head of Mensa is coordinating retribution while consuming serious amounts of tequila, of course.
Much of the story takes place in Kent’s illness addled mind. Other characters wander thru but never really stake a serious claim. I’m hoping in the second book all the disparate pieces will come together. Kent does have a reconciliation at the end of the first book but we readers don’t get much information about it. It felt too convenient and convoluted to me. In fact, I’d be hard pressed to find much of Decker’s typical nuanced
writing style in the story. I sure hope everything others have claimed about book 2 is true; onward📚
October 12, 2024
Man oh man. A five star read for sure.
The title very much fits the entire story. To be clear, this is NOT a modern day retelling of the story of Job. If you're looking for biblical fiction, this isn't it. However, the story of Job is at the core of this story. In a story woven with fantasy elements, suspense elements, heavy elements of drama, and faith based elements that make up the entire foundation of the story.
The story also really hangs on the scripture Matthew 16:26. "What will it profit a man if he gains the world and loses his soul." And also dives deep into the reality that at the very center of humanity and the purpose of life, is to have meaningful relationships where we are known and loved for who we are.
This was my first Ted Dekker book that he authors alone, and oh boy, it will not be my last. I'll definitely be finishing this series and reading more from him! The depth to the story....the richness of the faith based content.....and the thought provoking story line has me intrigued and interested in reading more of his writing. I'm a huge fan of books that explore the spiritual world without being dark or going too far into the realm of the demonic. They are literally my very favorite, and I have a feeling this author will rise quickly to the top of my favorite authors list for this reason!
Last note, I listened to this on audio book and enjoyed the narrator.
The title very much fits the entire story. To be clear, this is NOT a modern day retelling of the story of Job. If you're looking for biblical fiction, this isn't it. However, the story of Job is at the core of this story. In a story woven with fantasy elements, suspense elements, heavy elements of drama, and faith based elements that make up the entire foundation of the story.
The story also really hangs on the scripture Matthew 16:26. "What will it profit a man if he gains the world and loses his soul." And also dives deep into the reality that at the very center of humanity and the purpose of life, is to have meaningful relationships where we are known and loved for who we are.
This was my first Ted Dekker book that he authors alone, and oh boy, it will not be my last. I'll definitely be finishing this series and reading more from him! The depth to the story....the richness of the faith based content.....and the thought provoking story line has me intrigued and interested in reading more of his writing. I'm a huge fan of books that explore the spiritual world without being dark or going too far into the realm of the demonic. They are literally my very favorite, and I have a feeling this author will rise quickly to the top of my favorite authors list for this reason!
Last note, I listened to this on audio book and enjoyed the narrator.
October 13, 2011
Heaven's Wager is a modern retelling of the story of Job, detailing how computer programmer Kent Anthony loses everything, and how far he will go to get it back.
Wow. And I mean...WOW! Reading this book was like being seized by the throat and made to run when you want to walk, and to walk when you want to run. I couldn't put it down, but I had to stop and breathe. I had to appreciate it on so many levels. It was quite the thought-provoker, it was epic in its simplicity (and at its heart, it was indeed simple), and it became the sixth book in history to make me cry. That's an accomplishment by my reckoning any day of the week!
Shucks, folks, there's a lot I could say about this book, but I'd give it away. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it, though!
Wow. And I mean...WOW! Reading this book was like being seized by the throat and made to run when you want to walk, and to walk when you want to run. I couldn't put it down, but I had to stop and breathe. I had to appreciate it on so many levels. It was quite the thought-provoker, it was epic in its simplicity (and at its heart, it was indeed simple), and it became the sixth book in history to make me cry. That's an accomplishment by my reckoning any day of the week!
Shucks, folks, there's a lot I could say about this book, but I'd give it away. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it, though!
November 30, 2021
I found this book to be irritating and frankly pretty awful. While I did like the premise, the execution of it resulted in literary disaster. Christian fiction does NOT have to be cheesy, repetitive, dumbed down, or grating, but apparently this author doesn't know that. My biggest complaint, besides the fact that the phrase "pin head" was used at nauseum, was that the climax was thrown in as an afterthought 45 minutes before the end of a 16 hour book (Audible) and was done in a way was neither relatable nor realistic. If I was a person searching for spiritual understanding, I think this book would put me off the whole notion of religion.
September 22, 2010
Pros: The story did keep me turning pages. I only put it down last night because my head kept falling on the pages. Other than the last 6 pages, I read it all in one day.
Cons: There's a thing or two that I felt were left unaddressed and so are now nagging at the back of my mind. Not good. And I don't think Dekker's writing style is my favorite. I felt like a snob because I kept inwardly groaning at some of his expressions.
A pleasant read, but I'm more of a "meh" than a "yay" on this one.
Cons: There's a thing or two that I felt were left unaddressed and so are now nagging at the back of my mind. Not good. And I don't think Dekker's writing style is my favorite. I felt like a snob because I kept inwardly groaning at some of his expressions.
A pleasant read, but I'm more of a "meh" than a "yay" on this one.
September 4, 2013
Another great book by Ted Dekker. If you love TD's books, then you will love this one. I highly recommend it to all TD fans.
January 1, 2022
Ted Dekker has written over fifty books and sold millions of copies, but back in May 2000 his debut novel was just one of a number of books sitting spine-out on the Christian fiction rack. It had some success. Enough that Word Publishing (now part of Thomas Nelson) kept him on through a loosely-connected trilogy. It wasn’t until 2004’s breakout Circle Trilogy that Dekker began to be a household name (at least in Christian fiction) and not until later thrillers like Boneman’s Daughters that Dekker reached the NYT bestseller’s list.
Heaven’s Wager is the first a rather loosely connected trilogy called The Martyr’s Song, with all three books exploring God’s providential involvement in human affairs—an early theme for Dekker. Ted has described the book as a retelling of the book of Job, with some significant changes. Rather than see if a God-fearing man who loses everything would curse God, Dekker explores if an agnostic who loses everything can come to love God. The result is a powerful, if sometimes simplistic and overly-wrought story about a man losing everything, gaining some things, then giving it up to gain his soul.
Kent Anthony is a computer programmer who’s long been at work developing a banking system called the Advanced Funds Processing System. It’s his ticket to wealth and success, and will hopefully revolutionize the way banking is done. Kent is all set to unveil the system to the bank bigwigs when he receives an urgent notice that his wife has fallen ill…and from there, Kent Anthony’s life falls completely apart. His boss steals all the credit. His wife dies. And that’s just the beginning.
Meanwhile, there is one person who understands—or at least perceive some of—what is going on behind the veil. Helen Jovic, Kent’s mother-in-law, begins walking while praying for Kent’s soul. Some of Dekker’s most insightful and incisive dialogue comes from Helen, though its occasionally clunky and melodramatic. As Helen pounds the doors of Heaven as Kent rushes towards the gates of Hell, only the grace of God can save him but it’s his own free choice to make. God called Satan’s bluff and accepted the challenge and the result of Heaven’s Wager depends on Kent Anthony’s decision.
On literary grounds, Heaven’s Wager is definitely a product of its time and intended audience. It’s darker than Christian fiction typically was at the time and the difficulty in writing that intensity but within the confines of Christian sensibilities at the time sometimes leads to some laughable dialogue. The pacing is slow and the overall story a bit bloated—fifty pages could and should have been cut in the editing process.
Theologically, I think (and I believe Ted Dekker himself would now agree with this assessment) that Dekker hits a little hard on the “everything happens for a reason” answer to the problem of suffering—a major theme in the series as a whole. Dekker’s exploration of suffering ends with “God redeems it for his glory” (a true statement) but also clings to “God caused this suffering for his glory” (a statement I do not agree with). Yet, it’s a product of who Dekker was at the time and a product of the audience he was writing for.
While Dekker’s certainly grown in his writing style and methods, this is by no means a bad novel. Compared to contemporary books in the genre, Dekker holds his own, hitting on deep themes such as one’s importance to God, the love of God, and the power of prayer. Ted’s a much different author now, but I have a fond place in my heart for these early novels. Like all of Dekker’s offerings, you can’t read it and be unchanged by it. This book will affect how you think about your faith.
Heaven’s Wager is the first a rather loosely connected trilogy called The Martyr’s Song, with all three books exploring God’s providential involvement in human affairs—an early theme for Dekker. Ted has described the book as a retelling of the book of Job, with some significant changes. Rather than see if a God-fearing man who loses everything would curse God, Dekker explores if an agnostic who loses everything can come to love God. The result is a powerful, if sometimes simplistic and overly-wrought story about a man losing everything, gaining some things, then giving it up to gain his soul.
Kent Anthony is a computer programmer who’s long been at work developing a banking system called the Advanced Funds Processing System. It’s his ticket to wealth and success, and will hopefully revolutionize the way banking is done. Kent is all set to unveil the system to the bank bigwigs when he receives an urgent notice that his wife has fallen ill…and from there, Kent Anthony’s life falls completely apart. His boss steals all the credit. His wife dies. And that’s just the beginning.
Meanwhile, there is one person who understands—or at least perceive some of—what is going on behind the veil. Helen Jovic, Kent’s mother-in-law, begins walking while praying for Kent’s soul. Some of Dekker’s most insightful and incisive dialogue comes from Helen, though its occasionally clunky and melodramatic. As Helen pounds the doors of Heaven as Kent rushes towards the gates of Hell, only the grace of God can save him but it’s his own free choice to make. God called Satan’s bluff and accepted the challenge and the result of Heaven’s Wager depends on Kent Anthony’s decision.
On literary grounds, Heaven’s Wager is definitely a product of its time and intended audience. It’s darker than Christian fiction typically was at the time and the difficulty in writing that intensity but within the confines of Christian sensibilities at the time sometimes leads to some laughable dialogue. The pacing is slow and the overall story a bit bloated—fifty pages could and should have been cut in the editing process.
Theologically, I think (and I believe Ted Dekker himself would now agree with this assessment) that Dekker hits a little hard on the “everything happens for a reason” answer to the problem of suffering—a major theme in the series as a whole. Dekker’s exploration of suffering ends with “God redeems it for his glory” (a true statement) but also clings to “God caused this suffering for his glory” (a statement I do not agree with). Yet, it’s a product of who Dekker was at the time and a product of the audience he was writing for.
While Dekker’s certainly grown in his writing style and methods, this is by no means a bad novel. Compared to contemporary books in the genre, Dekker holds his own, hitting on deep themes such as one’s importance to God, the love of God, and the power of prayer. Ted’s a much different author now, but I have a fond place in my heart for these early novels. Like all of Dekker’s offerings, you can’t read it and be unchanged by it. This book will affect how you think about your faith.
December 21, 2013
It seems many people have read this book and loved it passionately. I am not one of those, but fear not ... I did not hate it either. There were many things to commend about the story but I felt that the "point" was made fairly early on so there was not much mystery in this book except for when the "hero" would have his great awakening.
The plot within a plot, i.e. the way the lead character goes about taking his revenge on his so-called "superiors" at the gigantic bank that employs him is fascinating and not so far-fetched at all. Technology is not my strong suit but I do not doubt there are true geniuses among us who not only understand it all, but literally make it happen.
I think the story could have been told, and still told well, in about 100 fewer pages with a lot less repetition. Still, if it takes someone every single word for it to catch hold and make a difference, that is fine with me!
The plot within a plot, i.e. the way the lead character goes about taking his revenge on his so-called "superiors" at the gigantic bank that employs him is fascinating and not so far-fetched at all. Technology is not my strong suit but I do not doubt there are true geniuses among us who not only understand it all, but literally make it happen.
I think the story could have been told, and still told well, in about 100 fewer pages with a lot less repetition. Still, if it takes someone every single word for it to catch hold and make a difference, that is fine with me!
August 21, 2012
I had high hopes for this book. But like the people who entered Dante's Inferno, I abandoned all hope. I abandoned it on Page 81 and decided to read no further. Life is too short to finish reading books you don't really want to read, unless there's a compelling reason for soldiering on.
I am not saying that "Heaven's Wager" is a bad book. It may be a wonderful book for some readers. It wasn't the right book for me.
I am not saying that "Heaven's Wager" is a bad book. It may be a wonderful book for some readers. It wasn't the right book for me.
November 15, 2014
I had never taken so long to read a book by Ted Dekker because I think that this is a very dramatic book and misfortunes seem to never end. Kent Anthony is like a zombie filled with sadness for most of history and only reacts to plan the perfect robbery. In a moment I thought that this story would not have a good ending, but when I read the meeting between Kent and Helen I changed my mind.
The series of "Martyr's Song" is written for cry because it is quite skimmed and deep.
The series of "Martyr's Song" is written for cry because it is quite skimmed and deep.
October 2, 2012
Ted Decker's Heaven's Wager shows the power of God love and the length he will go for humans to recognize and respond to his love. This book portrays the theme of the uselessness of running from your problems. The theme of the book is that there is someone who is always wanting for you. I like how the writer shows the situation from that of a Christian and a non-christian. This gives a unique view of which ever side you would be coming from. The author gives details for character backgrounds and talks about how they are feeling and thinking all the time that makes the characters seem alive. The settings where realistic because the author used real places and realistic situations. The book is about a man whose Christian wife and son are killed and how he struggles to cope with it by stealing while God is dogging him through his wife's mother. This book relates to the feelings that Christians might feel with the death of a loved one.I would recommend this book to someone who is interested in the themes of Christianity and Self Revelations.
September 12, 2018
Maybe my expectations were just too high for this book, but it didn’t meet them. I didn’t connect with the characters - not a single one. It was almost as if the plot was too lofty. I don’t know anyone that can successfully program a computer to steal money, fake their own death, and then get enough surgery to change their identity. This is all successful mind you, then Kent finds God and confesses everything and turns himself in. Perhaps if you’re just starting out in Christian fiction this would be okay, but I’ve read much better in the genre than this one. I hope his other novels are better!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 3, 2022
I read this off and on because of time limitations, but it is honestly my least favorite Ted Dekker book. It just did not have the same intensity and rise and fall of the story as others. I only give it 3 stars because it wasn't poorly written and it's Ted Dekker. It's just an okay book in my opinion.
May 27, 2015
Overall story was good, but it repeated a lot and I just wanted to get the story done. And then when I finally finished I was disappointed with the ending (not sure what I what I wanted the ending to be, but it wasn't the end that was written).
May 21, 2014
This was such a beautiful story of redemption. I absolutely love the interactions of Heaven and earth and at times not knowing which is which! If I ever suffered like that I'd hope to have the same joy in the midst of it.
June 22, 2015
This book was pretty brutal, but definitely worth the read.
January 13, 2022
I'm torn over this book. On one hand, it was an engaging read with a fun plot. On the other hand, it was heavy handed in the Christian fiction aspects, and was too far off actual Christianity to brush off with "I'm reading this for clean fiction, not theology."
My problems include: (there are some vague spoilers here)
1. To use the jargon, this book is filled with charismatic Armenian mysticism. At one point, one of the characters reprimands her pastor for clinging to doctrine over perceived experiences.
2. Since the age of the apostles, God does not talk directly to anybody, or "open heaven" in visions to believers.
3. A person coming to faith is not part of a cosmic battle over their soul. Ephesians 6 makes it clear that there is such a thing as spiritual warfare, but not in the way Dekker uses here. If every person is caught in a battle between God and Satan, then for every time someone doesn't come to faith, Satan is more powerful than God. Rather, every person that God has chosen will be saved, period, the end. (See Ephesians 1).
4. Sound doctrine (what God has taught through Scripture) always stands over experiences. Even the apostles taught to value the written word of God over their own experiences (see 2 Peter 1).
I generally overlook some doctrinal errors in Christian fiction books, but this was too much. When God's character is portrayed incorrectly, it is not worth a fun story.
My problems include: (there are some vague spoilers here)
1. To use the jargon, this book is filled with charismatic Armenian mysticism. At one point, one of the characters reprimands her pastor for clinging to doctrine over perceived experiences.
2. Since the age of the apostles, God does not talk directly to anybody, or "open heaven" in visions to believers.
3. A person coming to faith is not part of a cosmic battle over their soul. Ephesians 6 makes it clear that there is such a thing as spiritual warfare, but not in the way Dekker uses here. If every person is caught in a battle between God and Satan, then for every time someone doesn't come to faith, Satan is more powerful than God. Rather, every person that God has chosen will be saved, period, the end. (See Ephesians 1).
4. Sound doctrine (what God has taught through Scripture) always stands over experiences. Even the apostles taught to value the written word of God over their own experiences (see 2 Peter 1).
I generally overlook some doctrinal errors in Christian fiction books, but this was too much. When God's character is portrayed incorrectly, it is not worth a fun story.
December 24, 2024
Sadly, this was awful. I didn’t realize this was Christian lit until the second page. I couldn’t get past the visions of Heaven and talks to G that Helen. There was nothing likable or redemptive about this book.
January 29, 2024
I’ll wager you can’t put this down. (4 stars)
Kent Anthony has hit the big-time with his brainchild software that will revolutionize banking, and is about to receive a $20 million payout. Along with his wife Gloria and son Spencer, his life is about to change drastically. And it does. But not in the way that Kent expects. To say anything more would give away too much of the plot, and ruin the story-line for those who haven’t read the book. That in itself says a great deal about the power of the story. Alongside Kent and his family is a larger cast of characters, including his old love Lacy, his banking colleagues, and his religious mother in-law Helen and her pastor Bill.
Strengths:
1. Theology: The gripping and suspenseful plot unravels within an important theological framework. Unlike his mother-in-law, Kent is not a Christian, and it is around this that the novel’s action is chiefly concerned. Those familiar with the story of Job will not have difficulty in figuring out the significance of the title about Heaven’s Wager. But contrary to what some readers think, this is not quite a modern day Job story, as Dekker himself makes clear: In Kent’s case Satan’s challenge was not that he could make a righteous man curse God, but “that he could keep an unrighteous man from responding to God’s love.” (p363) The story is essentially a “game”, a “war”, and the prize is “a man’s soul” (p158). Dekker wants the reader to end with self reflection: “The same challenge has been cast over your soul. ... We are all Jobs in one way or another.” (p369) “Over every man there is cast a challenge.” (p364)
2. Plot: This theology is the framework and basis for the novel, but it does not intrude on the plot, which concerns Kent’s struggle with grief, greed and revenge. Kent’s story is a sparkling one, and Ted Dekker is an excellent story-teller. The plot began as interesting, quickly moved to exciting, and in the last stages is a fast-moving pageturner that you won’t be able to put down easily.
3. Character: Not only does Dekker know how to spin a story, he also develops a sympathetic character. He brings the reader into Kent’s mind, allowing us to feel his raw emotions and identify closely with his struggles, joys and pains. These changing emotions are portrayed with vivid colour and conviction.
4. Theme: Kent’s experience clearly shows that money and power does not satisfy, and that true peace can only be found with God.
Although the bulk of the novel concerns Kent’s story, the underlying spiritual battle never comes to the foreground until the final chapter. However the theological premise behind the events that transpire is evident in the character of Helen, who is assigned the task of God’s intermediary and even has visions. She is effectively a “seer” to whom God speaks (p85-86) and for whom the curtain of heaven is occasionally drawn aside: “God was making her see things more clearly these days, just as he’d done with Elisha’s servant. Drawing her into this huge drama unfolding behind the eyes of mortals. She played the intercessor – the one mortal allowed to glimpse both worlds so that she could pray.” (p105). At times Helen’s role becomes somewhat absurd, as God apparently commands her to walk eight hours a day and pray for Kent (p129), which she does in the ridiculous outfit of knee high socks and running shoes. Dekker is careful not to suggest that the outcome is dependent on human prayer, referring to C.S. Lewis’ explanation “for why God insists on us having to do things like pray when he already knows the outcome. It is for the expeirence of the thing. The interaction.” (p180). Elsewhere Dekker writes: “God certainly did not need an old lady’s walking to move his hand. Then again, neither had ne needed old Joshua and his cohorts traipsing around Jericho to tumple the wall, now, did he? And yet he had demanded that. This was not so different.” (p145) Further it might be conceded Dekker is not suggesting that direct revelations and visions are normative for today, and this concept can be accepted as a literary device, similar to the men with green eyes who appear to be supernatural beings. Overall the theological framework is fairly sound, although the way Dekker works it out is not always entirely convincing.
Some problematic areas and questions:
1. One does have to wonder if Dekker’s theology does result in a man-centered story. He suggests that heaven is holding its breath, to see what Kent will decide. “The heavens have been lined with a million creatures, intent on that man’s every move for months.” (p363) In heaven, apparently, are “A million beings peering over the railing at the choices of one man. You would find the real game.” (p229) But the Bible emphasizes that the real choice is the one God makes before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:3-5), and that the choices of men are the work of His Spirit as an outworking of God’s prior choice (John 15:16; Acts 13:48). This appears to be the result of Dekker’s Arminian theology.
2. Conversion is presented as the result of God’s direct self-revelation (p359-61). While this is conceivably possible (as in the case of the apostle Paul), this is the exception, and the norm is that conversion and faith are worked by the Holy Spirit through the gospel and its preaching. By presenting conversion as occurring in this extraordinary way, Dekker misses an opportunity to display the power of the gospel (Rom 1:16; 10:9-10). God and his angels are not spectators to conversion as a pure decision on man’s part, but God Himself is an agent of conversion and sovereignly works that decision by the Word and Spirit.
3. There is the suggestion that experience is to be relied instead of doctrine (p83). When it is suggested to Helen that “You can’t just throw out all doctrine for some experience,” she replies: “And what if that experience is God, the creator? What is more important to you, an encounter with God or your doctrine?” (p256) This is, however, a false dilemma, because the true experience of God will never contradict his revelation in the Bible or the doctrines of Scripture. The Bible tells us that experience is unreliable because Satan can appear disguised as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14), that he deceives people by wonderous signs and experiences (Matt 24:24; Rev 13:14), and that we are to hold to the doctrines of Scripture even if an angel tells us otherwise (Gal 1:8).
4. Dekker subscribes to the “God loves you” theology of Arminianism (p54.,96,110).
5. The concept of God suffering (p53-4) is questionable.
6. I find it hard to believe that even someone whose appearance has been altered by plastic surgery wouldn’t be recognized through conversation by his voice and vocabulary. But this is a minor quibble.
On the whole it’s a gripping story, and the theological questions the novel raised were not sufficient to prevent me from enjoying the story because the theological framework was more in the background, and the focus was on a fast-moving roller-coaster plot, much in the style of John Grisham’s “The Partner”, although with a more repentant protagonist. Dekker makes mention of tragic events behind Helen’s life in connection with a tragic episode during the war that involved the murdering of a priest (p251-3). This is the story of Book 2 in the series, and the quality of Book 1 has certainly convinced me that I won’t want to miss any more of Dekker’s books!
Kent Anthony has hit the big-time with his brainchild software that will revolutionize banking, and is about to receive a $20 million payout. Along with his wife Gloria and son Spencer, his life is about to change drastically. And it does. But not in the way that Kent expects. To say anything more would give away too much of the plot, and ruin the story-line for those who haven’t read the book. That in itself says a great deal about the power of the story. Alongside Kent and his family is a larger cast of characters, including his old love Lacy, his banking colleagues, and his religious mother in-law Helen and her pastor Bill.
Strengths:
1. Theology: The gripping and suspenseful plot unravels within an important theological framework. Unlike his mother-in-law, Kent is not a Christian, and it is around this that the novel’s action is chiefly concerned. Those familiar with the story of Job will not have difficulty in figuring out the significance of the title about Heaven’s Wager. But contrary to what some readers think, this is not quite a modern day Job story, as Dekker himself makes clear: In Kent’s case Satan’s challenge was not that he could make a righteous man curse God, but “that he could keep an unrighteous man from responding to God’s love.” (p363) The story is essentially a “game”, a “war”, and the prize is “a man’s soul” (p158). Dekker wants the reader to end with self reflection: “The same challenge has been cast over your soul. ... We are all Jobs in one way or another.” (p369) “Over every man there is cast a challenge.” (p364)
2. Plot: This theology is the framework and basis for the novel, but it does not intrude on the plot, which concerns Kent’s struggle with grief, greed and revenge. Kent’s story is a sparkling one, and Ted Dekker is an excellent story-teller. The plot began as interesting, quickly moved to exciting, and in the last stages is a fast-moving pageturner that you won’t be able to put down easily.
3. Character: Not only does Dekker know how to spin a story, he also develops a sympathetic character. He brings the reader into Kent’s mind, allowing us to feel his raw emotions and identify closely with his struggles, joys and pains. These changing emotions are portrayed with vivid colour and conviction.
4. Theme: Kent’s experience clearly shows that money and power does not satisfy, and that true peace can only be found with God.
Although the bulk of the novel concerns Kent’s story, the underlying spiritual battle never comes to the foreground until the final chapter. However the theological premise behind the events that transpire is evident in the character of Helen, who is assigned the task of God’s intermediary and even has visions. She is effectively a “seer” to whom God speaks (p85-86) and for whom the curtain of heaven is occasionally drawn aside: “God was making her see things more clearly these days, just as he’d done with Elisha’s servant. Drawing her into this huge drama unfolding behind the eyes of mortals. She played the intercessor – the one mortal allowed to glimpse both worlds so that she could pray.” (p105). At times Helen’s role becomes somewhat absurd, as God apparently commands her to walk eight hours a day and pray for Kent (p129), which she does in the ridiculous outfit of knee high socks and running shoes. Dekker is careful not to suggest that the outcome is dependent on human prayer, referring to C.S. Lewis’ explanation “for why God insists on us having to do things like pray when he already knows the outcome. It is for the expeirence of the thing. The interaction.” (p180). Elsewhere Dekker writes: “God certainly did not need an old lady’s walking to move his hand. Then again, neither had ne needed old Joshua and his cohorts traipsing around Jericho to tumple the wall, now, did he? And yet he had demanded that. This was not so different.” (p145) Further it might be conceded Dekker is not suggesting that direct revelations and visions are normative for today, and this concept can be accepted as a literary device, similar to the men with green eyes who appear to be supernatural beings. Overall the theological framework is fairly sound, although the way Dekker works it out is not always entirely convincing.
Some problematic areas and questions:
1. One does have to wonder if Dekker’s theology does result in a man-centered story. He suggests that heaven is holding its breath, to see what Kent will decide. “The heavens have been lined with a million creatures, intent on that man’s every move for months.” (p363) In heaven, apparently, are “A million beings peering over the railing at the choices of one man. You would find the real game.” (p229) But the Bible emphasizes that the real choice is the one God makes before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:3-5), and that the choices of men are the work of His Spirit as an outworking of God’s prior choice (John 15:16; Acts 13:48). This appears to be the result of Dekker’s Arminian theology.
2. Conversion is presented as the result of God’s direct self-revelation (p359-61). While this is conceivably possible (as in the case of the apostle Paul), this is the exception, and the norm is that conversion and faith are worked by the Holy Spirit through the gospel and its preaching. By presenting conversion as occurring in this extraordinary way, Dekker misses an opportunity to display the power of the gospel (Rom 1:16; 10:9-10). God and his angels are not spectators to conversion as a pure decision on man’s part, but God Himself is an agent of conversion and sovereignly works that decision by the Word and Spirit.
3. There is the suggestion that experience is to be relied instead of doctrine (p83). When it is suggested to Helen that “You can’t just throw out all doctrine for some experience,” she replies: “And what if that experience is God, the creator? What is more important to you, an encounter with God or your doctrine?” (p256) This is, however, a false dilemma, because the true experience of God will never contradict his revelation in the Bible or the doctrines of Scripture. The Bible tells us that experience is unreliable because Satan can appear disguised as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14), that he deceives people by wonderous signs and experiences (Matt 24:24; Rev 13:14), and that we are to hold to the doctrines of Scripture even if an angel tells us otherwise (Gal 1:8).
4. Dekker subscribes to the “God loves you” theology of Arminianism (p54.,96,110).
5. The concept of God suffering (p53-4) is questionable.
6. I find it hard to believe that even someone whose appearance has been altered by plastic surgery wouldn’t be recognized through conversation by his voice and vocabulary. But this is a minor quibble.
On the whole it’s a gripping story, and the theological questions the novel raised were not sufficient to prevent me from enjoying the story because the theological framework was more in the background, and the focus was on a fast-moving roller-coaster plot, much in the style of John Grisham’s “The Partner”, although with a more repentant protagonist. Dekker makes mention of tragic events behind Helen’s life in connection with a tragic episode during the war that involved the murdering of a priest (p251-3). This is the story of Book 2 in the series, and the quality of Book 1 has certainly convinced me that I won’t want to miss any more of Dekker’s books!
August 5, 2011
Going into this book I knew it was Dekker's first work, and I was expecting something like his more recent works (Bride Collector, Thr3e, etc) and I was kind of disappointed. I found the book hard to get through, it felt more like I was reading it for school than out of enjoyment, but once things started picking up after the death of his wife, and son, and the whole bank robbery scheme came into play, I was definitely more interested. My favorite character had to be Helen, although at first the whole 'seeing and hearing heaven' threw me a bit, she grew on me and her faith was inspiring. The end of the book is what pushed my rating from a 3.5 to a 4 star, because the overall message of the book, and Kent just having such an experience really made it worth it. Ted Dekker still remains one of my favorite authors and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this trilogy 'When Heaven Weeps"
God bless ♥
God bless ♥
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2012
This is the first book I have read of the Martyr's Song Series. It is labeled as book 1 of the series, but it has very strong allusions to a heavy back story, so I there is probably a prequel included somewhere along the line.
As for the story itself, it seemed a little self-important and preachy--definitely for a Christian audience. While it did make me want to make myself a warrior on the spiritual front, I grew a little weary of the spiritual exposition. Also, it was difficult for me to relate to and care about the protagonists; it's hard to care about a story when I don't care about the people.
The driving plot involves corporate financial scandal and the crime of the century, brought about by a wager between God and the Devil as they fight to win one man's soul (like a modern Job).
It's an enjoyable read overall, actually, it's an enjoyable listen. The audiobook features a first-class narration.
As for the story itself, it seemed a little self-important and preachy--definitely for a Christian audience. While it did make me want to make myself a warrior on the spiritual front, I grew a little weary of the spiritual exposition. Also, it was difficult for me to relate to and care about the protagonists; it's hard to care about a story when I don't care about the people.
The driving plot involves corporate financial scandal and the crime of the century, brought about by a wager between God and the Devil as they fight to win one man's soul (like a modern Job).
It's an enjoyable read overall, actually, it's an enjoyable listen. The audiobook features a first-class narration.
August 7, 2019
Although this book took me a little while to get into as the tragedy of losing a wife and a son within 30 days was almost too much for me to continue - I am glad I did keep reading. I was fascinated by Kent's genius plot on revenge. I am not a computer whiz - and to think that he could steal $20 million dollars so effortlessly makes me want to go and check my bank statements more carefully!
Be that as it may, knowing that money doesn't buy everything really is the theme that I came away with. Helen's tenacity on praying and discerning God's voice makes me want to be like her. If you are not a Christian Fiction fan, I can see why you may be turned off by the Christian theme. I personally loved it - but I am a Christian.
I gave this one less start (4) only because it seemed a bit long. There were some things that may have needed less detail...but I have already downloaded the 2nd book in the series and look forward to reading it.
Be that as it may, knowing that money doesn't buy everything really is the theme that I came away with. Helen's tenacity on praying and discerning God's voice makes me want to be like her. If you are not a Christian Fiction fan, I can see why you may be turned off by the Christian theme. I personally loved it - but I am a Christian.
I gave this one less start (4) only because it seemed a bit long. There were some things that may have needed less detail...but I have already downloaded the 2nd book in the series and look forward to reading it.
Read
July 24, 2011Honestly, a disappointment. I've read most of Ted Dekker's other books (including the rest of the Martyr's Song series) and was completely engrossed by them all; he is one of my all-time favorite authors. Perhaps it's just my young age and personality, but the plot line and premise had absolutely no draw for me, and I found myself completely devoid of any feeling for the main character (except in those moments where I wanted to knock some sense into him with something large, heavy, and dangerous). I can see the good in the message the book is trying to convey, and I definitely caught Dekker's trademark suspense and creativity—enough to tell he did a superb job as an author yet again—but for whatever reason, I just could not engage with this novel. The only Dekker novel I disliked at all.
April 30, 2019
Initially I wanted to give this book less stars, but I think that's because I'm comparing it to Dekker's later books, which showcase his significant prowess as a writer. You can tell that this is one of his earlier novels, but the story itself is still interesting. It's hard to wrap your head around the very tangible spiritual drama that is being played out, but then again, that's sort of the point, isn't it? Some of the theological terms and ways of speaking about faith felt very dated. The language of the church has changed a lot since this was written. And I was surprised that the Job parallel didn't come up until the end of the book.
I'm working my way through Dekker's books (most of which I read years ago), and I'm really excited to see how his skills as a storyteller grow and develop!
I'm working my way through Dekker's books (most of which I read years ago), and I'm really excited to see how his skills as a storyteller grow and develop!
February 16, 2015
Okay. Not great. Kent Anthony, pulled himself up and out of lower class, educated in computer language writes AFPs for banking and expects to get millions. Instead, his wife Gloria dies suddenly, then his sons killed with a hit and run. His mother-in-law "sees" heaven. She starts walking 20 miles plus every day "interceding."
Kent's bosses steal his glory and money. He decides to get revenge. He gets into the back door to steal millions, then sets them up to look like they did it. He also steals a body and covers it with a fire to fake his death.
But: he is lonely.
Angels work throughout. He runs into his old ex-fiancee. He finally breaks, confesses and at the end is in jail telling his story with 2 more years.
Kent's bosses steal his glory and money. He decides to get revenge. He gets into the back door to steal millions, then sets them up to look like they did it. He also steals a body and covers it with a fire to fake his death.
But: he is lonely.
Angels work throughout. He runs into his old ex-fiancee. He finally breaks, confesses and at the end is in jail telling his story with 2 more years.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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