Plot summary
Millions of people suddenly vanish and frantic "survivors" of the disappearances begin their search for their friends and families as well as answers to what's happened. Among them are pilot Rayford Steele, his daughter Chloe Steele, and pastor Bruce Barnes, who begin to discover that what has really happened is that the Rapture had occurred. Meanwhile, a young journalist, Cameron "Buck" Williams follows an unknown, but charming Romanian politician named Nicolae Carpathia, who quickly attracts millions of followers, seemingly overnight.Major themes
Christian prophetic themes are explored in a fictional context around the theme of the "Rapture", an interpretation of the First Epistle to the Thessalonians. Amongst those Christians who believe there will be a Rapture, there are three main theories on the timing of this event: Pre-Tribulation, Mid-Tribulation, and Post-Tribulation. This book takes the Pre-Tribulation Rapture position. The story is built around such End times themes as the Second Coming, the Antichrist, the Tribulation, and the expected coming Millennium of Messiah.Reception
This novel has received different reactions; however, the American Evangelical Christian community in general has approved the idea of representing in a worldly language the end times theology. Jerry Falwell said: "In terms of its impact on Christianity, it's probably greater than that of any other book in modern times, outside the Bible.There have been several good reviews from various media. The New York Times stated that it "...combines Tom Clancy like suspense with touches of romance, high tech flash and Biblical references". The Chicago Tribune called it "...an exciting, stay-up-late-into-the-night, page turner story". Publishers Weekly recognized Left Behind as "...the most successful Christian Fiction series ever."
Controversies and criticisms
Some evangelicals are seriously concerned about the message of the genre. Their objections are based on the paucity of scriptural evidence for the Pre-Tribulation Rapture which forms the basis for the story. The supposition is that the Christian Church will not be present for the "final witness" nor need to prepare themselves in the faith for that possibility. It forms a growing basis for discussion among evangelicals who hold to a Post Tribulation Rapture, amillennialism, or forms of preterism.Other evangelicals object to the message of Left Behind because they say it is not a Christian message, though framed as a Christian series. Loren L. Johns, the Academic Dean of the Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, writes: "At the end of the day, this series is ultimately a rejection of the good news of Jesus Christ. I say this because it rejects the way of the cross and Jesus’ call to obedient discipleship and a new way of life. It celebrates the human will to power, putting Evangelical Christians in the heroic role of God’s Green Berets. ... Love of enemies is treated as a misguided strategy associated not with the gospel, but with the Antichrist."
The Commission on Theology and Church Relations of the Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod) reported that "the ideas expressed in the Left Behind series are in many ways contrary to the teaching of holy scripture. Though containing a fictional story line, the books promote a theology that is, in important respects, at odds with the biblical revelation."
Film adaptation
This book has been adapted into a feature film, Left Behind: The Movie, first released on video and DVD, and then to cinemas where it fared poorly. In the movie Cameron "Buck" Williams was played by former Growing Pains star Kirk Cameron who said he finds the series inspiring; he is a practicing evangelist and co-host with Ray Comfort on the TV show The Way of the Master.
So far there have been two sequels released straight to video. The first was named "Left Behind II: Tribulation Force". The most recent one, Left Behind: World at War, premiered in thousands of churches before its video and DVD release. In 2006, a fourth installment was announced by Cloud Ten Pictures and may resume development / production since there has been a July 16, 2008 settlement of a lawsuit over rights involving the first three films. The fourth film has now been scrapped by Cloud Ten.
On August 2008, a website revealed that LaHaye plans to remake the series and possibly turn all twelve (or sixteen) novels into feature film adaptaions. 
Release details
- 1995, USA, Tyndale House ISBN 0-8423-2911-0, Pub. date 31 December 1995, Hardback
- 1995, USA, Tyndale House ISBN 0-8423-1675-2, Pub. date ? December 1995, Audio Cassette
- 1999, USA, Tyndale House ISBN 0-8423-2912-9, Pub. date ? February 1999, Paperback
- 2000, USA, Chivers, Windsor, Paragon & Co ISBN 0-7862-2468-1, Pub. date ? September 2000, Large Print
- 2000, UK, Tyndale House ISBN 0-8423-4270-2, Pub. date 30 September
See also
Further reading
- Forbes, Bruce David and Jeanne Halgren Kilde (eds.), Rapture, Revelation, and the End Times: Exploring the Left Behind Series. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004. ISBN 1-4039-6525-0
- Frykholm, Amy David. Rapture Culture: Left Behind in Evangelical America. Oxford University Press, 2004. ISBN 0-19-515983-7
- Reed, David A., LEFT BEHIND Answered Verse by Verse. Morrisville, NC: Lulu.com, 2008. ISBN 1-4357-0873-3
- Rossing, Barbara R., The Rapture Exposed: The Message of Hope in the Book of Revelation, New York: Basic Books, 2004. ISBN 0-8133-4314-3
- Shuck, Glenn W., Marks Of The Beast: The Left Behind Novels And The Struggle For Evangelical Identity. New York University Press, 2004. ISBN 0-8147-4005-7
- Gribben, Crawford, Rapture Fiction and the Evangelical Crisis. Evangelical Press, 2006. ISBN 0-85234-610-7.
- Snow Flesher, LeAnn, "Left Behind? The Facts Behind the Fiction". Valley Forge, Judson Press, 2006. ISBN 0-8170-1490-X
- Gansle, Daniel J., "Rapture Redux: Living With Hope and Purpose in the Last Days." Infinity Publishing, 2007. ISBN 0741440520
- Gansle, Daniel J., "Your World, Your Future, & Bible Prophecy: How the Merging of Technology, Spirituality, & Bible Prophecy Will Rock Your World." Infinity Publishing, 2007. ISBN 0741443287
References
External links
- Official website
- Left Behind deconstructed Journalist and blogger Fred Clark's comprehensive analysis of the entire first book in the Left Behind series.
- Statement of Catholic Conference of Illinois
- Dr. Stephen Travis, Has real hope been 'Left Behind'? Methodist Evangelicals Together, Jan., 2005
- Nicholas Kristof's critical op-ed in the New York Times, July 17, 2004
- Teresa Malcolm, Fearful faith in end times novels National Catholic Reporter, June 15, 2001
- Barbara Rossing interview ELCA Lutheran Professor Lecture
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Saturday October 11, 2008 at 18:15:52 PDT (GMT -0700)
View this article at Wikipedia.org - Edit this article at Wikipedia.org - Donate to the Wikimedia Foundation
Plot summary
Millions of people suddenly vanish and frantic "survivors" of the disappearances begin their search for their friends and families as well as answers to what's happened. Among them are pilot Rayford Steele, his daughter Chloe Steele, and pastor Bruce Barnes, who begin to discover that what has really happened is that the Rapture had occurred. Meanwhile, a young journalist, Cameron "Buck" Williams follows an unknown, but charming Romanian politician named Nicolae Carpathia, who quickly attracts millions of followers, seemingly overnight.Major themes
Christian prophetic themes are explored in a fictional context around the theme of the "Rapture", an interpretation of the First Epistle to the Thessalonians. Amongst those Christians who believe there will be a Rapture, there are three main theories on the timing of this event: Pre-Tribulation, Mid-Tribulation, and Post-Tribulation. This book takes the Pre-Tribulation Rapture position. The story is built around such End times themes as the Second Coming, the Antichrist, the Tribulation, and the expected coming Millennium of Messiah.Reception
This novel has received different reactions; however, the American Evangelical Christian community in general has approved the idea of representing in a worldly language the end times theology. Jerry Falwell said: "In terms of its impact on Christianity, it's probably greater than that of any other book in modern times, outside the Bible.There have been several good reviews from various media. The New York Times stated that it "...combines Tom Clancy like suspense with touches of romance, high tech flash and Biblical references". The Chicago Tribune called it "...an exciting, stay-up-late-into-the-night, page turner story". Publishers Weekly recognized Left Behind as "...the most successful Christian Fiction series ever."
Controversies and criticisms
Some evangelicals are seriously concerned about the message of the genre. Their objections are based on the paucity of scriptural evidence for the Pre-Tribulation Rapture which forms the basis for the story. The supposition is that the Christian Church will not be present for the "final witness" nor need to prepare themselves in the faith for that possibility. It forms a growing basis for discussion among evangelicals who hold to a Post Tribulation Rapture, amillennialism, or forms of preterism.Other evangelicals object to the message of Left Behind because they say it is not a Christian message, though framed as a Christian series. Loren L. Johns, the Academic Dean of the Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, writes: "At the end of the day, this series is ultimately a rejection of the good news of Jesus Christ. I say this because it rejects the way of the cross and Jesus’ call to obedient discipleship and a new way of life. It celebrates the human will to power, putting Evangelical Christians in the heroic role of God’s Green Berets. ... Love of enemies is treated as a misguided strategy associated not with the gospel, but with the Antichrist."
The Commission on Theology and Church Relations of the Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod) reported that "the ideas expressed in the Left Behind series are in many ways contrary to the teaching of holy scripture. Though containing a fictional story line, the books promote a theology that is, in important respects, at odds with the biblical revelation."
Film adaptation
This book has been adapted into a feature film, Left Behind: The Movie, first released on video and DVD, and then to cinemas where it fared poorly. In the movie Cameron "Buck" Williams was played by former Growing Pains star Kirk Cameron who said he finds the series inspiring; he is a practicing evangelist and co-host with Ray Comfort on the TV show The Way of the Master.
So far there have been two sequels released straight to video. The first was named "Left Behind II: Tribulation Force". The most recent one, Left Behind: World at War, premiered in thousands of churches before its video and DVD release. In 2006, a fourth installment was announced by Cloud Ten Pictures and may resume development / production since there has been a July 16, 2008 settlement of a lawsuit over rights involving the first three films. The fourth film has now been scrapped by Cloud Ten.
On August 2008, a website revealed that LaHaye plans to remake the series and possibly turn all twelve (or sixteen) novels into feature film adaptaions.
Release details
- 1995, USA, Tyndale House ISBN 0-8423-2911-0, Pub. date 31 December 1995, Hardback
- 1995, USA, Tyndale House ISBN 0-8423-1675-2, Pub. date ? December 1995, Audio Cassette
- 1999, USA, Tyndale House ISBN 0-8423-2912-9, Pub. date ? February 1999, Paperback
- 2000, USA, Chivers, Windsor, Paragon & Co ISBN 0-7862-2468-1, Pub. date ? September 2000, Large Print
- 2000, UK, Tyndale House ISBN 0-8423-4270-2, Pub. date 30 September
See also
Further reading
- Forbes, Bruce David and Jeanne Halgren Kilde (eds.), Rapture, Revelation, and the End Times: Exploring the Left Behind Series. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004. ISBN 1-4039-6525-0
- Frykholm, Amy David. Rapture Culture: Left Behind in Evangelical America. Oxford University Press, 2004. ISBN 0-19-515983-7
- Reed, David A., LEFT BEHIND Answered Verse by Verse. Morrisville, NC: Lulu.com, 2008. ISBN 1-4357-0873-3
- Rossing, Barbara R., The Rapture Exposed: The Message of Hope in the Book of Revelation, New York: Basic Books, 2004. ISBN 0-8133-4314-3
- Shuck, Glenn W., Marks Of The Beast: The Left Behind Novels And The Struggle For Evangelical Identity. New York University Press, 2004. ISBN 0-8147-4005-7
- Gribben, Crawford, Rapture Fiction and the Evangelical Crisis. Evangelical Press, 2006. ISBN 0-85234-610-7.
- Snow Flesher, LeAnn, "Left Behind? The Facts Behind the Fiction". Valley Forge, Judson Press, 2006. ISBN 0-8170-1490-X
- Gansle, Daniel J., "Rapture Redux: Living With Hope and Purpose in the Last Days." Infinity Publishing, 2007. ISBN 0741440520
- Gansle, Daniel J., "Your World, Your Future, & Bible Prophecy: How the Merging of Technology, Spirituality, & Bible Prophecy Will Rock Your World." Infinity Publishing, 2007. ISBN 0741443287
References
External links
- Official website
- Left Behind deconstructed Journalist and blogger Fred Clark's comprehensive analysis of the entire first book in the Left Behind series.
- Statement of Catholic Conference of Illinois
- Dr. Stephen Travis, Has real hope been 'Left Behind'? Methodist Evangelicals Together, Jan., 2005
- Nicholas Kristof's critical op-ed in the New York Times, July 17, 2004
- Teresa Malcolm, Fearful faith in end times novels National Catholic Reporter, June 15, 2001
- Barbara Rossing interview ELCA Lutheran Professor Lecture
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Saturday October 11, 2008 at 18:15:52 PDT (GMT -0700)
View this article at Wikipedia.org - Edit this article at Wikipedia.org - Donate to the Wikimedia Foundation
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