Pastor Glenn's Weblog

The Seer Series — Not Christian Fiction

I have been debating whether or not to say something about these books.  In fact the third volume of the trilogy is overdue at the library while I ponder.  I like reporting on positive books, those that I enjoyed reading.  I tend to skip writing about books whose report from me would be this negative, but these books need a warning.

I discovered that Ted Dekker’s daughter, Rachelle, was writing a series of novels, and that the first one came highly recommended, then I learned that first volume also won a Christy Award.  So I had to read this series called the Seer Trilogy: The Choosing, The Calling, The Returning.

As expected the first book was a really good story, but, by the third novel, I was anxious to get through them as the story seemed to drag on and on.

However, the real problem with the series is not that the story drags, but that the stories are presented as Christian inspirational fiction, but they are more New Age or ancient Gnostic heresy than orthodox.  Salvation is presented in these sci-fi or fantasy novels as knowing who we are.

As Christians it is important that we know who we are in Christ.  We are the righteousness of God; we are forgiven, justified, redeemed, reconciled, regenerated and adopted into God’s family, all because of Jesus.  But apart from Jesus, we are nothing.  These novels present a false gospel that teaches everyone has the light within and just needs to know it.

For example, in the third novel, one character says, “We are here because we are called, as all people are, to discover the truth that lives within us, to acknowledge the heritage we possess, to lay claim to the identity that was given to us.”  (p. 13 emphasis mine)

Then the Messiah figure of the books says this about one of the main evil characters, “He already has the light inside him.  He will see it.  They will all see it.  That is the journey.  Remembering that you belong to the light is all there is.” (p. 345 emphasis mine)

I kept waiting for Aaron, this Messiah figure of Ms Dekker’s, to present Jesus, but that never happened.  As the book went on his teaching sounded more and more like New Age or Gnostic heresy.

Don’t get me wrong.  I know these books are fiction.  I love and read a lot of Christian fiction.  I am not opposed to fictitious worlds having different saviors as long as they illustrate the Gospel of Jesus.  I love Narnia (and Middle Earth too).  But Narnia, as an example, differs from this trilogy in two strikingly different ways.  First, the older books show the Gospel.  Aslan comes to a people who need him to be their Savior.  They can’t save themselves simply by knowing who they are.  This series does not show that Gospel in any way.  Second, the Narnia books are placed in another world, a world where Jesus has not come.  However, Dekker’s trilogy is placed in this world a few centuries into the future.  This world where Jesus has come and where trust in him is the only salvation.  Being saved by a knowledge of who we are apart from him, as though the light were in all of us, denies that Gospel.

I am sorry that this series was published under the Tyndale name.  And I would hope the Christy Award committee is ashamed to have chosen a book whose ultimate end is anything but Christian.

P.S.  If you are interested in a sci-fi adventure series about this world in the future, where Christian truth is presented, check out the Chiveis Trilogy by Bryan Litfin.  I loved those books.