Historian David T. Morgan, author of "Southern Baptist Sisters: In Search of Status 1845 2000" and "The New Crusades, The New Holy Land: Conflict in the Southern Baptist Convention, 1969-1991" has recently published a new book criticizing the Jenkins-LaHaye Left Behind series. I bought the book several weeks ago and spent several weekends reading it. This is my review.
Title: The New Brothers Grimm and Their Left Behind Fairy Tales.
Author: David T. Morgan
Publisher: Mercer University Press
Date of Publication: December 2006
ISBN: 0881460362
192 Pages (Paperback)
A former history professor of mine recommended this book to me. I picked it up and read it and I'm glad that I did.
The books' introduction gives a short history of the doctrine of pre-millenial dispensationalism. It is concise and informative. The only drawback if you will is that it left me wanting to know a little more in depth about this doctrine.
The twelve books of the basic Left Behind series are analyzed next with a chapter being devoted to each one of them. In each chapter, Morgan goes over the plot and the characters in the book. He then analyzes the book in terms of theology as well as politics. The last two chapters are spent anlyzing the spinoff series "Left Behind: The Kids" and "Babylon Rising". They get the same analysis.
For example, one of the points that Morgan keeps bringing up is that while the "Tribulation Force" at times expresses a strong aversion to killing as being wrong, the god they worship seems to think nothing of killing millions of people. As Morgan points out, there is something really warped about this kind of thinking.
The style and tone of the book is conversational with none of the stultifying pedantics that is such a turn off. It's more akin to a conversation or an informal lecture/presentation which makes it easy to read and digest.
I highly recommend this book. It's a good read and a valuable tool to help counter the "Left Behind" media machine.