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How A Year Without Superhero Films Rebooted Our Universe
Articles | Jason Joyner, Jan 28, 2021

New Book ‘Reading Evangelicals’ Will Focus on Famous Christian Fiction
News | E. Stephen Burnett, Jan 27, 2021

Introducing Superhero Novelist and New Lorehaven Writer Jason C. Joyner
News | Lorehaven, Jan 27, 2021

Militant Secularism Could Force Christians to Create New Subcultures
Articles | Mike Duran, Jan 25, 2021

‘One Piece’ Manga Reaches Chapter 1000: How Did This Pirate Become King?
Articles | L. Jagi Lamplighter, Jan 20, 2021

To Shape a Story is to Shape a Soul
Articles | L.G. McCary, Jan 18, 2021

Author Ted Turnau Finds The Hidden Grace of Pixar’s ‘Soul’
News | E. Stephen Burnett, Jan 15, 2021

Introducing Thriller Novelist and New Lorehaven Writer L. G. McCary
News | Lorehaven, Jan 15, 2021

Join Our Jan. 21 Livestream: How Can We ‘Terraform’ the Church to Enjoy Fantastic Fiction?
News | Lorehaven, Jan 14, 2021

How Political Punditry Has Taken Over Christian Popular Subcultures
Articles | E. Stephen Burnett, Jan 14, 2021

Library

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The Terran Summit, Anna Zogg
The Xerxes Factor, Anna Zogg
The Paradise Protocol, Anna Zogg
The Awakened, Richard Spillman
The Ascension, Richard Spillman
Love's Sacrifice, Kelsey Norman
Unbroken Spirit, Kelsey Norman
Seed: Judgment, Joshua David
The Rooster and the Raven King, John Paul Tucker
Brimstone 1, Jasom William Karpf
The Horse Queen, Lavay Byrd
King of Aethon, Lavay Byrd
Tales of Elhaanai, Nicole Thomas
Still Small Voice, Allen Brokken
Reviews

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Flight of the Raven
“Exciting twists make Morgan L. Busse’s Flight of the Raven, book 2 of the Ravenwood Saga, a very enjoyable read.” —Lorehaven

The Eternal Struggle
“Esther Wallace’s novel The Eternal Struggle forms a dark sequel that brings hero and heroine into close fellowship with loss and brutality.” —Lorehaven

Dark is the Night
“Mirriam Neal’s vampire novel Dark is the Night keeps the punches and the fangs rolling.” —Lorehaven

Blood and Bond
“This book is brilliant and engaging, expanding on the series’ world and characters while building its own plot.” —Lorehaven

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49. How Can We ‘Terraform’ the Church to Enjoy Fantastic Fiction?
Fantastical Truth, Jan 26, 2021

48. What Were the Top Seven Issues for Lorehaven Readers in 2020?
Fantastical Truth, Jan 19, 2021

47. Why Do Some People Long for Escape to a Galactic Community?
Fantastical Truth, Jan 12, 2021

46. Ten Years Later, Why Did ‘Dawn Treader’ Sink the Narnia Movies? | with Rilian of NarniaWeb
Fantastical Truth, Dec 22, 2020

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What Tolkien Taught About Fighting Evil
Travis Perry, Jan 21

The Messages of Black Horror Films
Parker J. Cole, Jan 20

The Worldview of Biocentrism–You Are One With The Force
Travis Perry, Jan 14

Who Can Put a Price on Daring Love, Loyalty, and Swordsmanship?
Azalea Dabill, Jan 12

Beyond

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E. Stephen Burnett, Oct 6

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After MalarkeyGate, Lifeway Quits Selling All ‘Heaven Tourism’ Books

Christians who want extra-biblical stories about Heaven will no longer find them at Lifeway Christian Stores.
E. Stephen Burnett | Mar 25, 2015 | No comments |
The book is surprisingly depressing. It offers very little Heaven description and more of Piper's confessions about him being a very bad medical patient.

When I was working at Lifeway, I read 90 Minutes in Heaven. The book is surprisingly depressing. It offers very little Heaven description and many more of Piper’s confessions about him being an ill-behaved medical patient.

Christians who want books with extra-biblical firsthand stories about Heaven will no longer find them at Lifeway Christian Stores.

Baptist Press reports the Southern Baptist-affiliated retailer has pulled all its “heaven tourism” materials.

LifeWay told Baptist Press about its decision to halt sales of heaven visitation resources today (March 24) in response to an inquiry about the book “90 Minutes in Heaven” by Don Piper, which is being made into a movie slated for release this fall. The book recounts Piper’s supposed experience of heaven following a severe auto accident and has sold 6.5 million copies in 46 languages.

“Last summer, as we began developing LifeWay’s new structure and direction — what we’ve now identified as One LifeWay — the role of heaven visitation resources was included in our considerations. We decided these experiential testimonies about heaven would not be a part of our new direction, so we stopped re-ordering them for our stores last summer,” LifeWay spokesman Marty King told Baptist Press in written comments.

cover_theboywhocamebackfromheavenDon Piper’s book was actually one of the earliest installments in the now-popular genre some call “heaven tourism,” in which the authors recount their own or their children’s near-death experiences.

Other titles include Heaven Is For Real by Todd Burpo, whose son, Colton, is sticking by his story.

Lifeway in January already pulled The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven by Kevin Malarkey and ostensibly also by his son Alex. It turned out Alex himself recanted the story and even disavowed the notion of trying to picture Heaven apart from the Bible. Later accusations held Alex had never even consented to the book and in fact, despite his emotional and physical injuries, did not want it published.

But the heaven-tourism business rolls on. Baptist Press also reminds us we’re getting another movie based on a heaven-tourism book:

"Heaven tourism" books are coarse and rough and irritating, and they get everywhere.

“Heaven tourism” books are coarse and rough and irritating, and they get everywhere.

Giving Films announced the completion of filming for “90 Minutes in Heaven” March 12. The movie stars Hayden Christensen of “Star Wars” and Kate Bosworth of “Superman Returns.”

And the real problem is not undiscerning publishers but undiscerning readers:

  1. Too many Christians want to engage in the wrong kind of speculation. This is not speculation about something God has somehow “forbidden,” for anticipating or imagining heaven is not wrong! Rather, it is speculation that ignores or devalues the sufficient written word of God and replaces it with the words of human authors, who can be confused about what they believe they saw, or worse.
  2. Too many Christians are downright obsessed with the current version of heaven as if this is a static unchanged environment where we will live forever. Heaven today is certainly a wonderful place (filled with God’s glory and grace!), but like Earth it’s destined for a drastic remodeling. Someday God will move New Heavens — His very home — to this very planet that has been fire-purged of all sin, the New Earth. That will make sainted humanity’s final eternal home not an out-there “heaven,” but a real and physical and glorious God-centered Place: the New Heavens and New Earth (Rev. 21:1-5).

Explore more about what “heaven tourism” books means for Christian books and reading in Randy Streu’s article Heaven Malarkey: Lifeway, Tyndale and the State of Christian Publishing.

Explore more about the flawed eternity notions Christians often believe by accident in my article The Top Six Myths about Heaven.

And get the best and only sure word about Heaven, and then the New Heavens and New Earth, in the Bible itself — especially passages such as Isaiah 60, 65-66; Rom. 8; 1 Cor. 15; 2 Cor. 5; and Rev. 21-22.

E. Stephen Burnett

E. Stephen Burnett creates sci-fi and fantasy as well as nonfiction, such as The Pop Culture Parent: Helping Kids Engage Their World for Christ (coauthored with Ted Turnau and Jared Moore, from New Growth Press). Stephen explores biblical truth and fantastic stories as publisher of Lorehaven.com and cohost of the Fantastical Truth podcast. He and his wife, Lacy, live in the Austin area, help with foster parenting, and serve as members of Southern Hills Baptist Church.

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Lorehaven magazine, winter 2020

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