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CBN.com – The trailer for controversial Christian author Ted Dekker’s book, House, is certainly scary. And that’s the point.
“Up on the screen, it will be a bit scary until light comes in and makes it all right,” the author explains. “It’s a bit dark.”
His novel Thr3e hit the big screen earlier this year and was released by Fox Faith Films -- a story about the struggle between good and evil. But to understand the man himself, you need know where he came from. Ted grew up in the jungles of Indonesia a missionary kid exploring his own world.
“Throw a pair of shorts on, no shoes, no shirt and take off into the jungle,” he says. “That’s how I grew up. It was a completely different culture.”
Ted left the jungle for the United States and college. But after several years in business, he decided to pursue his first love.
Ted moved to the mountains of western Colorado to perfect his passion -- writing heart-pounding stories that speak the language of our culture.
“It’s critical as a storyteller, as anybody who’s interested in impacting culture, [that] you must speak the language of the culture you wish to impact.”
To say that his style is out of the box is a huge understatement. What does Ted hope to accomplish when he sits down to write?
“When I sit down to write a novel, I am exploring my own relationship with God, with the struggle between good and evil, my own purpose. My journey is so similar to everyone else’s journey, because we all are human. We all have been defeated by the powers of darkness, and we all find redemption in the light of Christ.”
Why is it so important for him to show evil as it is?
“It’s critical that we use a very dark brush to paint evil,” Ted explains. “When you bring the light into that darkness as characterized in John 1, that light is very vivid. When it dispels the darkness, we see the brilliance that’s there.”
The release of House this fall will surely have Christians talking. Ted has been criticized by some in the Christian community who feel his stories are too edgy. While he believes he might turn some off, Ted says there are many more out there searching for something that makes sense.
“It is the story of salvation in no uncertain terms, but it’s also a horror story. What is salvation but being saved from a pit of horror. But it’s never been done this way. I think a lot of young people are going to look at that and feel like, ‘Oh my goodness! Someone is actually speaking my language. Finally!"
His newest novel, Skin, continues to push the boundaries of how Christian fiction looks.
Dekker says, “If you could find a way to peel back the skin of this world so to speak, would you really see this supernatural reality that is greater? Is it true that we fight not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers? Every young person wants to know.”
Every good story has a great hero, but Ted says his stories reflect the hero of all heroes.
“The greatest hero that exists today without a doubt is Jesus Christ," Ted confesses. "To characterize him as a hero, it’s important to make his enemy a ferocious enemy. The one story that’s most exciting to us and to Him is that story when He defeats evil.”
Good versus evil. Light versus dark. Ted Dekker’s novels all point to one prevailing truth and one invincible hero who gave it all… to rescue us all.
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House