The Twilight Series – Resources for Careful Consumers

Whether you love the Twilight series, really just don’t get it, or fall somewhere in between, having to admit with no small amount of embarrassment and even regret that you did get sucked in and you do get it, (though intellectually you resent that fact)—no matter where you fall into the fan spectrum, undoubtedly you’ve heard of it.  Its popularity is undeniable and as inescapable as the fact that at some time or another you are bound to be drawn into some sort of conversation about it. 

When those conversations happen, you can sneer or you can gush…or…you can choose door number three—you can be intentional.  You can use the Twilight series as a gateway, an opportunity to understand more about those around you, and an opportunity to point them to Christ.  That may seem like a far-fetched statement, but it is possible and Shepherd Project has tried to make it easier for you. 

The first step to this is being informed—this doesn’t mean you have to see the movies, read the books or do volumes of research.  It does mean that you need to have some basic understanding though and be equipped with a few ideas and/or questions which will help you turn those conversations from emotional responses (positive or negative) into thoughtful, probing analysis. 

There are a few books and articles that have been written talking about the good, the bad and the ugly of the Twilight series.  Shepherd Project has summarized those for you and highlighted the key points.   

Here is a link to those resources!  

If you are looking for something even more bottom line, we have also provided you with movie reviews which focus on few key scenes or ideas and show you how to use those to connect to the Bible in some way. They also equip you with some probing questions you can ask about those scenes/ideas. 

Here are the links to the reviews:

• Twilight – Click here
• New Moon – Click here
• Breaking Dawn – Click here
• Breaking Dawn Part 2 – Click here

Finally, if you know nothing about Twilight, (except you think it’s silly,) and you don’t really care to learn, here are a few questions you can ask which can help you get past your contempt and find something you can work with with your favorite Twilight fan.

• What is it about the Twilight series that you find so compelling?
• What aspects of the love story would you most like to find in real life, and why?
• Are there any parts of the love story that you might find disturbing if you were to experience them in real life?
• What things about Bella do you find admirable?  Not so admirable?
• If you were to become like Bella (or Edward, etc.), would you be a better or worse person?  Why?  (You could also ask if your parents were like Bella’s would they be better or worse?  If your boyfriend was like Edward…etc.)
• What do you think God would think about these movies if he saw them? Why?
• Any good story gets its genius from mimicking the Christian story in some way.   There’s nothing new under the sun (see Ecclesiastes).  So, what parallels can you think of between the Twilight movies and the Bible? 

 By Stacey Tuttle