THEOLOGICAL
ACTION ADVENTURE
JESUS
LOS ANGELES, CA
(EPP) - Brian Godawa, the award-winning screenwriter of To End All Wars, is writing a saga of Biblical fantasy novels called
Chronicles of the Nephilim. All of
the books so far have reached Top Ten category bestseller status on Amazon. The
eighth book in the saga is now available in paperback and on Kindle: Jesus Triumphant.
The story of Christ like youÕve
never heard it before. Told through the eyes of the two thieves on the cross
and the spiritual warfare hidden from mortal men.
It starts with the temptation in
the desert by Satan and ends with ChristÕs descent into Hades, his resurrection
and his ascension. In between, we see JesusÕ ministry in the context of the
Biblical motif of Christ taking back the inheritance of the nations from the
rebellious Sons of God. The demons that rose up in that day were not random but
were the spirits of the dead Nephilim, and part of a comprehensive battle
strategy between Christ and the Powers. When it comes to spiritual warfare,
Jesus was no pacifist.
In this series, Chronicles of the Nephilim, author
Godawa has depicted for the first time the comprehensive storyline in the Bible
about the Watchers, the Nephilim giants and the Cosmic War of the Seed like no
one has ever done before.
Now, everything comes to a climax
in the arrival of Jesus Triumphant.
This book explains why they misunderstood the deliverer to be a worldly warrior
king instead of the suffering Servant he was. He was a warrior, but it was a
war they could not see with mortal eyes. In Jesus
Triumphant, we now see it.
Talking
Points for Jesus Triumphant:
¥ Brings to
a climax the long War of the Seed storyline through the entire Chronicles of
the Nephilim.
¥ Shows the
spiritual warfare hidden from mortal eyes that attended ChristÕs victory over
the principalities and powers. The gods of the nations fight back and are bound
into Tartarus.
¥ Tells the story of ChristÕs descent into
Hades to free the captives and proclaim triumph to the bound angels from NoahÕs
Day (1 Peter 3:18-20).
¥ A
Biblical epic that uses the fantasy genre to express theological truth. Just
like Lewis and Tolkien did.
¥ Maintains
respect for the Biblical text, while filling in gaps with Biblical imagination.
¥ An
appendix that provides the interesting Biblical and ancient Near Eastern
research behind the imagination in the novel.
Online Press Materials for Jesus Triumphant:
http://www.godawa.com/chronicles_of_the_nephilim/press_kit_index.html
AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY AT AMAZON.COM
¥ ¥
¥ ¥ ¥
To schedule an interview with
Brian Godawa,
Or to receive a complimentary review
copies of Jesus Triumphant,
please contact:
(310) 948-0224
Novel Summary
Demas and Gestas are Jewish
brothers whose parents were killed in an uprising against Rome in Judea. Demas has
lost his wife, and with her, all reason to live. He risks his life as a
"bestiarius," a fighter of man-eating animals in the arena. Gestas is
an actor in the theatre, playing heroes like Hercules and wooing ladies of the
aristocratic elite. When Gestas is spurned by an offer of marriage to a
Herodian princess, he too becomes bereft of hope in a world set against their
ethnic and economic heritage.
When the brothers visit a secret
meeting to listen to a Zealot revolutionary named Barabbas, they are attacked
by Roman soldiers and are unwittingly pulled into the cause in order to save
their own lives.
Their first task from their new
leader Barabbas is to track down his missing companion, Simon the Zealot, who
was investigating an itinerant rabbi, called "the Nazarene,Ó causing
trouble in Galilee. If this rabbi is an ally of the Zealots, they will unite
their groups in common cause. If he is an enemy of the revolution, then they will
kill him and Simon.
But can they accomplish their goal
before a ruthless Centurian, Longinus, charged by Pontius Pilate, can hunt them
down and capture them? And how can they kill Simon when he makes a lot of sense
in his explanations of Messianic hope in the Nazarene?
What none of the humans know is
that the Watcher gods of the nations have discovered that this Nazarene is the
Messiah, the Promised Seed of Eve who will crush the Serpent and his Seed.
Satan unleashes the spirits of the dead Nephilim, and leads his minions against
this rabbi who would be king.
Everyone expects a military Davidic
king to lead the revolt against Rome, but no one is prepared for the spiritual
battle that the Messiah must achieve by going into the bowels of Hell to
accomplish his victory over the spiritual powers that have enslaved man.
The War of the Seed is about to
climax in this eighth of nine volumes of Chronicles
of the Nephilim.
Author Bio
Brian Godawa has been a professional filmmaker, writer, and
visual artist for many years. His creative versatility was born of a passion
for both intellect and imagination, both
left-brain and right-brain. The
result: Brian is an artisan of word, image, and story that engages heart, mind,
and soul. Just think, ÒRenaissance Man.Ó
He is the screenwriter for the award-winning feature film, To End All Wars, starring Kiefer
Sutherland, and Alleged, starring
Brian Dennehy as Clarence Darrow along with Fred Thompson as William Jennings
Bryan. Previously Brian adapted to film the best-selling supernatural thriller novel
The Visitation by author Frank
Peretti for Ralph Winter (X-Men, Planet
of the Apes), and wrote and directed several documentaries, including Wall of Separation for PBS.
BrianÕs scripts have won multiple awards, and his articles
on movies and philosophy have been published around the world. He has traveled
around the United States teaching on movies, worldviews, and culture to
colleges, churches, and community groups.
His popular book, Hollywood
Worldviews: Watching Films with Wisdom and Discernment has been released in
a revised edition from InterVarsity Press and is used as a textbook in schools
around the country. His book Word
Pictures: Knowing God Through Story and Imagination (IVP) addresses the
power of image and story in the pages of the Bible to transform the Christian
life.
His main website is www.godawa.com.
Check out the trailer and other goodies for Enoch Primordial and Chronicles of the Nephilim at:
www.ChroniclesOfTheNephilim.com
Author Photos
Pictures are linked to high resolution files. Click on Image to download high resolution version.
Published Books, Articles, Awards
Published Books
2014 David Ascendant, Embedded Pictures
Publishing, novel.
2013 Caleb Vigilant, Embedded Pictures
Publishing, novel.
2013 Joshua Valient, Embedded Pictures
Publishing, novel.
2013 Abraham Allegiant, Embedded Pictures
Publishing, novel.
2012 Gilgamesh Immortal, Embedded Pictures
Publishing, novel.
2012 Enoch Primordial, Embedded Pictures
Publishing, novel.
2011 Noah Primeval, Embedded Pictures
Publishing, novel.
2010 Omnibus V: The Medieval World, Veritas
Press, published chapter,
ÒHistory
of Dramatic Arts.Ó
2009 Word Pictures, Intervarsity Press,
published book.
Hollywood Worldviews, Intervarsity
Press, published book, revised edition.
Apologetics for a New Generation, Harvest
House, Ed. Sean McDowell, published chapter ÒStorytelling and Persuasion.Ó
2002 Hollywood Worldviews, Intervarsity
Press, published book.
2002 The Christian Imagination, Shaw, Ed.
Leland Ryken, published chapter, ÒRedemption in the Movies.Ó
Published Articles
2011 BioLogos Foundation, BioLogos.org.
Contributing writer.
1995-2011 CRI Journal, Charlotte, NC, Contributing
writer.
Scr(i)pt magazine, Los Angeles, IL,
published articles.
Sacerdos magazine, Rome, Italy,
published articles.
samizdat.com, French online magazine,
published articles.
Reformation in Poland, Poland, published
article.
SCP Journal, Berkeley, CA, published
articles.
Cornerstone magazine, Chicago, IL,
published articles.
Center for Cultural Leadership, LaGrange,
CA, published articles.
razormouth.com, online magazine,
published articles.
Rutherford Institute Magazine,
Charlottesville, VA, published article.
PRODUCED FILMS
2014 SchoolÕs Out: Academic Freedom vs. Political Correctness –
(Documentary)
Screenplay & Direction, in post-production.
Boulevard Pictures, Culver City, CA
2011 Alleged – (Feature) - Screenplay.
Two Shoes Productions, MI
2009 Lines That Divide: The Great Stem Cell Debate – (Documentary)
Screenplay & Direction.
Boulevard Pictures, Culver City, CA
2008 Change Your Life (Feature) - Screenplay.
Transcendental Media, Long Beach, CA
Choices You Can Live
With (Promo video) – Screenplay & Direction.
Westside Pregnancy Clinic, Los Angeles, CA
2007 Wall of Separation – (Documentary PBS) – Screenplay
& Direction.
Boulevard Pictures, Culver City, CA
Cruel
Logic (Narrative Short) –
Screenplay and Direction.
2008 Emerging Cinematographer Award – International Cinematographers
Guild
Secret
Believers (Promo video with
narrative) – Screenplay.
Open Doors, Secret Believers.org
The
Conspiracy Show (Comedy Short)
– Screenplay and Direction.
Highway Video Productions
2006 Our First Liberty (TV
special) – Screenplay.
Alliance Defense Fund, Phoenix, AZ.
2005 The Visitation (Feature) – Screenplay.
Namesake Entertainment, PeeWee Valley, KY.
2002 To End All Wars (Feature) – Screenplay.
Argyll Film Partners, Culver City, CA.
FILM AWARDS
Alleged
2011 – Best
Narrative Feature, Audience Choice Award, FreedomFest Film Festival.
Best Michigan Film Award, Flint Film Festival
Best Narrative Feature, Made-in Michigan Film Festival
Wall of Separation
2007 – Nominated, Silver
Gavel Award, American Bar Association.
Cruel Logic (Short)
2008 – Emerging Cinematographer Award – International Cinematographers Guild
2005 – Official Selection: Dusk Till Dawn Fest, Golden Star Shorts Film Fest, Great Lakes Indie Film Fest, Shriekfest, Bluegrass Indie Film Fest.
To End All Wars
2003 – Showcase selection,
Cinema for Peace, Cannes Film Festival
2002 – Grand Prize Best
Picture Crystal Heart Award, Heartland
Film Festival
Commander
in Chief Medal of Service, Honor & Pride, Veterans of Foreign Wars
Picture of the Year, Santa Barbara Film Festival
Played
in 13 Film Festivals, being given either opening or closing position.
An Interview with Brian Godawa
Q: What is Jesus Triumphant About?
A: Jesus Triumphant is the story of Christ as seen through the eyes of the two thieves on the cross before that fateful day of their death and after — in Hades. Rather than just another novel trying to retell the story from the Gospels, this one takes the reader through the political and revolutionary landscape of first century occupied Judea outside of Jesus and his small band of followers, and ultimately crosses paths with them in the process.
Most Jews were expecting Messiah to arrive and deliver them from the oppression of Rome. But everyone had different ideas of what that Davidic king would be like. One of the mysteries of history was why so many misunderstood him as conquering king instead of suffering servant. The Bible says that even the diabolical principalities and powers of heaven missed it.
This book now explains why by showing the spiritual warfare that Christ was in fact engaging in to accomplish redemption. He was a conquering king! They just didnÕt see into the heavenlies. The reader is now treated to a depiction of that spiritual war as Jesus travels with his archangels shadowing him, to Gentile cities like Tyre and Caesarea Philippi, homes of the pagan gods, as well as the infamous cosmic mountain headquarters of evil, Mount Hermon and the Gates of Hades. Jesus wasnÕt traveling around for ÒBe Nice to Gentiles Month,Ó he was assaulting strongholds of spiritual evil.
The novel also depicts ChristÕs journey into the underworld of Hades, referenced obliquely by the Apostle Peter (1 Peter 3:18-20). Following the geography of Hades drawn from the ancient book of 1 Enoch, Jesus frees captives and proclaims triumph to the bound angels from NoahÕs day. But that is not all. Through his triumphal procession, he achieves redemption for his people and inherits the nations from the gods that he judges.
The theology of Christus Victor comes alive in this tale of spiritual war and the Messiah Seed of Eve at war with the Seed of the Serpent.
Q: What is unique about Jesus Triumphant?
A: What makes Jesus Triumphant so unique is that it shows the spiritual warfare that was going on in the ministry of Christ. It makes the theology of ChristÕs victory over the spiritual principalities and powers come to life with fresh spiritual vision. It explains the meaning of all the demonic activity that occurred at that time in its bigger historical and cosmic context.
The novel has an unprecedented detailed depiction of Caesarea Philippi and the ÒGates of HadesÓ as a spiritual stronghold of evil at the foot of Mount Hermon. Unlike any novel about Christ, this story reveals the spiritual and theological background to why that location was so critical to ChristÕs mission. It was a turning point of his victory over the powers.
Lastly, Jesus Triumphant it also is unique in telling the story of ChristÕs descent into Hades and what he accomplished through that journey. This is not borrowed from Greek myths or even Dante or Milton. Rather, this novel draws from the Bible and the ancient Jewish source, 1 Enoch, to capture the geography and environment of Hades, a uniquely Jewish vision.
Q: Do these novels tamper with Scripture?
A: In Jesus Triumphant, I have done what I have done in the previous Chronicles; I have taken some supernatural elements such as the Watchers as territorial powers over nations as speculative references to demonic reality behind pagan gods such as Molech, Asherah and BaÕalzebub. I am writing theological novels that show the true spiritual reality behind the outer world.
But also, most main characters in my stories are based on Biblical references. The Bible reveals only the slenderest of information about characters like the thieves on the cross, Barabbas, the Centurion at the cross, and Mary Magdalene. My novel fills in their details in a way that stays consistent with what we do know, while expanding our understanding of the ancient context in which the story took place.
Everything I write in the novels is based on research, including the actual evil that Canaanites were engaged in. The stories are told between the lines of the sacred text, but never against it. Everything fits with the Biblical stories and facts that we do know and doesnÕt contradict them. My goal is to make the Biblical stories come alive in a fresh new way that reveals spiritual truths that Christians may have missed, just as I had missed before I discovered this storyline in the Bible. If anything they will make people want to learn more about the Biblical stories because they are so fascinating.
Q: What is next for the Chronicles of the Nephilim?
A: Jesus Triumphant is not the last in the series. The last novel will be Jerusalem Judgment. Jesus foretold the destruction of the holy city and its Temple in many of his parables. But it didnÕt happen in his lifetime, which made some think he was wrong. But thatÕs only because he had said he would come back within 40 years to bring destruction upon those who rejected him. Jerusalem Judgment draws extensively from ancient historian Josephus to tell that exciting tale of action war and romance.
Check out the
trailers and other goodies for Joshua
Valiant & Caleb Vigilant
and Chronicles of the Nephilim at: