2 of 3

Krueger describes Testament as a Reader's Digest-like, condensed retelling of the Old Testament. To tell the stories, Krueger picked an unlikely narrator-a bartender at a pub called JJ's. Krueger wanted someone who didn't speak in a pious way, "an extremely human spokesperson.''

"I wanted to write something that would be interesting to the saved and unsaved person alike," he explains. "My first goal in dealing with my faith is finding a way to make it seem relevant to people I don't know."

Testament's story is told interactively. In its opening frames, the reader sees JJ's bar as if she's just walked through the doors. Then the bartender welcomes the reader, telling her the story of how God-the story's author-shows His faithfulness throughout the Old Testament. "It's the story of an author that writes a story and is writing it still," the bartender says, introducing Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning…''

Throughout the stories, God the "author" is shown at work in wondrous ways, such as when he protects His servant Daniel from the lions. Krueger also finds ways to foreshadow the coming Christ. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are thrown into the fiery furnace, a fourth man is shown in the flames with them. "The author saved them," the narrator says, "and was beginning to write Himself into the story."

While Krueger adapted Bible stories and characters when writing Testament, he's also known for creating entirely new worlds in stories like The Foot Soldiers and The Clock Maker. The stories still reflect biblical truth, but more subtly. The theological concept of common grace-that all good things come from God-is central to his integration of faith and storytelling, he says. So, when one of the characters in The Foot Soldiers sacrifices his life so others can live, Krueger says it's a selfless act that points toward the divine.

"Any story of bravery and courage points toward the character of God, whether it says it, or not," Krueger contends. He says that most of his original stories feature unlikely people combating evil, and are an attempt to define heroism. "All stories of heroism, of good versus evil, point to man's relationship with God, because that's what moves the human heart."

next page... |  2 of 3

	What did you think of this story?
	Please to give us your feedback.

Home  |  People of Faith  |  Stories of Hope  |  Today's Culture
Build Your Faith  |  Laughing Matters  |  Archives  |  Contact Us

				Try 3 Issues of Christianity Today Free! Name Street Address City/State/Zip E-mail Address Subscribe to Christianity Today and get 3 free trial issues. No credit card required. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only. If you decide you want to keep Christianity Today coming, honor your invoice for just $19.95 and receive nine more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The three trial issues are yours to keep, regardless. Give Christianity Today as a gift Order a gift subscription!