Ted Dekker

Born in the jungles of Indonesia among a tribe of headhunters, Ted Dekker aspired to be an author of exciting and compelling stores. After graduating from high school he chose to live in the United States and study for a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. However, once he finished college, he realized that a life of business did not suit him despite finding it profitable. He chose instead to leave it behind and pursue his dreams of writing novels. Initially his books were too disturbing and dark, turning several publishers away from his writing. Deciding to write a more “Christian book,” he created his first published novel, titled Heaven’s Wager. After penning several other novels and releasing them to the public, he began to return to his original style of writing — intense spiritual warfare in a modern setting.

Dekker has written numerous Christian thrillers, most having a very visible battle between the light and the dark. In his and Frank Peretti’s book House, they use a paraphrase of John 1:5 to explain the battle: “Then light came into the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” In his book Adam there is a demon-possessed serial killer, who instead of killing his victims threatens them until they allow a demon to enter them. The only way the characters could defeat him was through Jesus; they had to accept that demon possession existed but also believe in God. Dekker’s writing has always touched me because of the fact that possession happens. He does not just write good fiction, what he writes can happen and does happen.

I believe that God has placed a calling on Ted Dekker’s life, and I truly admire the fact that he can write powerful Christian novels in a world that does not accept Christianity for the most part. Through this ministry he reaches out and touches lives, and all he does is write the blatant truth. For each topic Dekker writes about, he makes sure he researches it beforehand. He knows what he is talking about and has encouraged me in my faith many times. Nearly all of his characters are placed in the darkest of settings at the beginning of each book, and then all of them overcome their circumstances through the love of Jesus Christ. Because of the examples he writes in his books, I have found it easier to destroy the shadows surrounding me when I become weighed down with school or anything else. When I am in doubt, he has shown me how to strengthen my faith in God and at the same time diminish the darkness.