Sign In / Register
Red Beach-based author and retired teacher Steve Beguely has written a novel in poetic form, weaving together a dramatic narrative based on his understanding of apocalyptic events foretold in the Bible.
Beguely, who earned an honours degrees in biblical theology at the Bible College of New Zealand, has authored school textbooks and written in-depth materials for church teaching and training programmes.
Last year he published a collection of poems and other writings inspired by interactions with family, students, colleagues and friends, also with a strong emphasis on biblical “end times” themes.
His new book, Paradise Renewed, begins in the year 2082, decades after apocalyptic events that have left the Earth devastated. A couple, Jonathan and Sarah, are living “a simple though challenging life in a world that has been through unutterable torment and yet is healing faster than anyone could have foreseen”.
“They face a reality no one has experienced on Earth before or during the apocalyptic events which ravaged the planet.”
The couple are the mortal offspring of survivors of the apocalypse. Coexisting with them are immortal beings.
“Seeking answers to their many spiritual and practical questions, they are helped by one of the immortals, who tells them the story of his life, particularly during the apocalyptic events which led to their present situation on Earth. Their faith deepens and an incredible vision for their future opens up”
Beguely says he has carried out an extensive study on scriptures about the last days, but that work was “far too academic and cumbersome for my family and friends to read, let alone digest”.
“Yet this poetic narrative encapsulates most of the key apocalyptic events described in the Bible and personalises them, as though we were having to live through them.”
He says the book reflects his personal philosophical, political and theological interest in the apocalyptic genre, being something of a fan of movies like The Book of Eli and disaster movies based around apocalyptic scenarios.
“Most such stories take bits of the actual biblical apocalypse materials but this story is an attempt to weave them all together so the reader gets a clearer understanding of what might be actually involved.
“So many people ask me about the present world events, given their often radical and surprising nature, especially regarding technology, and the possibilities for a world war – even a nuclear world war – that I wrote the story to give some perspective on current events and their possible outcomes.”
Win the book Hibiscus Matters has two copies of Paradise Renewed to give away. To go into the draw, ‘like’ Hibiscus Matters on Facebook and message us your name and phone number with Paradise Renewed in the message. Alternatively, write your name, address and daytime phone number on the back of an envelope and post or drop into Paradise Renewed giveaway, Hibiscus Matters, 21 Florence Ave, Ōrewa. Entries close on Friday, November 15. Paradise Renewed (Wipf and Stock/Resource Publications) is available in hardback, soft cover and e-version at online booksellers.
