Shedding Light on His Dark Materials: Exploring Hidden Spiritual Themes in Philip Pullman's Popular Series

Best selling authors of Finding God in the Lord of the Rings Kurt Bruner and Jim Ware team up again in a study of Philip Pullman's popular His Dark Materials fantasy series. Unlike authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, Pullman writes from an intentionally anti-Christian perspective. As the authors explore Pullman's themes, characters, and charges against Christianity, they ultimately conclude that though Pullman intended to do just the opposite, he has created a cosmos that seems to confirm the existence of a loving God—one where truth wins out over deception, grace trumps the virtue of self-reliance, and relationship is prized above independence. Released in conjunction with the major feature film, Shedding Light on His Dark Materials will equip parents, teachers, and readers to better understand and respond to Pullman's brilliant but troubling work.

Kurt Bruner is a graduate of Talbot Seminary and author of books with combined sales of over 400,000 copies. Kurt is madly in love with his wife, Olivia, and their four children, with whom he lives in the shadows of the snow-capped Colorado Rocky Mountains.

Jim Ware graduated from UCLA in 1976 with a B.A. in Classics. After marrying Joni, he enrolled at Fuller Theological Seminary, emphasizing theology and Semitic languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Ugaritic) and eventually earning an M.A. in Biblical Studies. In 1991 Jim and family relocated with Focus on the Family from Southern California to Colorado Springs, where they currently make their home. He enjoys everything about life in the shadow of Pikes Peak.