News

By Tyler Beckett
 

A novel written by Dr. Bill Simmons, a professor of New
Testament and Greek studies at Lee University, is one of the
finalists in a national Christian novelist competition. A story of
faith in the early days of the United States of America,
Simmons’ Seth Garner may receive CrossBook’s
Publisher’s Choice publishing deal and see nationwide
distribution.

“[CrossBooks was] the first to read Seth
Garner in its final form and their judgment was the first
objective evaluation of the work I have received,” said Simmons.
“It’s very rewarding that someone other than yourself thinks your
story is worth reading.”

A significant part of Simmons’ decision to write the novel was a
desire to make history real for the reader. Too often, he says, do
students of history miss the “big picture.”

“Seth Garner  portrays those critical historical
moments that have made us who we are today,” said Simmons. “I have
used Seth as the ‘human face’ to convey this fascinating narrative
about our origins as a nation.”

Simmons has been a member of Lee’s faculty since 1986, teaching
a wide variety of courses in the School of Religion. These have
included Romans and Galatians, First and Second Corinthians, Prison
Epistles, New Testament Greek, Luke-Acts, and many others. He also
teaches graduate-level courses and is currently researching Pauline
anthropology and cosmology.

While Seth’s development and growth in faith is central to the
book’s story, the novel itself interacts with faith in a way that
Simmons believes is unique to literature.

“Believers are, at a fundamental level, literary,” said Simmons.
“Christian fiction, especially the kind that can convey powerful
aspects of the faith in an interesting and enjoyable way, can add
vitality and depth to the Christian journey. I hope
that Seth Garner can accomplish
this in some measure.”

CrossBooks is a division of LifeWay, a Church retail nonprofit
and one of the largest in the world. CrossBooks was created in 2009
to allow Christian authors to participate in the publication of
their work. While it is the authors themselves that seek out
CrossBooks, the organization is dedicated to preserving the
standard of theological and literary excellence their parent
organization pursues.

The winners of the contest will be announced Friday, April 15.
To learn about the finalists and check for results,
visit http://www.crossbooks.com/writingcontest/winners.aspx.

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