Notes from Norman

Inspired

I attended the East Texas Christian Writer's Conference today. There was an interesting discussion about the term "inspired."

One of the presenters, a member of a publishing board for a major book distributor, said that he was usually turned off when a potential author says, "God inspired me to write this book." He was turned off because the potential author usually thinks that means the publisher needs to put the book in print if he doesn't want to go against God. The presenter's response was, "Oh really? Then do you mean we have, Jude, Revelation, and then your book?"

A second presenter, an editor for a different well known publishing firm, said that he once received a submission in which the potential author said, "God gave me the words and I wrote them down in this book exactly as I received them. He directed me to you as the publisher. It is God's will that you publish my book." His response was, "Until I have a direct revelation from God on that matter, I'm going to reject it."

Both presenters were willing to accept the premise that God gives us insight, understanding, and guidance in the writing of the book or in other spiritual growth activities. One suggested that we might ought to use some alternative term other than inspiration. The other conceded that a person might indeed be inspired (just as we feel inspired when God answers our prayers), but that inspiration should not be placed on the same level with the canon.

Maybe we ought to be a little more careful in claiming that God told us to say or do certain things.

posted by Norman @ 7:11 PM