Bridge of Reason

Recently, I released a book on the Mordecai and Esther epic entitled, The Girl and the Guardian . Though it’s genre is that of a gritty action/ adventure novel, as a Christian writer I wanted to make sure the theme was clear and theologically driven. At first, this might seem difficult as Esther is the only book—in addition to the Song of Songs—that doesn’t mention God. He is never directly referred to or addressed. But this doesn’t mean that Esther is not fit for theological reflection. Though he is not directly referred to, God is everywhere involved. One of the ways God is found is in the whole concept of beauty. The word “beauty” or “beautiful” is used several times in the first couple of chapters of Esther alone. Central to her exaltation to the court is Esther’s physical beauty. Yet she must wield her beauty humbly to rescue her people and avoid the fate Queen Vashti, her predecessor, received. Beauty has not been a much-emphasised subject by Christian apologists in recent gene...