Bibleman: Combating the Commandant of Confusion [Review]

When I first saw Bibleman, I wasn’t sure what to make of a purple and yellow superhero battling evil with a lightsaber. That was before I had boys.  My 5-year-old watched one of his friend’s videos and was hooked.  

We’re briefly introduced to Bibleman as young Josh Carpenter. After giving his life to Jesus and studying scripture Josh grew in Biblical knowledge and strength until he became Bibleman.  Accompanied by Biblegirl, Cypher, and Melody, Bibleman battles the evil forces that attack us.  (forces, not people, we're reminded) Their chief weapon? The word of God.

This video captures a live Bibleman show where our heroes battle the Commandant of Confusion and sidekick, Chaos who attempt to steal, and detonate, “the most powerful weapon known to man.”  The audience participates as members of the Bible Adventure Training Academy. By the end of the adventure we’ve learned that God is not a god of confusion, but of peace.

The production is a bit campy and the live action show format, with its entrances and exits offstage, was a little confusing for my son (“When is it going to start?”).  But it has all the Bibleman essentials: action, scripture cited with chapter and verse, prayer, and God as source of strength for our heroes to combat evil. Bonus features include a song about putting on the full armor of God and an explanation of some of the sword fighting techniques the actors use in the production.

So many Christian children’s books cast Biblical heroes in soft, rounded, even feminine forms.  Bibleman shows us that muscular guys can serve God too.

Appropriate for ages 5-10.  My 3-year-old found some of the swordplay a “little scary”.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”