here may not be a teen left in America who doesn’t know who Edward is. Recently spotted at the Oscars, Bella Swan’s passionate love interest appeared several times conspicuously tucked into the camera’s eye behind some of Hollywood’s most renowned box-office giants. The love affair of an irresistibly handsome vampire and a mortal teenage girl has gained wide acceptance even among Christian teens.

Backed by unprecedented book and movie ticket sales, the previously unpublished author of the “Twilight” series appears headed for literary and box office history. What’s fueling the sudden phenomenon of this pop-culture flick laden with vampires and bloodlust? There’s some heavy-duty shadow dancing going on in the world of “Twilight” that teenagers might not be aware of. The media machine is cranking at full gear to insure that Edward and Bella live on and on.

“What I find a little alarming is the almost subliminal standard that Hollywood is setting. When you place these virtually unknown actors next to Hollywood legends on the red carpet, it sets a standard into place,” states Dan Istvanik, pastor of Jr. High Ministry at Berean Baptist Church in Mansfield, Ohio. He believes teens need to be aware of a trend developing.

Look for the motivating factors

Istvanik, who has two children and holds a Bachelor’s degree in counseling psychology and a Master’s degree in Middle School Education, wants teens to understand that the intentional target by advertisers, retailers and media to garnish their share of disposable income may not always be as harmless at it appears to be. “The ‘Twilight’ series is sort of the lightest shade of something a lot darker that is penetrating teen culture. It’s one thing to have romance and action, quite another to dress up something that is inherently evil to make it acceptable. The bottom line is that the media doesn’t care about the spiritual well-being of teenagers. Their motivating factor is purely money driven.”

Edward and Bella certainly prove they can open wallets among teen audiences. It’s easy to find junior high and high school consumers sporting everything from "Twilight" T-shirts to Bella book covers and Edward MySpace layouts.

“The vampire genre has been around for awhile,” Istvanik states. “The problem is that it intentionally targets an age group that is unsuspecting and maybe not aware that they are exposing themselves to something that can quickly become very oppressive. Often they don’t have the safeguards in place to discern what could be a gateway to something far more harmful.”  

Istvanik’s concerns were piqued when he recently discussed the series with a group of his students. “One of the girls pointed out that the character of Edward is so appealing because every girl wants to be treated the way Edward treats Bella. That eternal love factor drives ‘Twilight’s’ popularity with teenage girls. The problem is that Edward is a vampire. That tells me that we might have a problem if a little romance is all it takes to overlook the darker nature in someone.” 

While the story of Edward and Bella is compelling on the surface, Istvanik shares advice that he hopes will help shed some light on “Twilight.”

“I would like teens to question what the media promotes. If they ask themselves ‘how does this fit with who I am in God,’ it’s easier sometimes to discern what can be potentially harmful.” Istvanik admits that as a teenager he found himself drawn to the mysterious. “For me, it started innocently enough when I started following a popular vampire series. I read the books and watched the movies because they were dark and gory and action packed. There came a point when I realized it wasn’t harmless entertainment anymore.”

His brother also fell into the same dark genre but found it difficult to keep his perspective. It was through that experience and the way he watched it affect his brother that Istvanik began recognizing that sometimes what one is drawn to can be a gateway leading to far more dangerous situations.

The real supernatural experience vs. the counterfeit

“There is a true spiritual hunger among teens,” remarks Istvanik. “It’s a very real thirst for spiritual answers. It is so easy for teens to make choices that are not always healthy as they search for something to fill that spiritual vacuum. What I want them to remember is that what looks innocent is often a counterfeit for God’s presence. The Bible has a lot to say about testing the spirits to see if they are of God.”

He continues, “What God has for you is the real supernatural encounter that will fill all of your hunger, so the enemy puts on disguises to lead you away from that fulfilling supernatural encounter with God. If you look at Edward, you can see something that is almost real, but not quite. In the background there’s something dark going on. In Christ, we do have that true eternal romance, and it is real.” 

When asked what teens can use as a litmus test to know what is harmful and what is not, Istvanik replies, “They can sift whatever they are exposed to through the Word of God to see if there is any truth to it. We encourage our teens to question everything. In our youth group, we talk about using the grid to find out what’s real and what’s not. God’s Word is like a grid, and only what is true can pass through it. His word exposes everything for what it really is.”

Messages can be difficult to discern when millions of media dollars drive them. Suddenly, everywhere one goes there it is. Blatant marketing aimed at youthful audiences can easily overpower, obscure and even disguise potential dangers.

There is a tenuous warning conspicuously tucked into the book “Twilight.” On a stand-alone page before the preface is a verse from the Word of God. The author chose Genesis 2:17, which is God’s warning to Adam and Eve not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Perhaps that is the first litmus test teens should look at before entering too deeply into the world of Edward and Bella. 

“I can’t tell teens not to watch the movie or read the books. What I can tell them is to question what the media exposes them to and make wise choices. Ideally,” Istvanik suggests, “the best thing is to grab your parents or an adult you trust and take them with you to see the movie, or read the book with them, and then have a real discussion that will help you determine what you want to take away from it. Ask hard questions, put it through the grid and come up with answers that fit with your identity in God instead of allowing the media hype to confuse you by enticing you toward something that is potentially harmful.” 

It is confusing when major retailers like Target, Wal-Mart and Barnes & Noble dedicate prime marketing space and advertising dollars to target specific messages at young adult audiences. All three retailers have made it a point to aggressively drive the "Twilight" promotion, offering up high visibility displays to promote sales.

By virtue of their enormous brand power, one might be enticed to believe that what they offer is not only harmless but acceptable. The truth is that teens have the greater power. Edward and Bella may live on, but teens don’t have to buy in. They can test the message Hollywood sends against the Word of God and decide if it fits.