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Blind Sight behind the scenes: Blind Sight was originally published by Tyndale House in 2003. It is a suspense-thriller about a religious cult that wants to take over America and a cult leader who wants to be president. I began writing Blind Sight in 1997 and thought I was just writing a good thriller novel. I had no idea how prescient it would

Need to catch up? No problem. Here are links to previous posts in this series:
Part 1 | Part 2

A Stranger at the Chasm, Part 3

Author’s Note: “A Stranger at the Chasm” is the story of my reconstruction. I’ve chosen to frame it as a narrative because it’s not so much a story of how I reasoned my way back to faith but a story of how I remembered things

I grew up in the turbulent ‘60s and ‘70s, and current events have made me feel nostalgic for some of the music of that era. Those artists, writers, actors, and musicians were the prophets of their day. May we hear their songs and have hope.

I hope you enjoy this beautiful cover of Dion’s song, “Abraham, Martin, & John.”

Have a blessed weekend!

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Blind Sight Behind the Scenes: As I wrote Blind Sight I did quite a bit of research into “mind control” cults, especially focusing on Jim Jones & Jonestown, David Koresh & The Branch Davidians, and Marshall Appelwhite & Heaven’s Gate. Much of the content in the chapters focusing on my fictional cult, “The Fellowship” is gleaned from and patterned

Author’s Note: “A Stranger at the Chasm” is the story of my reconstruction. I’ve chosen to frame it as a narrative because it’s not so much a story of how I reasoned my way back to faith, but rather a story of how I remembered things God had done in my life over the years, the ‘thin places,’ in my story where heaven and earth met.

Need to catch up?

Need to catch up? No problem. Links to Previous Chapters:

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapters 3 & 4 | Chapters 5 & 6 | Chapters 7 & 8 | Chapter 9

Blind Sight Behind the Scenes: They always tell beginning writers to “write what you know.” So, as I was writing the first draft of Blind Sight I decided to set it where I live…in North Texas. And because I

I am beyond thankful today. January 27th, 2026 is my 5th “rebirthday.”

Those of us fortunate enough to have survived SCA (sudden cardiac arrest) often refer to the day we didn’t die as a rebirthday, because for us it often is like living a new life.

I also call it my “bonus time.” So far, I’ve enjoyed 1,825 bonus days, give or take. I’m thankful

Need to catch up? No problem. Links to Previous Chapters:

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapters 3 & 4 | Chapters 5 & 6 | Chapters 7 & 8 |

CHAPTER 9

Sonny Pritchard leaned on his mop, watching the tall bearded man run away. Sonny’s assignment was to follow the children and whoever met them. Now the man who was supposed to pick the children up had

Evangelical deconstruction is a perilous journey. No one comes through it unscathed or unchanged.

Some abandon the Christian faith entirely and become atheists or agnostics. Some explore other faiths or embrace an undefined spirituality. A few go back to where they started.

Why did I remain a Christian? And why did I choose to reconstruct my faith?

In

BLIND SIGHT BEHIND THE SCENES
I’m old enough to remember Jim Jones and Jonestown as well as David Koresh and the Branch Davidian tragedy. When I was developing the idea for Blind Sight I wanted to explore how religious cults gain control over the minds and wills of people. In chapter 8 I introduce the character of Dana Shipp a would-be victim of

Blind Sight Behind the Scenes:

When I write fiction I tend to write out of my deepest fears. When I was writing Blind Sight I was struggling with panic attacks and a deep-seated fear that somehow I might lose my two young children in a tragic accident. That fear became Thomas Kent’s as the story unfolded in my mind. Thomas struggles with the loss

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

BLIND SIGHT BEHIND THE SCENES

“Where did you get the idea for Blind Sight?”

In the case of Blind Sight, the “idea” came from a complex set of events over the period of several years. One of those was the Heaven’s Gate cult tragedy in March of 1997. Followers of cult leader Marshall Applewhite committed mass suicide because they

“Save my children—9/20/42 PB”

Thomas Kent frowned at the subject line of the e-mail notice displayed on his computer screen. When he saw that the e-mail had a file attached, he punched Delete.

“Creeps,” he muttered.

Across the room, a massive black German shepherd raised its head in response to his comment. The dog whined.

Thomas leaned back in his

In 1997, I began writing a story that explored the question, “What if a religious movement tried to take over America, not in a dramatic revolution but patiently and subtly, by placing their people in key positions of authority over time and taking over the institutions of American society?” That story eventually became a suspense thriller novel,

James Pence’s Website

[NOTE: I’ve covered the main details of my deconstruction but have hesitated to write about the next stage in my journey because so much of that story has to do with events that happened in my past. I don’t want it to read like a boring history (e.g. here are reasons I still am a Christian), so I’ve decided to fall back on my

This is part of an ongoing series about my deconstruction out of evangelicalism. You can read the posts in chronological order at my website: jamespence.com/a-deconstruction-observed.

My wife and I live in the country. Part of our property is wooded and we have trails cut through our personal forest. On any given day I can take our little Yorkie,

If “Gethsemane” from Jesus Christ Superstar helped me voice my pain during deconstruction (see my post), then “Goodness of God” became the song that helped me believe again.

I’d begun tentatively rebuilding my faith as early as 2017, long before I’d first heard “Goodness of God.” But that song gave voice to what I hadn’t yet been able to articulate.

This is part of an ongoing series. You can read the previous posts in chronological order at my website: James Pence – A Deconstruction Observed

Deconstruction isn’t only a difficult road. It’s a minefield.

It’s like walking through a dark forest but with landmines along the path.

You have to watch where, when, and how you step.

That’s why many people

Early in my deconstruction process I stumbled upon a blog titled “The Internet Monk.”

I’m not sure exactly when or how I found it but finding the Internet Monk’s blog was like a finding an oasis in the middle of the Sahara. My faith was crumbling, and I had no idea what to do about it.

When I began reading the iMonk’s posts I began to realize that

It’s difficult to describe what the darkest part of my deconstruction journey felt like.

After concluding that the science behind evolution was correct, I went into a spiritual freefall and ultimately found myself standing at the edge of atheism—a place I’d never expected to be. After all, I’d believed in God from the time I was a child and I’d