Yes, in fact, there are several, all of them related to various facets of Christian salvation. The first is general salvation: Deference and surrender to God, and the redemption of the soul through the supreme sacrifice of Jesus. My extremely unusual plot device involves the speculative use of a second, very different kind of salvation, the understanding of which requires a high degree of trust, faith, and imagination. In her gracious review, Emma Cazabonne of Words & Peace called it, “…a neat use of Genesis 6 and 1 Corinthians 6—a Pauline statement mysterious enough to offer a lot of leeway to novelists!” Walt Garlington, reviewing Judging Athena at Confiteri, said, “Mr. Lovett’s use of this device elevates it to new heights at the end of his story: The tragic beauty of those scenes sears the heart with descriptions that the reader will not soon forget.”

Within the story, and in large part dependent on the Pauline mystery and a few assorted metaphors, the primary focus is on a third concept, that of joint marital salvation, the quest of a man and his wife to mirror the marriage of Christ and His Church and to thereby assist each other in reaching Heaven. In so many ways, the book is a celebration of marriage, love, and family. It is a portrayal of the glorified Christian replication of the original marriage in Eden. The coupling of Adam and Eve speaks to the supremely important nature of matrimony: man and woman are literal parts of Divine Creation, and they were literally made for each other by God. As we know too well, since those first days, things have gone awry due to continuing human temptation, error, hubris, and sin. The commitment of marriage, as exemplified by and through its three primary tenets, is one of mankind’s great, wholly unearned paths towards ameliorating original sin.

In the postmodern West, even under the guise of Christianity, we have faltered anew. I, unfortunately, know this from experience, as I suspect many who read this interview do as well. Here and there, marriage and families have sadly descended into the unserious throw-away status that afflicts our age. But we are not lost so long as we continue to maintain faith, discipleship, contrition, and humility. I hope all readers enjoy Judging Athena. Yet my primary hope is that young Christian men and women are inspired by my gentle little story and assured that they are, indeed, worthy. In defiance of the world, they can join together as one, be fruitful, be happy, and be righteous. I hope and pray that there will be many, many more Josh and Athena couples joined at so many altars.

Reflecting back, what do you see as most significant to your publication journey?

The neat, short answer is…….