|
Faith and Values: Hard science meets Revelation
By KATHRIN CHAVEZ
Staff Writer
FRANKLIN — A Vanderbilt University alumnus has written a book about the controversial New Testament book of Revelation.
But Eric Fugett is not a divinity school graduate. He has an engineering degree.
The Franklin resident, now senior engineer for Nashville Electric Service, decided his background in dealing with hard numbers would provide a different perspective on the symbols and mysticism of the Bible's most obscure book.
''I was reading the Bible at an early age in general, and I was seeing the symbolism in Revelation and wondering what that stuff really meant. I had read several books but I felt they didn't go far enough,'' he said.
He remembered his fascination with Revelation when he was casting about for something to raise money. On a trip to visit his parents last year, he noticed their Louisville home was deteriorating. His father died earlier this year.
''The condition of my mother's house, I honestly thought it should be condemned. Being the oldest son and she a widow now, I had to do something. I began thinking of different ways to support her. I thought about a second job, but I could not do that. I have a family of my own,'' he said.
Fugett writes ''Quiet Time'' daily devotions for members of his church, The Nashville Church. The devotions are used in other churches as well, he said.
He put together his joy of writing and his curiosity about Revelation in deciding to write the book, A Personal Relevation. He considered others' curiosity about Revelation in coming to a decision, too.
''I knew if I wanted to make enough money to help my mother, the book would have to be something that people would be interested in,'' he said.
So Fugett began to tread an already well-trod ground, but he believes his engineering background gives him a singular approach in examining the subject.
''Because I am an engineer and not a theologian, I am not trying to make the book of Revelation fit my point of view. I simply take the numbers and symbols in the Bible, and use them the way anyone trained in problem solving would. Because I am an engineer and not a fiction writer, I use the Bible, history and logic to make practical sense of the book of Revelation,'' he writes in his preface.
Fugett wrote at night in a special office his wife, Marta, fashioned from a storage room. She even painted the room a sky blue. The room has no windows, and she was trying to make it as outdoorsy as possible, he said.
Each night, the couple put their two children to bed, and Fugett retired to his writing. He awoke early to think and do research. He wrote on his lunch hour at NES instead of playing cards with coworkers as he did previously.
He used all the resources he could find. He had some books already. He used the Internet to find more sources, particularly the writings of Flavius Josephus, a prolific first century historian. Downloading Josephus' works allowed him to search by keywords to find what he wanted more quickly, he said.
He used other parts of the Bible to find clues. The Bible and history are enough resources to use to understand Revelation, he said.
And he used one other resource — prayer.
''I made a vow with God: I will write the book, but I will not publish it unless it is right. I prayed before writing every chapter and after every chapter. If I didn't feel a peace, I knew I had left something out or got something wrong. And each time I looked back, that was the case,'' he said.
Writing in a conversational style, Fugett wanted to ensure readers would easily understand his findings, which include the dates of Jesus' birth, baptism and death and the date that Revelation itself was written. He has also found a religious significance attached to the date of Sept. 11.
''Everyone seems to have a fear of the book of Revelation. They feel it is too complex to understand. I want people to understand it's not a book to be afraid of.''
Although dismissed by some and ignored by others, the book of Revelation has importance to today's Christians, Fugett said.
''More than anything I think that we today can learn, number one, that God takes care of his people. And, number two, we can learn the importance and the power of the word of God to change lives. The Bible is still relevant today in terms of the power to change lives.''
| 
