1. Is it appropriate to make God a character in a story? Is it acceptable the way Lester does it in When the Beginning Began?

2. Why would Lester mix elements of African-American folklore into When the Beginning Began?

3. Why does Lester jump back and forth between calling God "He" and calling God "She"? Is it a good idea?

4. What is the importance of gratitude in When the Beginning Began?

5. Lester says, "My intent is to invite the reader into a new experience of the Divine." Does he succeed?

6. In When the Beginning Began, Satan says, "Any of us could have made a world— if we had wanted to." What does this tell the reader about him?

7. "Play expresses the holy as surely as solemn piety. Maybe more so, sometimes," says Lester. Is this true? How well does When the Beginning Began exemplify this idea...