As Christian writers, the question may come up: how much should we incorporate our faith into our books? Do we preach a little? Do we preach a lot? Or should we just focus on the story and keep the rest to a minimum? Will too much doctrine damage our book’s popularity? Will too little preaching take away from its value?
I once heard a Christian writing coach advise against lengthy sermons in a book. I understand the reasoning behind it: a reader may or may not have the patience or interest to read the author’s message. But when I realized that the coach was basically telling Christian writers to hide their light and squelch what the Holy Spirit may want to do through their books, I felt that it was a subject worth addressing. We are Christians. And the Bible tells us, “Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” Is our only purpose in writing to please a large group of readers and not to step on their toes with the doctrine of Christ? Or is it to please Jesus and to have a spiritual impact on our readers?
I write Christian historic fiction with a dash of mystery, but I want to give my readers more than mere entertainment. I want to encourage them in their walk with Christ and equip them to face the hardships of life without being shaken in their faith. So, as I craft a tale made to entertain my readers’ minds, I also weave the gospel into each and every book I write. After all, this is Christian fiction. If you take Christ out of it, then all you’re left with is “fiction.”
It’s strange to me how the genre of Christian fiction has been morphing over time. Goodreads.com defines it with these words, “The term “Christian” is used adjectivally to describe anything associated with Christianity, or in a proverbial sense “all that is noble, and good, and Christ-like”. It can also refer to content produced by a christian without the content being explicitly Christian.”
My! How broad this term has become to the world! Books can now be termed as “Christian” even if they have no Christian content—even if they weren’t written by Christians but have a theme of nobility or goodness. The term “Christ-like” has been reduced down to the frail virtues which human nature can attain to rather than pointing to Jesus, the one and only Christ who is holy and eternal.
If you read a Christian novel written in the 1800’s, you will notice that it was quite different back then. Faith in Jesus played a major role in the book’s plotline. Isabella Alden, A.L.O.E, and Amy Le Feuver’s books are great examples of this. As we see, many novels written in the Christian fiction genre today don’t stand as boldly for Christ. Sometimes, they barely speak of Jesus at all. The author may mention their characters saying a prayer or attending church, but that’s about it. The rest of these plots have no focus on Christianity and often walk on the edge of complete carnality. They play with subjects which are mature, to put it lightly, and corrupting, to put it bluntly. This doesn’t befit a genre which is supposedly written by Christians. If the Bible tells us to put away “filthy communication” out of our mouth, authors who name the name of Christ must also put away such things in their writings.
Will a novel full of sound doctrine be popular? It can be! An engaging writing style, gripping story line, and well-crafted characters can often hold your readers’ attentions even through “preachy” segments of a book. But the important thing as Christian authors is that we give our books into God’s hands and realize that they will be appreciated by the audience He intends them for. It may be a large audience, or it may be a small one. But even if a book only impacts a handful of people in a Christian way, wouldn’t that be more worthwhile than reaching millions of readers with a book which gives them no spiritual value? I think so.
Will a deeply Christian novel get some flack from readers who didn’t agree with an author’s message or who didn’t have the patience to read it? It is possible. But this shouldn’t surprise or daunt us. If we are sharing truths which can be backed up by the Scriptures, we can stand firm in what we’ve written. The critics can say what they like. We have been told that the world will hate us for Jesus’ sake. Don’t feel disheartened by the world’s criticism. And definitely don’t let it devalue your book in your own eyes. As long as you know the Lord is pleased with what you’ve written, you have won!
My goal in this post is simply to encourage my fellow Christian authors not to feel squelched. You can express your faith as much as you want in your book. If you’re listing it under “Christian fiction” then please do! Your book won’t truly be “Christian” without it. And in this dark world, we need to shine our lights as brightly and boldly as possible.
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