Is Christian Fiction Relevant?

In December 31, 1995 “Left Behind” was released. The writers, Tim Lahaye and Jerry Jenkins probably didn’t realize this at the time, but their novel would change the publishing industry. Before that point Christian fiction was certainly a thing, but publishers had been reluctant to give it the time of day so to speak. No one really believed that it would be possible for a Christian author to ever achieve mainstream success. Yet, 80 million copies is nothing to sniff at. Since then there have been a vast plethora of bestselling Christian authors and books selling in the millions. Authors like Frank Peretti, Francine Rivers, Joel Rosenberg and many others have achieved notable fame. (and sales)

All of which brings me to our discussion today. Is Christian fiction relevant at all? I would argue that the answer is a resounding yes! no matter whether you share Christian beliefs or not. Allow me to elaborate a little.

I don’t know about you, but personally, I’ve noted an astonishing lack of real stories recently. From books to movies, so much of what is being written and packaged for us all is cheap, bland and one dimensional. A perfect example would be the recent release of “The Marvels”. Up until this point I’ve considered myself a die hard fan of the MCU. OK, sure, some movies were better than others. But I always figured that no one gets it right all of the time. Right? “The Marvels” was so bad I couldn’t finish it. I say that with sadness. The sad thing is that “The Marvels” is so indicative of what I’m seeing everywhere, just a mindless film.

Maybe I wouldn’t have minded so much had I not been a reader. Reading isn’t as simple as people may think. C. S. Lewis once one said, “that is one of the functions of art: to present what the narrow and desperately practical perspectives of real life exclude.” No matter what I may be reading, at the end I’m always looking for ‘the real’. Something with bite, some force, some grip, something that it’s real and authentic. I don’t care if the book is about a trashman or a powerful space warrior, I want something that has some depth. And I’m just not getting that from a lot of ‘popular’ fiction and films.

So what does this have to do with Christian fiction? Well here it is; Christian fiction happens to be doing a better job than their secular counterparts. That’s why. After reading “The Circle” series by Ted Dekker, or “This Present Darkness” by Frank Peretti, I’m having a tough time going back to the vile swill passing as ‘art’ or ‘entertainment’ these days. Not that I’m an old fart or anything. I have standards.

I recently read a novel about a woman who prays for a miracle and then ends up raising a dead boy to life. This is from Mike Duran’s “The Resurrection” a novel about an ancient curse choking a small town. I also read “The Girl Behind The Red Rope” by father/daughter duo Ted and Rachelle Dekker. A crazy novel about a town in the grips of fanaticism and fear, that absolutely blew me away. I’m currently reading “A Sword in The Stars” by Wayne Thomas Batson, a novel that is comparable to anything Tolkien has written. This is some of the best reading in my life, and the reason why is because these books are about real subjects. Real people. Authors like Mike Duran, C. S. Lewis, Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker aren’t afraid to challenge my thinking.

Those of us who have been true readers all our life seldom fully realise the enormous extension of our being which we owe to authors … we realise it best when we talk with an unliterary friend. He may be full of goodness and good sense but he inhabits a tiny world. In it, we should be suffocated. The man who is contented to be only himself, and therefore less a self, is in prison. My own eyes are not enough for me, I will see through those of others. Reality, even seen through the eyes of many, is not enough. I will see what others have invented.” – C. S. Lewis (again)

That’s what I want to take you on for the next several weeks. Show you some of the Christian novels I’ve been reading and enjoying. Look, I personally don’t care much for the whole Amish fiction category that somehow has calcified into the bestseller lists. And I also didn’t care much for “Left Behind”. I just want to help you broaden your reading horizons. I don’t understand for the life of me how these novels aren’t being talked about. I’ll get controversial form time to time. But I promise you, no mindless or boring stories. Life is too precious to waste on trivial matters.