Why Christians Should Write Christian Fiction

“The world does not need more Christian literature. What it needs is more Christians writing good literature.”

Perhaps you’ve heard this pearl of wisdom from C.S. Lewis.

Well, apparently that’s not quite what he said. The famous words in question are actually a paraphrase! The real quote, courtesy of Essential C.S. Lewis, reads as follows:

“What we want is not more little books about Christianity, but more little books by Christians on other subjects – with their Christianity latent.”

Now, this more or less conveys a similar idea. His opinion was that we should be striving for less books about Christianity itself, and instead have more Christians writing about other subjects with their Christianity present, though not apparent or on the nose.

Fair enough.

In his recent article on why Christians shouldn’t write “Christian Fiction” (which inspired this post), Brian Niemeier made a similar point:

The best way to communicate Christian morals isn't through heavy-handed messaging . . . The answer is crafting well-told stories wherein relatable protagonists triumph over adversity by acting in accord with Christian principles. This approach respects the audience's intelligence, so it can spread beyond the choir to the genpop.

I agree with the overall sentiment of both Lewis and Niemeier here, but this article is about why Christians should write Christian Fiction, so I’m gonna cut right to the chase and answer that question up front.

Why should Christians write Christian Fiction?

Because we need it. All of it. Every variety. Every day.

With the exception of the bad ones.

It should go without saying that we ought to write good stories first and foremost. I believe the Biblical principle “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,” (Col 3:23) applies as much to our skill in writing as it does to anything else. When we write good stories, we don’t just entertain the heart or fill it with awe and wonder, we also honour our creator with our creativity. Thus, when we do the inverse, we may actually be doing a disservice to our Lord and saviour.

Now, all that being said, I’m of the opinion that the world has enough “ordinary” fiction (as in fiction that is obviously non-Christian or that isn’t explicitly Christian.)“Ordinary” fiction may not necessarily be anti-God or anti-Christian per se, but it may be ignorant of or indifferent to God and Christianity. Of the writing of those kind of books, there really is no end; and if that’s what we want to read, there’s plenty of it out there. Why add to what’s already there unless we’re striving to do something more with it?

When Lewis gave his address, he was writing in a very different time, a good 79 years removed from our current context. This was a world that took Christianity for granted. It was the assumed, if not default position of most. As such, it may have been seen as counterproductive to make much ado about it. In a world saturated with Christendom, was more overt Christian literature what the world really needed? Especially if one wanted to reach the hard-hearted.

That’s not the time we’re living in now. As the world grows ever darker in its sentiment towards God, the Gospel and Jesus Christ, where what is good is being called evil and what is evil is being called good, will the light not shine ever brighter? Should we shrink away from letting the light shine because there are those who despise it?

That being said, it may not be as simple as a one-size-fits-all solution. After all, reaching people with the Good News isn’t that cut and dry either. There are some for whom the direct approach works. There are others who respond to the slow-burn of a relationship built over time.

I believe Christian fiction may not be any different. What you’re hoping to achieve and who you’re intending to reach is going to influence the kind of Christian fiction you’re going to write. And this is another reason why I say that Christians should write Christian fiction.

There are those who may not be reached via any other way but yours.

In preparing this article, I’ve come to conclude that Christian fiction can roughly be categorised into three types, what I will call:

1. Effusive Fiction.

2. Evangelistic Fiction.

3. Edifying Fiction.

I’ll go into more detail about each category below, but to give a brief overview I want to use the example of three Christian musicians.

Tori Kelly is unashamedly a Christian, but she doesn’t make explicitly Christian music. She just makes music. That being said, her Christianity can’t help but influence what she writes, what she sings about and the general way in which she carries herself within the music industry. And she’s seen a great measure of success (your kids may recognise her as the voice of Meena in the Sing movies). Out of all three artists I will mention here, she has the most “reach” as it were. She’s known all over the world. She’s shared stages with some of the greats. As such, her music is what I would call Effusive.

Lecrae is a rapper who got his start in Christian circles and was rightly labelled a “Christian rapper.” However, in later years, specifically with the release of his Church Clothes project followed closely by the 2014 album Anomaly (which reached No.1 on the Billboard 200), his music pivoted to become more “evangelistic” in nature. By that I mean, he was seeking to make music from the Church, but to the world. Again, he was unashamedly Christian (though some would call that into question), but his intention shifted from “preaching to the choir” to wanting to reach the lost. Thus, his music is what I would call Evangelistic.

Shai Linne is another Christian rapper, but what distinguishes him from Lecrae (though they moved in the same circles during the early part of Lecrae’s career) is that Shai Linne’s music is absolutely aimed at the Church. It is highly theological in content, delving into topics such as the doctrines of grace, eschatology, christology, etc. As such, his style of music has often been given the moniker “seminary rap.” His songs have been likened to sermons or theological theses put to music. It’s undoubtedly what I would call Edifying in that it seeks to teach, encourage and build up the body of believers.

At different times and in various ways, I have been blessed by all three kinds of music. I have also seen how each style can serve as a gateway for people’s curiosity into Christ, his Kingdom and the Gospel. Now, should Christians only write Effusive music? Should they only make Evangelistic music? Or should they focus exclusively on Edifying music?

I believe there is space for all three and that all three can serve God’s Kingdom in different ways. In like manner, there is a place in God’s Kingdom for all three kinds of Christian fiction, and Christians should feel encouraged to write the kind of fiction they feel called to write.

Effusive Fiction

Effusive fiction is the kind of literature to which C.S. Lewis was referring to in his address (though it should be noted that he actually gave the address prior to the release of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe) and the kind of fiction under which I would class Tolkien’s Middle-Earth Legendarium.

It’s not written to be evangelistic nor specifically to edify a believing audience. Rather, Christian thought, theology, morals and worldview can’t help but overflow and pour forth from its pages.

Even fiction not written by or intended to be Christian can be Effusive Fiction. This is because we live in a world where the Law of God has effectively gone forth from Mount Zion to all the ends of the earth. Western society and civilisation is built on the backs of Christendom and Christian morals. Biblical language and imagery pervades the culture, making its way into our everyday speech (think idioms like “by the skin of your teeth”), and our ideas about ethics and morality.

Biblical truth affects all kinds of storytelling. It’s even been said that every type of story can be reduced down to one: David & Goliath.

Overcoming impossible odds.

Take for example Redwall by Brian Jacques. The plot centres around Redwall Abbey, inhabited by a quasi-religious order of mice committed to peace and charity. Being an abbey, it’s led by an abbot. At their major feasts, they say prayers. A central location in the first book is Saint Ninian’s Church where Cluny the Scourge and his cronies set up camp. The story includes prophecies surrounding the “second coming” of the legendary hero of Redwall, Martin the Warrior, as spoken through a poem where he refers to himself as “I—Am That Is.” In the book Martin the Warrior, said warrior is effectively crucified as a method of torture in the first part of the story.

All of this, and yet (to my knowledge) the author wasn’t a professing Christian (though he did attend a Roman Catholic school), nor did he seek to write Christian fiction. Even so, Christianity pervades its pages and his stories have proven extremely popular among Christian families. Why is that? Because they are good old-fashioned stories of good and evil, fantastically written, containing themes of honour, friendship, redemption and adventure. And in days like ours, the light within them shines ever brighter.

When it comes down to it, Effusive Fiction is the most marketable, the most profitable and therefore the most attractive to many writers. Who doesn’t want to sell millions of copies and reach a wide audience? All of us do whether we’re writing Effusive, Evangelistic or Edifying Fiction. And if that’s your intention, Effusive Fiction may be the best fit for you.

But that’s also kind of the point. If your intention isn’t to “preach to the choir” but to write great stories that reach the general population, and not necessarily to call the lost or encourage the saints, Effusive Fiction makes sense.

But it isn’t and shouldn’t be the only way Christians write Christian Fiction.

What if your aims are different? What if your intention is to reach the lost with your writing?

Evangelistic Fiction

Whilst the main purpose of Effusive Fiction may not be to reach non-Christians with the truth of the Gospel, this very much is the intent of Evangelistic Fiction. As such, it will seek to present the Christian worldview and / or Christian beliefs in a way that is palatable to the uninitiated. In so doing, it may straddle the line between Effusive and Edifying fiction in that it will aim to appeal to both audiences.

Its themes, its imagery and its worldview may be more overtly Christian, but it’s also written to be somewhat subversive. Take for example the Chronicles of Narnia. Lewis was writing what he termed “supposal” fiction, as in: suppose there was a parallel world called Narnia and Jesus existed there as a lion called Aslan; what would he be like and how would the Gospel play out?

The idea is that by wrapping the “message” in unfamiliar packaging, one may bypass the unbeliever’s ideological immune system in the hope that they ingest the truth.

This is somewhat the tact I’ve taken with my fantasy novel, Underland and the Forehidden Kingdom. It is written with both audiences in mind; on the one hand appealing to Christians by presenting a well-written, epic story with biblical undertones, whilst on the other hand introducing someone to the biblical worldview using unfamiliar imagery, language and setting. Like Narnia, it’s a Supposal Portal Fantasy that asks the question: if the spiritual, unseen world was a physical place where words were weapons, ideologies formed fortresses and ones thoughts, beliefs and fears took physical form; what would that be like for an intelligent but arrogant bookworm?

Again, what defines Evangelistic Fiction is the intent behind it. If your intention is to write fiction that is Christian at its core without coming across as too preachy or heavy-handed, you may be writing Evangelistic Fiction.

I’m of the opinion that many of us are probably trying to find that sweet spot somewhere within the realm of Evangelistic Fiction, even if we wouldn’t call it that.

Edifying Fiction

Edifying Christian Fiction is written to do exactly what it says on the tin. It’s written to appeal to Christians, to build them up, encourage or teach. It is preaching to the choir, and that’s ok! We should no more be ashamed of Christian fiction written to and for Christians than we should be of theological literature written to and for the Church. This isn’t to say it cannot be of interest to non-Christians. If it’s well-written it will be. But the intended audience is clear: this is written by Christians for Christians.

And if I may, this would probably be the area I would push back strongest against the idea that Christians shouldn’t write Christian fiction. The notion that the world won’t be reached by up-front, direct Christian messaging actually goes against the grain of the biblical witness. If there was one thing Jesus was, it was direct in his preaching, and even when he did tell parables, many of them were very much couched within the setting of the biblical worldview that surrounded his audience.

Or take for example the best examples of Christian film and television. In my experience, the best Christian movies and shows are the ones that directly adapt biblical stories: Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments, Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, Franco Zeffirelli’s Jesus of Nazareth, Dreamworks’ The Prince of Egypt, Dallas Jenkins’ The Chosen or CBN’s Superbook.

And small wonder. The biblical story is the most epic fantasy that isn’t a fantasy. It is the ultimate myth that is true. What better canvas is there for storytelling?

Now, this doesn’t mean all Edifying Fiction needs to be direct adaptations of biblical stories. But they will still be placed firmly within a Christian world and / or worldview. Even then, the subject matter may be explicitly Christian, but it may not be. God and Jesus may be named directly or appear in other forms. Perhaps the story will revolve around the lives of Christians or tackle questions from a Christian perspective? Creative liberties or license may be taken but stay true to the spirit of scripture. I guess the point is, it’s possible to tell great, explicitly Christian stories. So why not try?

To this, some may have questions about marketability. How big is the market for Christian fiction? Honestly, I don’t have the figures, but one thing I do know is that there are Christians out there who desire Christian content and they are willing to pay for it. Ever heard of homeschoolers? There are whole armies of parents looking to buy clean reads for their kids. Or look at the Christian music industry. The fact that some of these people are millionaires shows that there are believers out there willing to fork out the cash if they like the content.

All Things Are Yours

To conclude, why should Christians write Christian fiction? Because, we need all kinds of Christian fiction to serve a diverse body and a diverse world.

Just as Christ has so composed his body with different members serving different functions, so too each form of Christian fiction serves a different function. And just as the eye cannot say to the hand “I have no need of you,” neither can the Effusive Fiction writer say to the Edifying Fiction writer “We have no need of you.”

Rather God in his providence has so composed the body of Christian fiction, that there may be no division in it, but that each member may have the same care for the others.

Ultimately, we’re all on the same team. Just as one prefers to eat meat and another abstains, we shouldn’t judge too harshly the one who writes Edifying, Evangelistic or Effusive fiction.

In addition, what is meant by “Christian fiction” or “Christian literature” today is going to be different from what it would have meant in Lewis’ day. Many parents, for example, will be looking for “safe reads” in a society that is constantly seeking to undermine them and expose their children to darkness. How often now do we find ourselves checking what our kids are watching in case some kind of agenda is being snuck in by the Alphabet Mafia with the intent of normalising what scripture calls sinful?

In a world like this, we need to be marked by distinction as the market becomes saturated with darkness. And I suspect that many of our readers will appreciate it!

But what do you think? Are there any examples of great Effusive, Evangelistic or Edifying fiction you can think of? Let me know in the comments below.

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