“What we want is not more little books about Christianity, but more little books by Christians on other subjects– with their Christianity latent.” -C. S. Lewis
That’s a quote I’ve always loved. It’s more than a quote, it’s a challenge.
Just last week my book club had a wonderful session with Amanda Dykes after reading her 2020 Christy Book of the Year, Whose Waves These Are. This very subject came up because one of our members “does not generally read Christian fiction.” She read this book and loved it. It reminded me that today’s writers in the CBA mostly do not set out to write a “Christian” book. They work hard to write an excellent book and, because they are writers of faith, that shines on the page whether it is put into words or not.
Most of you know I only represent books written by Christians with a Christian world view. That’s a very individual choice each agent makes at some point
So does that mean that the nonfiction book needs to be prescriptive or filled with apologetics or theology? Does each novel need to have a character bending his knee in acknowledgment of God’s saving grace? Of course not. That can get positively clichéd.
So what makes a “Christian” book? In fiction it’s just a story that not only explores the plot and characters but explores faith issues as well, however subtly. In nonfiction it’s looking at the subject through the eyes of faith.
It has nothing to do with whether a book ends up in the CBA market or the ABA market. There are plenty of writers in the general market (ABA) who can’t divorce their faith from their storytelling. John Grisham’s The Covenant was one book that comes to mind. Debbie Macomber’s books are another.
It’s true that in the Christian market there are strictures– CBA readers expect the books to be free of profanity, gratuitous sex and violence. We expect a gentle read. That has little to do with whether a book has a faith arc in it, however. There are many a sweet romance in the general market that meets those restrictions.
So let’s talk. You tell me. What makes a book a “Christian” book? How can a book have latent Christianity? Do you worry about whether your book is too “Christian?” Not “Christian” enough? Is there anything wrong with speaking Christianese? What is a faith arc in fiction? I look forward to hearing what you think.
Concluding Your Book Well
A Christian book is one in which
the primacy of Christ the Lord
need not be a blunt-force pitch,
nor a swinging two-edged sword,
but lives and breathes on every page,
a verbal holy ambience
that is not posturing so sage
(for such is pride and transience),
but rather simple, plaIn belief
stated with no fancy phrases
(a rarity that brings relief
and leads to singing author’s praises!)
that gives an unmistaken feel
that our best hopes are really real.
“that gives an unmistaken feel
that our best hopes are really real” – love those last two lines, Andrew. What a comfort.
Well penned, dear poet friend. 🙂
Such a good discussion, dear Wendy.
Although speaking/writing Christianese isn’t necessarily wrong, it isn’t fresh.
When I catch myself speaking or writing with it, I cringe. It’s a hard habit to edit out of my vocabulary.
Blessings ~ Wendy Mac
I think the answer to that question differs from reader to reader and depends what they are looking for when they set out to find a Christian book. For me, I want the character’s inner arc to have some faith element in the mix of their struggle. I want to see them wrestle as they try to follow Jesus and encounter various plot elements. But I also love to see faith elements in books that I would not consider “Christian.” I think that having both is important. I actually just read a very violent YA series that had two crystal clear Christ moments. A character who was not guilty, sacrificed themselves for undeserving characters. So so lovely to see!
Good points made here. I am looking at doing a non-fiction book on how christianity was portrayed in a particular genre in film and TV. There’s a lot of researching to do for this but it has been interesting to see how things progressed and changed over the years. I think christians today will find it useful learning about the past especially where popular culture is concerned. Maybe it will inspire someone to look into it more.
When your character goes through a trial it’s hard not to pop in the Bible verse that comes to mind. Often we can weave the essence of the verse into the story, letting the reader experience the revelation of a godly way of handling the situation. Yes, it is a challenge, but planting a seed of the gospel makes it worth the extra effort.
I have some books I write for the CBA market (my series of novels from early church history, along with a Bible study), but most of what I write is for the ABA. What makes it Christian? I hope that it is all underpinned with my Christian worldview. Absence of the things that turn off a typical CBA reader (sex, profanity) and subtleness in what turns off an ABA reader (church language, conversions) is what I shoot for. Characters go to church as a normal part of their lives, but I don’t include church scenes or ministry scenes. Christians show as having flaws, just as non-Christians do.
When I create a character, there will be an element of “me” in it. Because I’m a Christian, I write with a Christian worldview, but I realized something in one of my more recent books – it’s Christian Fiction (CCR, to be exact), but the characters never once stepped foot inside a church. It wasn’t deliberate, and it wasn’t a “mistake.” The main character had abandoned her faith, and simply going to church wasn’t going to do the trick. Remembering long-ago memorized scripture and being around people who loved her and modeled the love of God were what brought her to a greater understanding of Jesus. Honestly? I was quite happy that I DIDN’T have them in a church service. Sure, some of the characters attended, I’m sure, but it wasn’t in the scene, so it wasn’t mentioned. You don’t have to hit readers over the head with a Bible and drop a steeple on them to get the point across.
I have a challenge with some Christian books today. Some are towing a line with profanity and sexuality, even violence that sometimes makes me wonder, do we need a rating for “Christian” books? Lately, a “love scene” in a Christian book between a married couple was pretty explicit. I put it down. One had a number of curse words. I tossed it. The discussion about these things goes back and forth. Your article mentions “exploring faith issues, but subtly.” To tell the truth, I am looking for more books (and, yes, in Christian fiction) that are not afraid of the faith issues or a faith arc. Let me hear about the characters desire for God or struggle with God or whatever, but please don’t pretend God’s either not there or not important. I can get that in any secular book or movie or TV program. What I need are authors that are not afraid of their faith or to write about it.
I agree with this. I also would like more books with established Christians as the protagonists. Those who read their Bible, go to church, etc. They don’t have to have whole sermons in the book, but something that shows that they have a desire to have God first in their lives.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Loved this article. I don’t have an answer because I think of author George MacDonald who was know own for the Christian or faith lessons in his books. On the other hand, C. S. Lewis, who we all know was an author who was a Christian, wrote fiction that did not overtly spread the Gospel, but weaved the essence of it in his books. This is a great article to think about in the context of sharing faith.
Great post, Wendy. And an intriguing topic. Thomas Umstattd Jr. and I did an episode on the subject on The Christian Publishing Show a few years back. https://www.christianpublishingshow.com/026/ We concluded it’s almost impossible to give an all encompassing definition.
Hi! I found your post while researching Christian books to see if my newest (first, really) book would fit the Christian market. I asked because I am not Christian, I follow the Advaita Vedanta (nondualism) path. But all roads lead to … hmm … all paths lead to the mountain top!
So, I see Jesus Christ (as represented throughout history) as an important and popular saint, but not the only one. I would compare him to Shri Ramana Maharshi, a saint in the Advaita philosophy because while there have been countless Advaita saints, Ramana Maharshi became more popular than others because (in my view) he offered a very clear example of how to live, as well as tools that make the philosophy accessible. So I don’t see Maharshi as more important, it’s just that he is important to me because he enabled me to experience happiness.
So, may I ask the question I came to ask? My 14,500-word book is about a 6th-grade girl who is bullied mercilessly. Her mom teaches her how to dive into her heart and take guidance from it. Does that line up as a Christian message to you? It’s all the same to me, but as I said, I’m a nondualist.
Thank you!