Why I Only Read Christian Fiction

Sadie took a tentative step toward the mangled wood of the once stately Victorian door, her supercharged senses picking up on the slightest scuffling from the mouse in the floorboards. But the mouse’s search for sustenance was the last thing on her mind, and the muted sounds pricking her ears from the room beyond twisted her stomach into knots.

It was too late to back out now.

With sweaty palms, Sadie twisted the ornate knob, releasing the latch. The door swung open, and her jaw went slack at the scene before her…

Any number of things could await Sadie in that room, ranging from a paperhanger attempting to wallpaper the interior using sherbet ice cream for glue to little Suzy reenacting War and Peace with her astounding collection of Barbies, all dressed in astronaut space suits.

Or simply put, a mortifying scene from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, or a George R. R. Martin debauch-a-ganza, (this from what I hear – not personal experience.)

Now, for example, if you knew me as a writer, my beliefs and values, the niche of the fiction genre my work would be under (that is, if I ever got published), you wouldn’t have to worry about what lay behind that door.

Sadie wouldn’t be exploding with foul obscenities at little Suzy for shaving her favorite cat for that iconic tuft of black smeared across his forehead, Napoleon Bonaparte style. On the other hand, neither would she be blanching at the unexpected entrance of an explicit scene straight from a Sarah J. Maas fantasy.

That’s how my parents taught me. In most instances, you stuck to Christian fiction or classics that usually had some form of morals, excluding Alexandre Dumas. It wasn’t an iron rule, and I recall one book based during the American Civil War that I enjoyed despite not being Christian.

But vulgar content aside, I put forth another case: why would I want to indulge in entertainment, especially fiction where an important objective is to get inside of the protagonist’s head and experience how he/she thinks and feels when they don’t share the same worldview I do?

Movies are a little less so, likely due to the fact that you cannot know the characters’ thoughts as distinctly as expressed in the written text. Though I still have an issue with them when the story shifts from shallow waters to questions about life, the meaning and importance of it. There is nothing more depressing when they miss the mark and you know they will never find true love, happiness, contentment, or worth, as much as they strive to outside of giving their lives to Christ – which isn’t something good ol’ Hollywood would ever go for.

So, how can I cheer on the hero with the checkered past when it’s certain he’ll fail in getting that priceless redemption? How can he manage to stay on his newfound path of virtue without the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit through salvation if the author and writing are not Christian?

Big deal! Who cares about his ambitious life goals, knowing it wouldn’t amount to a hill of beans when his life ends and eternity rolls in.

Entertainment shouldn’t just be entertainment but serve a dual purpose in edification. Christian fiction needs to draw readers in with enjoyable stories and high-quality writing while showing there is a way out of that addiction, forgiveness for that certain sin, and hope for tomorrow, with the bottom line being it starts with Jesus Christ.

Not to say everything in the Christian literary market is 100% wholesome. I’m beginning to feel that all the great writers are retiring and leaving us, and what’s left is rather disappointing in content quality. (But you think the secular world is going to be better with their insatiable pursuit of lust and abominations?)

That’s why I’ve been advocating for deeper Christian writing. We should be salt and light, making a difference and touching lives in all areas. So why not in our writing? I don’t mean preachy, but realistically woven in biblical principles - and not just a dusting of a Bible verse or stating that the protagonist is a Christian.

As I’ve expressed before, this is what really influenced me with Frank Peretti’s Monster. It seemed simply like a good thriller at the get-go until I realized the theme subtly running through the story that ultimately set the foundation for the whole plot. But I digress.

When you don’t even have a Christian label on the book, a standard moral code, the sky’s the limit on what to expect. It’s left to the discretion or indiscretion of the author and whether they retain a moral compass at all.

So I’d rather stick with Christian fiction, where I can be choosy over the overall quality but not have to weed through iffy books and profane writing that would force me to put the book down entirely.

That’s my honest opinion. What’s yours?

~Alissa