Fiction Plumb Line

Is there such a thing as "Christian" fiction?

2011-03-05T13:21:00.000-08:00

Author Patrick Bowers doesn't believe there is.

"I don't believe there is such a thing as 'Christian fiction'--just like I don't believe there's 'atheist fiction' or 'Buddhist fiction' or 'materialist fiction', ... I think there's fiction of excellence and fiction of mediocrity. There is fiction that glorifies God and fiction that doesn't. Fiction that celebrates the things He celebrates, and fiction that celebrates the things He abhors." (March-April 2011 FamilyFiction)

Emergent "Christian" Fiction

2011-02-21T20:19:00.001-08:00

Well, I finally figured out how to get into this blog again after Google made some updates to its process! There is so much going on in the area of publishing to the Christian reader that concerns me. It seems like the walls of what is biblical are falling rapidly. One area of concern is what is called emergent "Christian" fiction.

Richard and I wrote an article called Children of the Inklings: Emergent "Christian" Fiction that takes on this issue. I'd like to see a lot more written about it because it seems like it's taken for granted by many. What do you think?

Christian Girls Love Vampires

2008-11-25T22:26:00.000-08:00

Email from concerned parents: "I have seen lots of Christian girls reading this and other books by Stephanie Myers. They are so evil! My daughter tells me that most of the girls at the Christian school are reading them." Another parents wrote, "All the girls at school are reading those books. Yes, it is a Christian school."

Popular fantasies, with their boundless thrills and unforgettable images, bypass logical thinking. Their subtle suggestions face little conscious resistance. Designed to stir feelings and produce strong emotional responses, they create new realities in today's 'open' minds! As Harvard Professor Chris Dede, a global leader in the development of education technology programs, wrote, 'Sensory immersion helps learners grasp reality through illusion.'"

So writes author Berit Kjos in her view of the latest fiction craze sweeping Christian youth--Stephanie Myer's novel, Twilight.

Berit also makes the point that "Fantasy and imagination can transform beliefs and values more quickly than reality."

Do you agree?

Read the full review.

Christian Publishers Promoting Unbiblical Books on Interspirituality

2008-09-09T15:01:00.000-07:00

For an excellent overview of disturbing publishing to the Christian market by major publishers we once normally thought of as Christian and trustworthy, visit http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/publishers.htm. The site lists some specific book titles recently published by such companies as Baker Books, NavPress, InterVarsity and Zondervan.

And if you don't know what contemplative prayer or interspirituality are, check out their link to "What Is Contemplative Spirituality?" just to the right.

Donna Fleisher on Christian Fiction

2007-07-03T22:25:00.000-07:00

I like Donna Fleisher's fiction. The characters are real--women who've been in the military--the plots are rich and exciting, and, most important, Donna knows and loves the Lord and it shows in her writing. The true Biblical Gospel shines through without preachiness. What a refreshing pleasure in this age of syncretism and muddled messages.

I'm particularly impressed with Donna's page: What Defines a Christian Novel? Take a look and see if you agree: http://www.donnafleisher.com/christiannovel.html.

And consider reading her books: The Homeland Heroes Series (Zondervan).

--Linda

Yet another universalist novel

2007-06-17T20:14:00.000-07:00

I sometimes look longingly and in vain for fiction that not only tells a good story but offers the glorious Gospel of salvation. Bethany House has gone in the opposite direction with Ann Tatlock's Things We Once Held Dear (2006).

This is a poetic story about a man coming to grips with his history as he returns to his hometown in Ohio where he had fled from a tragedy as a youth.

Unfortunately, instead of the saving Gospel, this otherwise lovely story promotes a universalist message embodied by an old Episcopal minister who is supposed to represent the wise hand of God. This old man tells Neil the protagonist (whose salvation is never clear) that he will meet his loved ones again on the other side. He also tells a family of unbelievers that there will be the chance to ask a deceased man's forgiveness in Paradise (pp. 370-371).

Tatlock also promotes two bar owners as "wonderful good people." The man not only rejected Roman Catholicism (no problem there!), he also completely denies the Christian faith. The book has a scene where this "wonderful good" man is ridiculing the virgin birth, Jesus' return, and hell and calls the faith a "mess" (pp. 290-91) In fact, this stark message of unbelief by a "wonderful good" man only highlights the lack of any clear Biblical message. There is no talk about sin in the story but lots of talk about "grace." At the end Neil feels bathed in "grace" but has shown no real sign of true godly repentance of sin and being born again.

All in all, the book disturbed me greatly. Just one more sign of the times.

~ Linda ~

Occult Warrior Cats?

2007-04-10T18:40:00.000-07:00

"In the wake of Harry Potter's popularity, a tidal wave of children's books has arisen featuring occult thrills. Led by Scholastic, publishers across the country have adapted all kinds of mystical beliefs and magical rituals to the tastes of young readers. Now, a decade later, children across the country are learning to see paganism and syncretism (spiritual blends) as more "real" and 'normal' than true Christianity."
Read the rest of this disturbing article by author Berit Kjos at http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/007/warrior-cats.htm