For this Saturday's topic, I wanted to learn how NJ readers define Christian worldview fiction.
We've all heard the buzzword, but what does it mean to you?
To help springboard the conversation, Tina Forkner interviewed Novel Journey and asked this question:
What is fiction with a Christian World View?
Here's how we answered:
That's a great question and a difficult one, since it varies according to opinion.
One answer is it's any fiction written by a Christian.
Another answer is that it's fiction representing the world according to biblical principles. Good and bad are defined by Christian values. For example, pre-marital sex will be colored as morally wrong throughout the story, and abstinence until marriage as good.
Another definition (and the writer's personal belief) is it's fiction that holds truth without necessarily revealing it. All worthwhile fiction goes deeper than the story and is supported by the author's personal worldview.
Jesus spoke to the multitudes in parables, stories that contained spiritual truth while they held their audience captive. Yet many walked away without understanding what they'd heard. Some are called to write stories to broad audiences, stories that leave people wondering why it affected them and what the deeper meaning was. That kind of fiction is meant to start the search, not show the path.
That was our explanation, but what do you think? Is there a difference between Christian fiction and Christian worldview fiction? If so, how do you define it?
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Saturday, February 10, 2007
Christian Worldview Fiction
I agree with your last definition. When Jesus told the story about the good Samaritan, the story itself contained a great truth, but the story didn't spell out what that truth was. It was after the telling and conclusion of hte story, that Jesus asked the question, "so who was a neighbor to the man?" And it was then that the listener thought about it and answered, "the one who showed him mercy."
ReplyDeleteIn general I think Christian world view fiction will offer hope.
I've been thinking about this question recently, and writing about it here and here. Many people seem to use the term "writing from a Christian worldview" to indicate a more subtle approach to Christian content, as opposed to the overtly Christian stuff that is assumed to be the CBA norm. So one author might say she's writing openly about Christian things, and another answers, "I'm not so open, but I'm writing from a Christian worldview."
ReplyDeleteTo my mind, though, the real difference is that "writing from a Christian worldview" suggests a book engaged with Christian ideas on the philosophical level, whereas the norm tends to be engaging with Christian things on the narrative level. Writing from a Christian worldview, then, involves writing not less overtly, but more profoundly about the theological/philosophical concerns of the faith. For example, a writer taking seriously the idea of working from a Christian worldview might construct a story to explore, say, "incarnation," or to capture some kind of Trinitarian insight -- in effect, to make the abstract concrete through story. A CBA author taking the more traditional approach would do this sort of thing narratively -- say, by having a couple of characters talk about the incarnation -- while the author working with worldview awareness might attempt to do it in the structure of the story, to embody it.
All this to say that, to me, the distinction isn't one of content but of approach. But the term is wonderfully elastic and can be used in such a variety of ways.
In what I've observed, Christian worldview fiction tends to be fiction with morals---morally conscious fiction. There's not going to be anything too offensive. Basically, it'll be a clean book. Or at least clean enough. There might be a Christian character. Or not.
ReplyDeleteChristian fiction will also be clean, but the characters will usually be much more outspoken about their faith. There'll be several character who are Christians, and often there'll be an evangelistic message. Christian fiction is much bolder about the faith element.
We need them both.
I almost completely agree with C.J. but with a little tweeking! LOL!
ReplyDeleteChristian fiction as defined by the people who read it as basically "inspirational fiction". There is a definite message to be had!
Chistian worldview fiction is just that. It is written about the real world around us, warts and all, but cleanly with moral standards like no sex or bad language. And there doesn't have to be a 'slap you in the head with a bible message'...or an overt message at all.
I've lately seen people complaining about not being able to determine the 'christian' message in several books that we've read in the CFBA.
I usually tell them that I'm glad they were not on the Bible's canonical committee, or the book of Ester would never have made it! LOL!
All these answers are interesting and I'm glad Novel Journey is continuing this conversation.
ReplyDeleteA Christian Worldview seems to encompass, like Bertrand suggested in his post above, a type of fiction infused with Christian elements, but not overtly. The author believes in Jesus, and it naturally comes out on the page, but the message isn't overtly evangelistic.
It's an important and interesting discussion, and in no way meant to lessen the importance of inspirational fiction, which is different.
Christian worldview fiction should be supportive of those things the Bible supports and against those things the Bible is against. That does not mean that a book needs to cover everything in the Bible, or that it should not cover issues that are sensitive, but when it does it should match the Biblical standard in what it promotes. For example, the Bible is against adultery. While it is fine for a book with a Christian worldview to have characters that commit adultery, the author should not imply that this is acceptable behavior and should show that people who are involved in such things are creating problems for themselves.
ReplyDelete