Faith and Fiction

The goal of all fiction is to write a compelling story that touches the soul of the reader. Writing Christian fiction is writing that same story while walking a tightrope over a sea of man-eating sharks and juggling flaming swords. Make a misstep or miss a catch, and your audience will probably trample your body on the way out. Which is to say, Christians are a tough crowd.

That was not meant to imply anything disparaging about my brothers and sisters in Christ. On the contrary, it is a salute to the passion with which they embrace their faith. I respect that even if we occasionally happen to disagree. Ironically, the diversity, equity, and inclusion, Christian critics condemn our lack of are among the reasons Christian fiction is not an easy road.

Christianity and fiction are not mutually exclusive. The real difficulty with Christian fiction goes much deeper. It’s the Christians themselves—they are people. The last survey I saw showed only sixteen percent of Americans read for pleasure. Despite having their faith’s instructions written in a book, the majority of Christians, like those around them, are not readers.

Among those Christians who are readers, there is another obstacle. Like other readers I meet at book signings, some Christians shun fiction altogether. These readers often stop to let me know that fiction is a waste of time and taking a bite out of that sixteen percent. I can’t be too hard on those folks. I read a lot of non-fiction.

The tightrope I mentioned is particular to Christian fiction. It is a matter of taste. Not every Christian wants a story that is preachy. They prefer the message to be woven into the story so as to be felt more than seen. Romance readers have preferences for the open/closed bedroom. Christian writers must decide on open/closed church. Their readers certainly have done so.

Substituting a bible study at church for a meeting at a bar for a drink is a thin disguise that will turn off some readers. Many singers who got their start at church have said it’s just a matter of substituting “Baby” for “Jesus”. Whitewashing a story will work fine for some Christian readers others will have you for lunch.

I have been asked, “You write about monsters, demons, and witchcraft, how does that serve Christ?” The short answer is, I do so the same way the Bible does. The scripture does not shy away from evil, demons, witches, necromancers, diviners, and murderers abound. They cause trouble and ruin lives, but in the end, Christ and His people win.

Werewolves, I’ve been told, aren’t in the Bible. That’s true, but as a young preacher I had to deal on a couple of occasions with hair covered demons. One young man said he felt the hair and tasted wet dog when it entered him. Close enough for fiction.

Jack LaFountain

Author Bayou Moon, Redemption, Death Rides the Red River