7/7/2020 Christian novel - Wikipedia
Christian novel
A Christian novel is any novel that expounds and illustrates a Christian world view in its plot, its
characters, or both, also seen in the Bible.[1] or which deals with Christian themes in a positive way.
Contents
The tradition of Christian fiction
Modern American Christian novels
Urban Christian fiction
See also
References
External links
The tradition of Christian fiction
Christian novels have a rich tradition in Europe, which goes back several centuries, and draws on past
Christian allegorical literature, such as Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy and John Bunyan's The
Pilgrim's Progress and The Holy War. Twentieth century proponents of the Christian novel in English
include J.R.R. Tolkien, G. K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, and Madeleine L'Engle. Aslan in Lewis' The Lion,
the Witch and the Wardrobe allegorically represents Christ, for example, while L'Engle's A Live Coal in
the Sea explicitly references the medieval allegorical poem Piers Plowman.[2]
Many novels with Christian themes also fall into specific mainstream fiction genres. For example, J.R.R.
Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings is viewed as mainstream fantasy, while Julian May's Galactic Milieu
Series is viewed as mainstream science fiction, in spite of the references to the work of Jesuit priest
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. Similarly, G. K. Chesterton's Father Brown stories are mainstream detective
fiction, even though the main character is a Catholic priest
Modern American Christian novels
In the last few centuries the existence of a conservative Christian subculture, particularly in North
America, has given rise to a specific genre of Christian novel. Books such as Love Comes Softly by
Janette Oke (1979) and This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti (1985), combining a specific brand of
conservative Christian theology with a popular romance or thriller form, have gained approval in the
subculture, just as in earlier times Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ helped make the novel acceptable to
conservative religious people of the day. Publication of such Christian novels has increased greatly from
this beginning, and excellence in the genre is now recognised by the Christy Awards, although an article
in Christianity Today recently argued that such use of popular forms risks "foisting on the world
impoverished—even laughable—expressions of those genres."[3]
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In North America, the Christian novel has evolved into a specific genre of its own, written explicitly by
and for Christians of a particular type. Such a Christian novel does not have to involve an actual event or
character in Bible history. A novel can be Christian in this sense merely because one of its characters
either comes to a Christian understanding of God and of man's need for salvation from sin, or faces a
crisis of his or her faith. Nor does the plot need to turn on whether any given character is a Christian or
not—although many Christian novels do have plots that explicitly reference persecution (in the past, the
present, or the future), Bible history, or unfulfilled prophecy (as in the immensely popular Left Behind
series). Popular authors of Christian novels include Francine Rivers in the romance subgenre, and Ted
Dekker and Robert Liparulo in the thriller/suspense subgenre.
Other authors of Christian novels include Karen Kingsbury, Judith McCoy Miller, Tracie Peterson,
Bethany Kennedy Scanlon, Tosca Lee and Robert Whitlow. Some authors of Christian novels have
received a mixed reception within the conservative Christian community. William P. Young's best-selling
theological novel The Shack, for example, was strongly criticised by some reviewers.[4][5]
Deborah Bryan of the Kansas Library Association suggests that this genre of books typically promotes
values, teaches a lesson, always has a happy ending (good prevails over evil in all books), adheres to a
decency code (certain boundaries such as sexuality, strong language, and topics of such cannot be
crossed), and that Christian fiction is created for defined boundaries within a particular community. She
also notes that a Christian fiction writer must comply with certain restraints such as:[6]
1. Accept the truthful authority of the Bible
2. Address dilemmas through faith in Jesus
3. Believe that Jesus died and rose for sins of all people
4. Avoid writing about certain “taboos”
Publishers of Christian novels include B&H Publishing Group, Baker Publishing Group (whose imprints
include Baker Academic, Baker Books, Bethany House, Brazos Press, Chosen, and Revell), Bridge-Logos
Foundation, David C. Cook, HarperCollins Christian (Thomas Nelson) and Zondervan,[7] Harvest House,
Howard Publishing (a division of Simon & Schuster), Kregel Publications,[8] Tyndale House, and
Waterbrook Press (a division of Random House). Such novels are today marketed world-wide through
Christian bookstores and online distributors, such as [Link] and [Link], respectively.
Urban Christian fiction
Urban Christian fiction is a genre in which conflicting stories of emotion and vividness mixes God, the
urban church, and faith. Violence and sex is not purposely excluded, but are included whenever
necessary for the story line.[9] God is the center of the characters lives in Urban Christian Fiction and
these stories usually portray African-American or Latino urban culture.[9] Urban Christian publishing
company publishes urban Christian books along with other subdivisions of urban Christian which
includes urban renaissance and urban soul.[10] Some best-selling authors in this genre for 2012 are
Kimberla Lawson Roby, Victoria Christopher Murray, Tony Dungy, Lutishia Lovely, Neta Jackson,
Keyon C. Polite, Serita Jakes (Bishop T.D. Jakes' wife), and ReShonda Tate Billingsley.[11] Some book
titles and authors of urban Christian fiction are: Married Strangers by Dwan Abrams, Sheena's Dream
by Marilyn Mayo Anderson, First Comes Love by Shana Johnson Burton, Count It All Joy by Ashea
Goldson, Secrets and Lies by Rhonda McKnight, 'Til Debt Do Us Part by Michelle Larks, and Soul
Confessions by Monique Miller.[12]
Some best-selling authors in this genre for 2015 are Jonathan Cahn, (Karen Kingsbury),William Paul
Young, (Sarah Price (author)), and Francine Rivers.[13]
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A Christian urban title that ventures into the Young Adult/SuperHero genre is "In the Shadows of
Myrmidons" by B. Lloyd Reese and Nicholas J. Rzepczynski. Urban Christian fiction is classified as part
of the African-American Christian Market (AACM), where the hot-selling topics are fiction, books for
dating, dramatic testimony, and single parenting.[14] Prominent pastors of megachurches and leaders of
powerful ministries contributes largely to AACM.[14] Baker Publishing Group is one publisher to make
an authentic impact in publishing African-American authors of Christian fiction and religious
materials.[14]
See also
Amish romance
List of Christian fiction authors
List of Christian novels
Theological fiction
References
1. It's Not Your Grandmothers' Christian Fiction Anymore, by Deborah Bryan, presented at the Tri-
Conference 2007, April 11–13, 2007 (Topeka, Kansas), "Archived copy" ([Link]
b/20121011192213/[Link] Archived from the
original ([Link] on 2012-10-11. Retrieved
2008-01-13.
2. L'Engle's title is drawn from the line "And all the wickedness in this world that man might work or
think is no more to the mercy of God than a live coal in the sea."
3. "Archived copy" ([Link]
ory/newsletter/2003/[Link]). Archived from the original ([Link]
newsletter/2003/[Link]) on 2006-02-19. Retrieved 2006-02-20.
4. "Dr. Norman Geisler - Home Page" ([Link]
[Link]/[Link]). [Link]. Archived from the original ([Link]
net/[Link]) on 2012-02-22. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
5. "Search | Challies Dot Com" ([Link]
archives/book-reviews/[Link]). [Link]. Archived from the
original ([Link]
on 2010-01-29. Retrieved 2014-04-04.
6. Bryan, Deborah Bryan. Books for the Soul: Contemporary Christian Fiction at Your Library ([Link]
[Link]/web/20120907101427/[Link]
(PDF). Kansas Library Association. Archived from the original ([Link]
uts/2009/[Link]) (PDF) on 2012-09-07. Retrieved 2012-04-24.
7. dbw Press Release (June 5, 2014). "Ebook Subscription Service Entitle Adds Christian Vertical".
Digital Book World.
8. "Kregel Publications" ([Link] ECPA. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
9. "Urban Christian Fiction growing in popularity « BlogaBook" ([Link]
30433/[Link]
ularity/). [Link]. Archived from the original ([Link]
php/2009/03/urban-christian-fiction-growing-in-popularity/) on 2013-11-04. Retrieved 21 November
2017.
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10. "Archived copy" ([Link]
ristian/[Link]). Archived from the original ([Link]
on 2012-04-22. Retrieved 2012-05-09.
11. Urban Christian News, "Bestsellers List," "Archived copy" ([Link]
816/[Link] Archived
from the original ([Link]
on 2012-05-08. Retrieved 2012-05-12. (accessed 12 May 2012)
12. Hennepin County Library, "Bookspace," "Archived copy" ([Link]
36/[Link] Archived from the
original ([Link] on 2012-05-30.
Retrieved 2012-05-14. (accessed 14 May 2013)
13. "Christian Book Expo: ECPA Christian Fiction Bestsellers, November 2015" ([Link]
[Link]/bestseller/[Link]?id=1115). [Link]. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
14. "Book Reviews, Bestselling Books & Publishing Business News" ([Link]
w/print/20080901/[Link]). Publishers Weekly.
Retrieved 21 November 2017.
External links
Home of the Christy Awards ([Link]
Retrieved from "[Link]
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