What Christian fiction book is not
Some say that a Christian fiction book is a book published by a Christian publishing house. This theory, unfortunately, drastically excludes self-published writers, and there are plenty of them. Still others define Christian fiction books in terms of sellers, and we return to the previous point. There are many Christian novels that are sold through Christian bookstores, but a good number are also sold on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc. No. It is not at all about where the novel is sold.
Likewise, just because the author of a novel is a Christian does not mean that the novel should be called Christian fiction book. Being Christian does not automatically make what you write Christian fiction. Others will say that these are stories that evangelical Christians can safely read. Such as no sex, no violence, no swearing, no drugs, no gambling, and several other prohibitions that might just take the novel from one extreme to another.
It is much more than that in my opinion. We can also talk about novels whose main theme(s) fit in with Christianity like redemption, salvation, etc. But the story may have elements that some evangelical Christians would be uncomfortable reading. JRR Tolkien the author of The Lord of the Rings was a Christian, yet this novel is a very popular fiction even among Christians.
What is a Christian fiction book?
Novels with Christian themes?
A Christian fiction book is defined by Goodreads as any fiction that presents and illustrates a Christian worldview in its story, characters, or both, also seen in the Bible or that deals with Christian themes in a positive way.
A fictional genre written by novelists who aim to illustrate or present the Christian universe in its plot and characters.
You’ve probably heard of Aslan, the famous lion in C.S. Lewis’ World of Narnia (one of the most famous books in Christian fiction), referred to as “the allegory of the Lion-Jesus”? Well, that’s simply because C. S. Lewis created a fictional story about his understanding of God and the universe he created. Subtly, or perhaps even overtly, Mr. Narnia shows us in his stories that good fiction, whether or not it is identified as Christian, offers a memorable reading experience. It is a plot that in the long run captures our imagination, inspires us, and at the same time defeats us.
Was Jesus making fiction?
Everyone knows the famous parables of Jesus, in fact, they are what have given his story and teaching the most impact to this day. Christian novels published today do not aim at demonstrating, or gratuitously portraying sin, either in the style of the language or in the plots. On the contrary, from the plot to the characters to the places and the scenic situations, today’s Christian fiction should present through believable characters and situations not the harshness of the human situation and sin, but direct the reader to the hope that is God.
And that is true Christianity and the relationship we have with God, Christian fiction writers can tell Bible stories or create scenarios in which the characters confront problems that everyone encounters in daily life. They write fiction to enlighten readers about understanding life, faith, and even the relationship between us and God the Father.
The reader of this article also read: So this is goodbye, Jodi Allen Brice | Review
Christian fiction books
Christian fiction, then, is not just about a good plot or story; even less about romantic tension between the hero and heroine in the case of Christian romance. Good Christian fiction shows a constant state of growth in the characters, a growth that is mostly spiritual. Just as in real life, no one is saved and immediately becomes a super-spiritual Christian. There are always fights and struggles to overcome before growing. So whether it is the hero or heroine, the end of the story shows a clear evolution of their state of mind and especially their spiritual life.
The excellent Christian fiction reflects this truth, of imperfect men working towards the perfection of their faith in an imperfect world, by letting God work in them. It is about allowing God to work in us and in what we write. This is to let him use us even in our writing to help, support and heal others. A christian fiction book, then, is not just fiction, it is a means by which God works through us to transform ourselves and lives. Just as Jesus used his parables to teach us and enable us to grow.
Must read Christian fiction books
Redeeming love, (1991), Francine Rivers
California’s gold country, 1850. A time when men sold their souls for a bag of gold and women sold their bodies for a place to sleep.
Angel expects nothing from men but betrayal. Sold into prostitution as a child, she survives by keeping her hatred alive. And what she hates most are the men who use her, leaving her empty and dead inside.
Then she meets Michael Hosea, a man who seeks his Father’s heart in everything. Michael obeys God’s call to marry Angel and to love her unconditionally. Slowly, day by day, he defies Angel’s every bitter expectation, until despite her resistance, her frozen heart begins to thaw.
But with her unexpected softening comes overwhelming feelings of unworthiness and fear. And so Angel runs. Back to the darkness, away from her husband’s pursuing love, terrified of the truth she no longer can deny: her final healing must come from the One who loves her even more than Michael does . . . the One who will never let her go.
A powerful retelling of the story of Gomer and Hosea, Redeeming Love is a life-changing story of God’s unconditional, redemptive, all-consuming love.
Left Behind: A Novel of the Earth’s Last Days,Tim Lahaye et Jerry B. Jenkins
An airborne Boeing 747 is headed to London when, without any warning, passengers mysteriously disappear from their seats. Terror and chaos slowly spread not only through the plane, but also worldwide as unusual events continue to unfold. For those who have been left behind, the apocalypse has just begun.
Shelter of the Most High, Connilyn Cossette
The daughter of a pagan high priest, Sofea finds solace from her troubles in the freedom of the ocean. But when marauders attack her village on the island of Sicily, she and her cousin are taken across the sea to the shores of Canaan.
Eitan has lived in Kedesh, a City of Refuge, for the last eleven years, haunted by a tragedy in his childhood and chafing at the boundaries placed on him. He is immediately captivated by Sofea, but revealing his most guarded secret could mean drawing her into the danger of his past.
In the field of grace, Tessa Afshar
Destitute,
grief-stricken, and unwanted by the people of God, Ruth arrives in Israel with
nothing to recommend her but Naomi’s, love. Her loftiest hope is to provide
enough food to save Naomi and herself from starvation. But
God has other plans for her life.
While
everyone considers Ruth an outcast, she is astounded to find one of the most honored men of Judah showing her favor. Long since a
widower and determined to stay that way, Boaz is irresistibly drawn to the foreign
woman with the haunted eyes. He tells himself he is only being kind to his
Cousin Naomi’s chosen daughter when he goes out of his way to protect her from
harm, but his heart knows better.
Based on
the biblical account of Ruth, In the Field of Grace is the story of a love that
ultimately changes the course of Israel’s destiny and the future of the whole
world.
The prayer box, Lisa Wingate
Running from a messy, dangerous past, Tandi never expects to find more than a temporary hiding place within Iola’s walls, but everything changes with the discovery of eighty-one carefully decorated prayer boxes, one for each year, spanning from Iola’s youth to her last days. Hidden in the boxes is the story of a lifetime, written on random bits of paper–the hopes and wishes, fears and thoughts of an unassuming but complex woman passing through the seasons of an extraordinary, unsung life filled with journeys of faith, observations on love, and one final lesson that could change everything for Tandi.