The Friction of Fiction

Everyone loves a good story. The art of telling or writing a good story is a great skill that can be used for great good. Unfortunately, many Christians have an unbalanced aversion to reading fiction. I’d like to point out some of the pros and cons of reading fiction and then give some of my favourite recommendations.

PROS
1. Reading fiction can help get you started in the discipline of reading. When I was a kid, I hated reading because I thought it was “cool” to hate reading. I was into video games, sports, riding my bike, and mucking around in the woods behind my house. And then one day I read one of the Hardy Boys mysteries. I was hooked. I never knew that reading could be, well, so “cool.”

2. Reading fiction helps make the entire reading process a lot more enjoyable and interesting. The development of characters and story plot keep you turning the pages to see what happens next.

3. Reading fiction based on strong Christian principles can help introduce, explain, or illustrate biblical truths in a subtle and creative way. C.S. Lewis’s, The Silver Chair, has a great section illustrating the believer’s fight to believe in spiritual realities even though they’re presently unseen (pp. 181-191 in my copy).

4. Reading fiction stimulates your thinking, imagination, and creativity. It can help broaden not only your vocabulary but also your descriptive skills.

5. Reading fiction can help reinforce strong moral values as you see the evil characters reap the consequences their actions deserved and the noble characters ultimately triumph.

CONS
1. Reading fiction can also subtly introduce false doctrines. While the story line is still very interesting, the less-discerning Christian can unknowingly adopt aberrant theology. Star Wars teaches about an impersonal force that governs the universe. The Da Vinci Code teaches that Jesus was married and had children. The Shack perverts the gospel and attacks the importance of the church. These are all interesting stories that contain dangerous teaching.

2. One of the greatest causes of friction in reading fiction is over the issue of “objectionable elements.” Is it right or wrong for a Christian to read a book that is just make-believe? Does the book you’re reading have any swearing in it? Any sex? Any witches or other occult practices?

Well, you might not have thought about it before, but the Bible has all of these elements in it. Nathan told a make-believe story to David about a rich man who stole a poor man’s one and only sheep. Peter cursed and swore when he denied Christ the third time. The book of Proverbs gives an accurate description of a prostitute. And King Saul used the services of a witch in order to contact the late Samuel.

The point I want to make is simply this: the fact that a story contains these kinds of elements does not in and of itself make the story or the genre bad. It is what the story does with these elements that make the book wholesome or not. In other words, is the story explicit in its description of evil? Scripture is always cautious and discreet when it comes to these sensitive matters. Does the story glorify the evil or promote it as normal or right? Scripture never does this. I would argue (and this may cause some friction!) that Christians can still read books with these objectionable elements as long as these sins are dealt with in a biblical manner. In other words, they are frowned upon. Those who practice such things reap grave and terrible consequences. Does the book teach that these things are foolish and sinful? If the answer is yes, then there can be great benefit in reading books even if they contain some of these elements.

Personal Favourites
The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien – I’ve read these twice. I can’t wait to read them to my kids! The Gospel Blimp and other Modern Parables by Joseph Bayly is a great read with plenty of laughs about some of the silly things we do in church. C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia. George MacDonald has written several that I’ve enjoyed: The Princess and the Goblin, The Princess and Curdie, and The Golden Key.

What do you think about reading literature with objectionable elements?

Which works of fiction have you enjoyed reading?

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