Theology of Fiction

... I suddenly asked, "Father, what is sexsin?"
He turned to look at me, as he always did when answering a question, but to my surprise he said nothing. At last he stood up, lifted his traveling case from the rack over our heads, and set it on the floor.
"Will you carry it off the train, Corrie?" he said.
I stood up and tugged at it. It was crammed with the watches and spare parts he had purchased that morning. 
"It's too heavy," I said. 
"Yes," he said. "And it would be a pretty poor father who would ask his little girl to carry such a load. It's the same way, Corrie, with knowledge. Some knowledge is too heavy for children. When you are older and stronger you can bear it. For now you must trust me to carry it for you."
-- The Hiding Place, by Corrie ten Boom with Elizabeth & John Sherrill

This passage from The Hiding Place illustrates an important lesson that I, as a parent, hope to implement for my children. As an author, it's one of the guiding principles that will inform every story I publish.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
-- Philippians 4:8, ESV

Going back to the original sin in the garden of Eden, the tempation is always to be like God and know good and evil. Why do we crave knowledge to the detriment of our own souls? I don't know. But I do know the allure of secret knowledge, and I do know the mental burden of broken innocence - the thoughts that can't be erased until heaven, but we hope will fade with time and the grace of God. 

Protecting our children should be a top priority when evaluating the literature they read. In addition, bad stories give them an unrealistic view of the world and how it works. Good stories can help them learn how to apply Biblical teaching to everyday situations.

God cares about every aspect of our lives. And we should seek to glorify him in everything we do. The books we read, the stories our minds dwell on - these matter! And while the Bible is always the source of truth, I believe solid Christian fiction is a great way to inculcate truth into the minds of ourselves and our children.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
-- Psalm 19:14, ESV

We need to think carefully about what underlying messages are insinuating their way into our minds and the minds of our children. Thoughts like ‘my parents are dumb, I can save the day with my special insight.’ ‘Dads are always wrong.’ ‘If you love someone, nothing else matters.’ Or one of my favorites: ‘Follow your heart! Be true to yourself!’ This sort of trash philosophy directly contradicts the Christian worldview, and yet it’s everywhere in the book, movies, and games our children consume on a daily basis! 

And it’s not just the basic philosophy; day by day we are seeing stronger and more direct statements targeting children in an effort to normalize concepts that they are not strong enough to bear. Entertainment is a battleground, and if you’re not fighting, you’re losing.

It’s not enough to say, ‘at least our kids are reading!’

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 
-- Colossians 3:2, ESV

In 2024 I read a well-meaning (and very well-written and engaging!) series that, by the end, had affirmed: that all ‘white’ people are guilty of cultural racism; that a really awesome super-duper God would just support us in our decisions without having rules or expectations and be loving and supportive no matter whether people believe in him or not; and that good (and God) is basically helpless against evil unless we help out. I can’t say for sure whether the author intended to say all of that - but if he had intended to NOT say that, the whole underlying theme of the story would have been different! 
 
I believe Christian fiction should illustrate good character attributes and how to handle tough situations without sacrificing plot or pacing and without any heavy-handed narrator moralizing. Books on our site will always illustrate Christian morals and principles. Characters should make choices and deal with the consequences. Kids in the real world might not have to rescue badger princesses, but Yarrow's struggles throughout The Ballad of the Badger King show character development and the formation of self-control. 

So whether you're looking for middle-grade, young adult, or just clean, quality fiction, I hope you enjoy the story! 

P.S. If you made it here without reading my intro, go check out A Mom Who Pre-reads for more on who I am and why I'm writing!