Fiction with a Godly message

What fiction, Christian or otherwise, has moved you? Who are your favorite authors in fiction? What do you look for in fiction. I hesitate to say Christian fiction, because it limits the field. I think many authors have something to say, even if their message is not strictly a "Christian" one. I am thinking of J.R.R. Tolkien for one, G.K. Chesterton is another.

Are there modern authors who have a Christian world view, but put the writing quality first, so that the message is there, just not in your face so to speak?

This is a bit of a selfish topic for me, I'm trying to get ideas for our church library.

Some authors I enjoy reading, Jan Karon, Bodie Thoene, Francine Rivers, Frank Peretti (his early books, not the recent ones so much) and Sigmund Brouwer.

Another classic: C.S. Lewis.

I would agree with Frank Peretti and Clive Staples Lewis, though i'm not a narnia fan he has many non-Narnia fiction books that are worth reading including some short stories. If you want to go more classic you have many modern translations of Pilgram's Progress (wrong touchstone).
If you want to put some time trial into this you could try any number of the small independant publishing places that are around. They can have some good soft christian fiction.

I have recently discovered Michael R Phillips. Anyone interested in historical romances will enjoy his books. He had books published as late as last year, some co-written with Judith Pella. Michael has also compiled works of George MacDonald who was a Scottish author, poet and minister.

A big subject. How far do you do want an author to go when it comes to affirmations of Christianity. You might be interested in my thread "Conservative Novelists" in the Political Conservatives Group. See especially the comments by pacara.

In the realm of fantasy (since that seems to be one of your interests):

Russell Kirk intended his fiction (like Ancestral Shadows) to reinvigorate the moral imagination. His models for the mythopoetic were the Inklings, Hawthorne, Bradbury, Robert Graves, Kipling, Caryle.

There's an interesting chapter on this subject in, among other places, Kirk's Enemies of the Permanent Things.

You might also be interested in a recent anthology of essays, The Christian Imagination.

One of the most extraordinary books of imaginative literature I've read in the recent past is More Shapes Than One by Fred Chappell. I am amazed that more people haven't read it. You can get it used from Amazon for 8 cents, which is almost criminal.

Thank you deniro and others :) Russell Kirk sounds interesting, I've never heard of him. So does the Amazon book. I've never browsed Amazon for deals, I'm almost afraid to. Prices like that, how could you stop?

For our church library, I try to stick to books that are not easily found in the public library, but in this thread, I'd also like to hear what Christians like to read in the way of fiction. I'm partial to murder mysteries, especially those of the "Golden Age" 1920's - 1930's. They seem to have a focus on finding truth and serving justice, even if it isn't always strictly through the court systems. Later mysteries are risky for me, I don't like details of intimate situations and people hopping like fleas into everyones beds. Harry Kemelman has some fun mysteries with a very practical rabbinical viewpoint on people and life. Dorothy Sayers and Ellis Peters are two of my other favorites who bring in plenty of moral and ethical issues.

Other Christian fantasists that come to mind are

- Stephen Lawhead (His "Dragon King" trilogy is not very good, but the Celtic trilogy is very enjoyable)
- Kathy Tyers
-Karen Hancock

And I know C.S. Lewis has already been mentioned, but don't forget he wrote other novels besides the Narnia series. Till We Have Faces is probably his best adult novel, and his sci-fi trilogy is also fairly interesting.

Karen Hancock's Arena was amazing...

Also Donita K. Paul has a youth fiction series DragonKeeper... it's not what you might usually expect from YF (short, easy reading)... they're regular novel size, the reason I say youth is because the heroine is a teenager, as are the other main characters in the second book...

For mysteries, G. K. Chesterton's Father Brown stories or William Kienzle's The Rosary Murders
The Christy Awards are awarded for excellence in Christian fiction. The list of winners, current and past, could be used for more suggestions. Philip Gulley's Home to Harmony is among those.

Though some could be offended by it, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore was both funny and inspiring.

I never hesitate to recommend Victor Hugo's Les Miserables as a truly moving story of grace and redemption.

As long as I am thinking of classics, I will also add Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and Idylls of the King by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

For those who are only generally familiar with the plot, it is sometimes a wonderful surprise to discover the spiritual center (and beautiful language) in these writings.

Years ago, I read Love Comes Softly by Janette Oke and the sequels. At the time, I was moving away from most of my family and it was very difficult. These books spoke to me at that time in my life. They certainly aren't classics, but I enjoyed them. They are quick, inspiring reads.

#11 & 12 I agree on Les Miserables and Jane Eyre, two of my all time favorite books!

#13 That series helped me get through the end of a very difficult pregnancy, I had to stay flat on my back for two months, that and Bodie Thoene's first series. They will always hold a special place in my heart.

I'm reading an anthology that has some authors that might be worth looking into:

Shouts and Whispers

You might also take a look at imagejournal.org. Click "Resources" at the top of the screen. Then scroll down to "Our Top 100."

Thanks deniro. I only had a moment to look, but that list could keep me busy for years. I really haven't read too many of those authors. Great resource.

Madeleine L'Engle is very good & her books, especially A Wrinkle in Time in addition to the sequels, have strong Christian themes to them.

I was quite a way into Many Waters (the last of the Time books) until I realized what the story was about. (don't want to spoil it for anyone)

skittles - I loved those books, but it's been a long time since I've read them. I would like to read them again.

I really enjoyed Ishmael and Self-raised by E.D.E.N. Southworth. Both are long books, but well worth the time to read.

If you want to find a large list of good titles, Lamplighter Publishing has republished many old works that have a great message. They categorize their collections well; you can use their catalog to target age- and topic-specific titles. (http://www.lamplighterpublishing.com/departments.asp?dept=14)

If you aren't sure of what other titles are worth buying, you could contact julesnpebbles. Ask her what other titles she recommends; she has more Lamplighter books than anyone else I've seen on LT.

Halieus - Thank you for that site, it looks delicious!

I'll also give my hearty approval to Les Miserables - wonderful themes of redemption. I also love Charles Dickens, especially Nicholas Nickleby and A Tale of Two Cities.

Leo Tolstoy believed art should serve a moral purpose. i love his Christian based stories about journeys of self-discovery and moral and religious questioning:

The Death of Ivan Ilych and Other Stories

Walk in the light and twenty-three tales

The Devil and Other Stories

Master and man and Other Stories

For example, in The Death of Ivan Ilych a man confronts his spiritually empty soul after a life of worldly ambition and superficial family relationships. With his impending death, the concerns of this world slip away and he becomes serene and filled with Christian hope. In What Men Live By (part of Master and man and other stories), an angel is sent to earth to learn three existential rules of life.

And then there's always The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. The scene where Ivan debates the devil is classic.

By the way -- like the other posters, i'm also a huge fan of Victor Hugo and Madeleine l'Engle (especially Many Waters, the Wrinkle in Time series, and the Austen family series)!

One more recommendation, for the kids: The Berry Patch, while not mentioning Christianity per se, is still full of Christian values as adolescents face challenges (scrapes) while becoming adults.

#22 I like Leo Tolstoy as well. I have a collection of his "fairy tales" which has several of the stories you mentioned. I've not read a lot of the Russian authors, but most of what I've read, I've liked, if only because they make me think.

#22,
NativeRoses,

I also agree The Brothers Karamazov is a great book! I'm currently reading it at the moment.

I really enjoyed Ivan's poem, that went in depth on organized religion, The Grand Inquisitor.

I like it so much, the next book on my reading list is Crime and Punishment

For historical fiction, I'm a HUGE fan of Brock & Bodie Thoene and especially their three "Zion" series books. And the standalone Twilight of Courage.

i also very much enjoyed The agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone. It's a wonderful biographical novel that delves into Michelangelo's great works, the politics he had to deal with, professional competition, etc. i was particularly moved by the description of the creation of his three Pietas. Even though it had been more than 10 years since i read the book, those passages were in my mind when i was lucky enough to see the one in Rome.

NativeRoses, I had the same feeling when I read that book. I've not been able to travel and see any of his works yet, but boy how I would love to.

The funny thing about the most famous Pieta in Rome -- the beautiful stone carving of Mary holding Jesus' body -- is that it seems that everyone looks at it wrong. If you look at it straight on, from the front, it's ok.

BUT, if you go over to the far right side and look at it from the side, it's absolutely brilliant how Jesus' body twists and how the hand is held out right at you, the viewer. Incredibly brilliant and emotionally moving statue -- and i would guess that at least 95% of the people who come to view it completely miss that.

#28 mrslee, let me know when you are coming to Rome. I'd love to meet you and enjoy all the masterpieces we have here, a bus ride from my front door

#30 - misskate - Sigh, that is a most generous offer! In looking at my life as it is now, I cannot see myself traveling internationally any time in the near future, but with God, all things are possible, so I never say never. :) I most definitely will keep you in mind if God moves my life that way!

I really enjoyed Susan Howatch's book, The High Flyer. That it was Christian fiction surprised me. I had read her historical fiction when I was in college, so picked up High Flyer at a library sale assuming it would be similar. I did not know that she had, in the intervening years, become a Christian (or a more involved Christian -- I don't remember the details) and had started writing fiction with a Christian theme.

I jumped into the middle of a series with High Flyer. There are other books, including Glittering Images and Glamorous Powers (now both on my TBR shelf), based on the same characters.

High Flyer was incredibly entertaining for a very religious book. It is described as a "psychological-spiritual thriller" and involves high-powered female lawyer in London who marries the wrong man; REALLY the wrong man.

I don't know that I agree with all the theology in the book, but just the fact that fundamental theological issues are discussed in a pop-fiction novel made it worth reading for me. I'm looking forward to the others.

Not yet mentioned, but I think very worthwhile is the fiction by Japanese Catholic author Shusaku Endo such as Deep River and The Girl I left Behind. Deep River is explicitly about theological issues and finding worth in life. Also Silence, also by Endo.

#33 I deeply agree with suggestion of Silence by Endo. A challenging book to me at a time when I hadn't decided yet to follow Christ. I still haven't read his others, but plan to do so.

Also The Sojourner by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings is a spiritual book although not expressly religious.

HI, Have you tried Leif Enger's book Peace Like a River? It is really wonderful. There's also Flannery O'Connor. I haven't read her longer works, but her short stories are great. And one more to try: Annie Dillard, who is amazing. All three write as Christians, but not "Christian books" per se.

I love Twilight of Courage, mentioned earlier, but I can't believe no one has yet mentioned Francine Rivers' Redeeming Love. It's one of my all-time favorite books, and such an amazing picture of God's unconditional love.

IMO, it's her best work, followed closely by (and definitely worth a mention in this thread) her Mark of the Lion series.

#36 antof9 - I agree, Francine Rivers is one of my favorite authors. For me it's a toss up between Redeeming Love, The Last Sin Eater and Leota's Garden. I love the issues that are dealt with in each one.

To: ggchickapee #32
I read Susan Howatch's Heartbreaker about two months ago and I liked it quite a bit. I have the High Flyer on my list which I tried to start several years ago, but didn't get into it then. I have read Glittering Images and Glamorous Powers and the four sequels in her two Church of England series.

I would like to suggest a trilogy by Harry Blamires. These are Highway to Heaven, The devil's hunting ground, and Cold War in Hell. These are reminscent of C. S. Lewis and Charles Williams.

Three of my favorties that don't seem to have been mentioned so far are Quo Vadis, by Henryk Sienkiewicz, Ben Hur, by Lew Wallace and The Robe, by Lloyd C. Douglas.

Some will be offended by this recommendation, but I will also rec the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. The Christian imagery is there, and is especially obvious in the last book of the series.

I would agree with Stephen lawhead, he also wrote the BrownEars books for children. A possibly contraversal series is the Left Behind set of books - but NOT the Kids!

Ok everybody. I've absorbed most of the information you so generously gave out up to August. Any more? New discoveries, second thoughts, more favorite authors? We have a lot of fiction lovers here and I'm running out of material for them and myself.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned T. Davis Bunn - or if they have I just missed it. The first book by him that I read was The Presence. I read The Maestro next. Both of these books, and most of his others deal very well with human issues and God's character.

The Son of Laughter by Frederick Buechner

Most of the work of Walker Percy

I know Les Miserables has been mentioned a lot but if you've never read it and are daunted by it's 1,000 plus pages, at least read the first 100 or so pages which describes the village priest who helps Jean Valjean. I can't think of a better portrait ever written of a Christian man in all of literature, and what's so ironic is that Hugo was not a Christian (in fact he dabbled in the occult).

I'd also add Dreiser's An American Tragedy (the last third in particular involving the minister's meetings with the soon-to-be executed, Clyde Griffiths).

The Count of Monte Cristo's themes of redemption & good ultimately overcoming evil by Dumas ranks up there as well. It's a Gen. 50:20 classic.

For commercially published mysteries, Earlene Fowler can't be beat. She writes a series of mysteries with quilt pattern names as titles. Moral, Christian viewpoint without preaching.

I'd love a clearer definition of 'Christian message', or 'Christian viewpoint', if it's not too much trouble. (I'm not being difficult - I just have a hard time finding a general definition on my own.)

#48 - What you ask for will probably vary from person to person. What I look for are stories which are consistent with my beliefs from my reading of the Bible. I like marriage to be the holy sacrament which the Bible says it is. I like life to be sacred and justice to be sought after. I like the characters, or at least one of them to have a love of and understanding of God or a desire to know of Him and to represent Christianity in its striving to know God better and follow Him. Which is not to say that I need Christians in all the books I read, just if there are some, I like at least one of them to be striving for God the way I am. They don't have to be perfect, they just have to be trying. It's the same for books which don't really involve Christianity at all, I like for there to be an understanding that there is something in this world which is larger than us and for the characters to be aware of that. For them to be honestly seeking to understand life and their role/actions in it.

That is a definition which is for my personal reading, at least for the books I end up loving in my personal reading. For our church library my selections are narrower. There I have decided to stick to the Christian Fiction realm because it is easier. When I encounter readers such as I at church, we get to talking and then I can recommend or lend from my personal library.

I'm reading this over, then reading your question, and I'm afraid I haven't been very helpful after all.

MrsLee: On the contrary, it was very helpful. I think yours is a lovely definition - even more so because it's so personal. Thank you very much for sharing.

Do you think fantasy books, or other books with magical/supernatural themes can still convey a Christian message?

I do, but I know a lot of my friends do not. In fantasy, I tend to look for a world apart, an other place. What are the foundations of that place? What are the rules? They don't have to be like this world, with a fallen race of beings, but if they are, what is the salvation of that world dependent on? The grand themes of Love, Justice, Sacrifice, etc., can still be there.

Where I would draw the line, would be if users of powers or magic drew their power from the same source and then it depended on them what they did with it. If there were no clear boundaries between good and evil. Ooooh, this gets touchy, sometimes I can't state things clearly, I just know my limits when I reach them. I wish I could articulate better.

MrsLee: I think you're doing great!

In the fantasy books I used to love as a child (mainly the Belgariad and the Malloreon and the books by Susan Cooper.) there was generally a 'light against dark' theme. Many of the protagonists had special skills and strengths, not seldom emanating from some sort of innate magical talent, but they're generally 'tame' fantasy books, not very dark. I'd definitely say that there are lessons to be learned in those books, about friendship and trust, and love, and integrity.

That's why I'm sometimes confused by the denunciation of some fantasy books by certain Christian groups.

I enjoyed reading the historical novel 'The Day Christ Died' by Jim Bishop. I just read it last Tuesday.

From the Foreword is a great summary of this book, "This is a book about the most dramatic day in the history of the world, the day on which Jesus of Nazareth died. It opens at 6 P.M.—the beginning of the Hebrew day—with Jesus and ten of the apostles coming through the pass between the Mount of Olives and the Mount of Offense en route to Jerusalem and the Last Supper. It closes at 4 P.M. the following afternoon, when Jesus was taken down from the cross . . .. The fundamental research was done a long time ago by four fine journalists: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The rest has been added in bits and pieces from many men whose names span the centuries."

#52 desideo - Thank you for your encouragement. My opinions and tastes have been at least 27 years (about how long I have been saved) in the making. I know they have changed over the years. The more I learn of God and His Word, the deeper I see into other things. It isn't for everyone, this trip I'm on, just the path I believe God has set before me. When you reach out and examine everything for the kernel of truth that may exist, you are blessed, but you are also in danger of missing it or misunderstanding it.

I guess I'm just saying, I understand why some feel better about not even dipping their toes into certain things, especially if they are unfamiliar with them. It is perhaps safer? I thank God that He has created such a variety of people. Makes life interesting. :)

Hi MrsLee;

Someone here (thanks to whoever did this!) suggested I check out Phillip Yancey's Soul Survivor : how my faith survived the Church . It's a wonderful collection of 13 biographies of those who affected his spiritual journey. Many of these people are writers. Yancey gives biographical info, how they affected his journey, his recommendations of which books to start with for the author and descriptions of both their fiction and nonfiction works and other works about them.

It came to mind because several of these authors are already mentioned in this thread: G K Chesteron, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, and Shusaku Endo

Others he profiles that haven't yet been mentioned are Annie Dillard and Frederick Buechner, I know you didn't ask about nonfiction but among others, he lists Martin Luther King Jr, Henri Nouwen, and Mahatma Gandhi. It's an intriguing combination of works and I'll be heading down several of these roads to check them out.

Because you and I are of a similar age, I think, I'll add a couple older authors from my own readings Taylor Caldwell's The Listener and Lloyd Douglas's Magnificent Obsession. Magnificent Obsession was my mother-in-law's most favorite book of all time.

*waves at streamsong* :)

Uh oh MrsLee--were you the one to recommend the Yancey book to me? If so I blushingly apologize for my well-aged brain.

streamsong - Nope, I haven't read it yet, though I've loved some of his other books. I was just waving 'cause you said "hi" to me. :)

Sorry to join the conversation so late, but may I recommend a couple of books?

Cold Showers by Clare Nonhebel is the story of a young widow coming to terms with the fact that her late husband may not have been as perfect as she thought. Some of the characters may infringe the criteria you've outlined, but it's well worth sticking with it for a very powerful scene near the end.

I'd also recommend almost anything by Barbara Pym, but particularly Excellent Women. They don't really have a MESSAGE, but they feature Christian characters in comic romances.

Deception by Randy Alcorn if you enjoy detective novels. I am really enjoying this author. He is a Christian author who also wrote the excellent non-fiction book, Heaven.

Not long ago, I read the book Quarantine by Jim Crace. It's about Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness. It presents an interesting (perhaps even disturbing) speculation on the origins of the faith. Is anyone familiar with it? If so, what did you think?

I read Jim Crace's Quarantine not too long after it came out (~1997). A little too hard-bitten for me.

I am a big Ted Dekker fan and recommend The Circle Trilogy (Black, Red, and White). Dekker deals with Christian themes in a non-preachy way. I have read many Christian novels that were too contrived. I don't see the need for all the characters to convert by the end of the story. It would be great if that's how life worked out, but that doesn't match reality. As I heard one Christian screenwriter say, "We want people to leave the theatre not just asking questions, but asking the RIGHT questions." I look for the same in a Christian novel.

I'd suggest George MacDonald's Complete Fairy Tales. They're unique. While there is the overt messages of the tales, there are subtle messages too. I found them quite moving.

Another author that you might enjoy is Margaret Peterson Haddix. Her books aren't explicitly Christian but they have that struggle between good and evil. They really make you think about hard issues.

Michael O'Brien's Father Elijah and Strangers and Sojourners are both excellent. I'll second the mention of Lloyd Douglas' Magnificent Obsession. Another not yet mentioned is Morris West's Shoes of the Fisherman. Francine Rivers has written a wealth of good historical fiction. My favorite of hers is The Scarlet Thread. Thanks to #33 for mentioning Endo's Silence I haven't read his others but will add them to my "to read" list.

They aren't Christian novels per se (and I am not a Christian myself, so I hope it's okay to make such a recommendation here), but Hiero's Journey and The unforsaken Hiero, by the late Sterling E. Lanier may be of interest to science-fiction/fantasy readers.

Its main character, (Per) Hiero Desteen, is a Christian, or post-Christian, warrior-priest in a post-apocalpytic, post-nuclear-holocaust world thousands of years in the future. The books are enjoyable, albeit sometimes more focused on characterization and ideas than on fast-paced action, and its themes of Hiero learning, growing, and grappling with moral and ethical issues in a very imperfect and often highly dangerous world, may be of interest to some.

A friend introduced me to Charles Martin. I've read two of his books, The Dead Don't Dance and Wrapped in Rain. They are both excellent.

Found this thread, thought I might be able to add a few books:

A Canticle For Leibowitz, Walter M. Miller Jr. - A story of a monastery after a nuclear apocalypse, which spend their lives trying to preserve the past for the benefit of the future. Excellent story, has some good moral debates, and quite positive about religion and the clergy without being too preachy.

Star Maker, Olaf Stapledon - A man becomes a disembodied entity, and decides to explore the universe. The man eventually meets the Star Maker, or God. To say any more about the book would ruin it, but there are quite a variety of different perceptions of God here. However, it might not be enjoyed by those not willing to examine different perceptions of God than their own.

Some of my favorites:
Blink by Ted Dekker (although it's now out as Blink of an Eye because they're making a movie or something. I dunno. I don't care for most the rest of his books, too weird... though if you like Frank Peretti you might like the rest of Dekker's books.)
The Immortal by Angela Elwell Hunt (I like some of her others, but this is my favorite.)
The Boo Series by Rene Gutteridge: Boo, Boo Who, Boo Hiss. Haven't read Boo Humbug or any of her other books.
The City of God series by Randall Ingermanson:Transgression, Premonition, Retribution.

Archives of Anthropos series by John White (Very similar to C. S. Lewis).

G. K. Chesterton's The Poet and the Lunatics is very interesting, and will make you think.

The Tiger in the Smoke by Margery Allingham, was pretty good, and Canon Avril is a very likeable character (like his nephew, Albert Campion, but explicitly christian and not so flippant). The high point of the story is a masterpiece of a more 'real life' confrontation between good and evil, and will have you holding your breath. The way to characterize Canon Avril is 'simple as a dove, sly as a serpent'.

Agree with #6 as to Dorothy L. Sayers mysteries, and would also mention the play The Man Born to be King, and The Whimsical Christian: 18 Essays.

Charles Williams

The Restorer, The Restorer's Son, and Restorer's Journey by Sharon Hinck.

the Joshua books by Joseph Girzone.

The Redaemian Chronicles by Bill Hand. These are REALLY good books, and am surprised that they don't seem to be more well known. Finding a copy of The Dragonchild could be difficult though (I certainly haven't found one).

Archives of Anthropos series by John White (Very similar to C. S. Lewis).

G. K. Chesterton's The Poet and the Lunatics is very interesting, and will make you think.

The Tiger in the Smoke by Margery Allingham, was pretty good, and Canon Avril is a very likeable character (like his nephew, Albert Campion, but explicitly christian and not so flippant). The high point of the story is a masterpiece of a more 'real life' confrontation between good and evil, and will have you holding your breath. The way to characterize Canon Avril is 'simple as a dove, sly as a serpent'.

Agree with #6 as to Dorothy L. Sayers mysteries, and would also mention the play The Man Born to be King, and The Whimsical Christian: 18 Essays.

Charles Williams

The Restorer, The Restorer's Son, and Restorer's Journey by Sharon Hinck.

the Joshua books by Joseph Girzone.

The Redaemian Chronicles by Bill Hand. These are REALLY good books, and am surprised that they don't seem to be more well known. Finding a copy of The Dragonchild could be difficult though (I certainly haven't found one).

I too am a big fan of Arena by Karen Hancock. Being a guy with little free reading time and a love for adventure stories, this book held my interest over the long period of time it took me to get through it. Also the Francine Rivers Mark of the Lion series is incredible. It's like the movie Gladiator, has lots of deep early Roman, church, Christian, and Jewish history, and it's well written, hard to put down. I'm currently reading through the first book and loving it. It's epic.

>5 barney67: I find it telling that you would expect writing that affirms Christianity to be politically conservative. I think quite the opposite! Where does this leave those of us who are progressive Christians?

I guess us progressive Christians are stuck with the Bible.

#75: but would 'we' consider it fiction, mythology or history?

Personally, I consider it 'divinely inspired' ... but highly manipulated by 'Man'.

but would 'we' consider it fiction, mythology or history?
Yes. And more. :) Poetry, often.

I don't normally cotton to fiction, novels, etc., that are expressly written to be "Christian." They are often not quite honest in some way, forced, if you will, like some biographies for children of Newton and Columbus, which make each of them seem like exceptionally holy persons -- you know, the kind you can buy in "Christian" bookstores.

I agree with Nglofile (#11-12) at least on Idylls of the King and probably on Les Miserables, though I would expect more arguments from other religionists on the Hugo book. But Les M. may even have been too religiously inclined for the tastes of the intellectual establishment of
mid-19th c. France. Wich might explain his being thought of in France as primarily a poet, not a novelist.

Taking into consideration its time, I would consider Uncle Tomʻs Cabin despite its title character having become synonymous with futile non-resistance, as belonging in this category. It isnʻt, of course, a perfect Christian "answer" to slavery.

Walker Percy, from what I know of his themes, is another ossiblity in this category. I donʻt know his books well enough to say for sure, but I might expect to find some cogently Christian fiction in them (the ones other than his most famous The Moviegoer, which is clearly in the secular tradition of its time. The protagonist (1st person) all but apologizes for being a Catholic, though only a nominal one.)

74 -- I believe you misunderstood my post. You'd have to find that thread I referenced and read the whole thing. It was a long time ago. At that time I cared more about getting my point across. Not so much anymore, so I'll just reference that thread.

By the way, the block function works great. I don't have to read geneg anymore. Hallelujah.

79 -- I think Percy called himself a Christian novelist. It's not always explicit, but it's there.

Thanks, deniro

>80 barney67: I think I may have misread you, after all. I didn't read enough of this thread. My bad.

I suppose I am still sensitized from the time that I stopped wearing a cross and chain because some people assumed I was a right-wing evangelical and asked me questions I couldn't quite answer: like "when were you born-again?" As if there were a specific date before which I was doomed, sinful, godless, and afterward, shriven, saved, and holy; not to mention, necessarily very conservative politically, and wanting prayers in the public schools, etc.

Deniro, I love you too.

A new title I saw recently that may be of help on this topic --

Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Fiction: from C.S. Lewis to Left Behind
edited by Nancy M. Tischler
Greenwood Press
ISBN 978-0-313-34568-5

(I am not affiliated with the publisher or author in any way, nor have I read the book myself. I just saw the title and thought that it might be useful for some.)

This "Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Fiction" is kind of pricy with a list price of $95. But it would be interesting to take a look at this volume.

I have a question that perhaps really doesn't have an answer. I'm a man who's almost 60 years old, I've read a lot Christian fiction when I was younger but it seems that last 10-15 or so years most of the "Christian" fiction is this romance stuff! If you do a search online for Christian fiction, I'm betting 85-90% of the returns deal with romance. Why is this? Is it because Christian men don't read fiction anymore?

Also, who an tell me the secret words to type in the search field to only get God-centered fiction and not that borderline porn stuff trying to pass itself off as Christian? Thank you.

My eye was caught by this review of a new novel:

Church intersects with Sci-Fi in ‘A Printer’s Choice’ (Crux)

A Printer’s Choice by W. L. Patenaude

>90 Thor-7: Thanks for bringing the thread back to my attention.

You're welcome.