Comments on: Maybe it’s time to drop the “Christian fiction” genre altogether

By: Margaret

Margaret — Fri, 12 Jul 2019 10:35:20 +0000

In reply to Ben Thomas. That’s a good comment. Thank you.

By: Elvira McIntosh

Elvira McIntosh — Sat, 11 Nov 2017 23:58:51 +0000

Funny that the Narnia stories are here considered as ‘Christian fiction’. Lewis did not admit to either Christian allegory or metaphor. The closest he gets to a definition of genre is in one of his ‘Letters to Children’ when he says he poses the question that writers who are of the Christian persuasion have used too : “What if Jesus…,” which ‘The Shack’ might have tried to answer. Not to satisfaction, judging by the overall reaction to the book. The film fared a tad better. The public know a metaphor when they see one.

By: JP

JP — Fri, 29 Sep 2017 05:28:45 +0000

Peter Younghusband has a popular Christian blog in which a guest author (Anthony R Howard) dives very deep into the WHY of the Christian author storm, and some solutions . The article “The Catastrophic Storm of Christian Fiction” goes behind the curtains answer your question of how in the world did we end up here…and what really is Christian fiction.

https://christianfictionreviewguru.blogspot.com.au/2017/09/guest-post-catastrophic-thunderstorm-of.html

By: Jared

Jared — Thu, 04 May 2017 03:55:30 +0000

American Evangelicalism Rule 73: If it’s secular media, then we need to point out the Christian themes, however imperfectly modeled. If it’s Christian media, we need to subject it to a rigorous purity test.

By: Kris Argall

Kris Argall — Tue, 02 May 2017 00:22:38 +0000

Mike, thanks so much for this article. We’re so on the same page here! But, I’ve not read Flannery O’Conner – can you recommend a good place to start here?

By: Leo Sandy

Leo Sandy — Thu, 23 Mar 2017 10:23:19 +0000

I think the whole problem with “The Shack” is that it offended our Christian Brothers in the American south. Whilst they neatly ignored the story of Balaam’s donkey. As a Christian and a writer, my sense of irony is sparked at the thought of this oxymoron we call “Christian Fiction.” Just as it is puzzled by the notion of a Christian winning a contest called “Idol.” Jesus however wove fiction into his parables. His intention was to convey truth. The parable of the Good Samaritan was a direct jibe at the Pharisees and Levites in his audience. The method is less important. Truth is always of paramount importance. I can weave truth into my fiction. Because that what fiction is intended to do, convey a truth. What I cannot do, is weave fiction into truth. Because then it becomes fiction. But please Mike, how do you suggest I classify my trilogy when it comes out?

By: JL

JL — Thu, 23 Mar 2017 05:00:30 +0000

In reply to Matthew Bushnell. Well said! It's the sad truth of how "Christians" attack each other over the most insignificant things that hardly matter in the light of Eternity.

By: Mike Frost

Mike Frost — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 10:18:15 +0000

In reply to Bill Furioso.

Did you read my blog at all? That’s exactly what I said – Lewis and O’Connor weren’t pitched as ‘Christian fiction’. And nowhere did I suggest The Shack had the same artistic merit as their work.

By: Bill Furioso

Bill Furioso — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 07:00:47 +0000

How many non-Christians paid money to purchase the book or the movie of “The Shack”? It seems obvious to me that the book and movie were pitched to primarily a Christian audience. I really doubt the publishers would have made a financial investment in the book and movie if there were no Christian market. So, if a book or movie is pitched to the Christian market, it would be honest if it were actually Christian in its theological framework, rather than just “coming on” as being Christian for the sake of sales. One difference between “The Shack” and the literature of C.S. Lewis and Flannery O’Connor is that the latter two were not pitching their works to a “Christian” market. The other difference is the quality of literature – the idea of comparing “The Shack” to the literary works of C.S. Lewis and Flannery O’Connor like it was actually on the same level of artistic accomplishment is just simply amazing to me.

By: sandra

sandra — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 02:56:51 +0000

I absolutely love ‘The Shack’ , reading this book 2 years after my grandson passed away I found it incredibly helpful.
I have loved Jesus since I was 5, I am now 60 and a minister.
I cant wait to see ‘The Shack’ done as a movie.
Personally I think this is Holy Spirit inspired……God uses many ways to
make himself known..