Weaving Spirituality into Secular Books Acceptably

[brianc]

Someone asked me to post this topic over here for discussion. I'm just going to cut and paste part of what I posted in a writers group:

How to Weave Spiritual Things into Secular Books in an Acceptable Way

I think the keys are to make the religious parts of the story not only subtle, and therefore acceptable, but also make them an integral part of the story so that the secular reader really cares about them. That, in and of itself, is quite a challenge. If the secular reader is left wanting to know more about the spiritual aspect of something in each chapter, then the author's done a good job. Building a storyline around that is tricky.

Here's my method:
1. Take aspects from the most successful movies (they have the most broad appeal to audiences)
2. Decide what subtle spiritual things will be acceptable to teach a secular audience
3. Now, make the spiritual things an integral part of the aspects the secular world finds intriguing (and do so in a believable way)
4. Make sure you connect with the secular audience first. They need to feel like you're on their side. Then subtly work your way into the spiritual things. It has to be subtle.
(Disclaimer: Christians may not like this, but Christians aren't my audience, because many of them don't need to be saved.)

One way I've found to do this is to actually pit your story against the religious establishment by pointing out their flaws. This will make the secular reader identify with you, because he or she also doesn't like the religious establishment. That's what Jesus did in His time with the Pharisees who had shunned the sinners. Our current church establishment is not so different from the Pharisees in foundational principles. Then, I use the much more desirable way of reaching God to reel in the reader.

Disclaimer: I'm not saying all churches are Pharisetical, but many today are.

In my book, I made some desirable things about relationship with God an integral part of how the powers of my characters work. I put a very lovable, funny, self-sacrificing character in the book (not one of the main characters) and I removed all Christian terms from the book (no need to offend secular readers early on). One can simply not mention Christianity, and instead only mention relationship with a Creator or other terms you can familiarize the reader with which are not typical "Christianese".

Also, when you pick aspects of popular movies, those aspects need to be things you like and are very familiar with so you can write about them well, and convincingly. Pick something you don't like a lot and don't know a ton about and you won't be able to write about it in a way the reader will like it, most likely.

The art of stealth-Christian writing to a secular world is difficult, but I believe it is the best way writers can reach the unsaved, especially if you can put doubts in the minds of secular readers about things like Atheism. Subtly is good, but if you're too subtle, you will have no effect. If you're not subtle enough, you'll offend the Atheist reader.

[Bainespal]

This post produces conflicting reactions in me. That must mean it's thoughtful and significant.

I agree that the church establishment is very often Pharisaical, and I also strongly dislike "Christianese". I'd be more apt to describe the terminology I dislike as "Evangelicalese," since I'm perfectly fine hearing and discussing concepts like redemption. But I know non-Christians don't, and that's part of the point.

First of all, it strikes me as a little dishonest to try to sneak Christian messages to unsuspecting infidels. I think we owe them the dignity to be plain when we share the Gospel. The have exactly the same ability and responsibility to evaluate their existential situation and seek truth that we do. And no, they can't find the truth by themselves, but neither can we. I'm not saying you should write an explicitly evangelical message in your novel, either; I think fiction is not the right tool for explicit evangelization. But if you are certain that writing a subtly evangelical novel is the right thing for you to do, then you certainly must do so!

That said, I agree that a good Christian novelist should make spiritual things appealing, even to those who are turned off by spirituality in real life. I think fantasy almost naturally does this. In fact, anything in any story that is intriguing to anyone must have elements of divine truth in it, I think.

Really, I don't think it's possible to segregate the audience. I'm a Christian, and I still need to be saved. I need to see evil defeated. I need to see true heroism, which cannot really exist in this world where everyone is sinful. I need to see restoration of the Way Things Should Be. When I see glimpses of these truths in stories, I am drawn closer to Christ, and inspired to try harder to shake off my apathy. I think the same truths work on everyone the same, at least on everyone who is willing to be drawn by them.

This probably comes down to a fundamental disagreement about the "method" of evangelization. But don't listen to me; I really don't know anything. If you're really sure that this is how God would have you write, with complete honesty, then your conviction is surely good. I don't want to discourage you, just to disagree on some points honestly.

[Kessie]

I've decided that for me, personally, I'll write whatever stories come along, and I'm not going to stress about spiritual elements. If they show up in the story, fine, if not, that's fine, too. I just want to entertain. Sooner or later the fanmail shows up, and that's where I can articulate my faith.

I've read books by people of other religions. I appreciate it when I realize that they've kept their religion out of their book. All they did was entertain. Now, their worldview will leak through--in Twilight, Meyers's Mormon worldview came through in how the vampires thought they could redeem themselves if they just worked hard enough--but that's not the same as including a sermon.

If their worldview leaked though, mine will, too. People who are seeking will be drawn to it, and those who aren't will hopefully just be entertained.

[Bainespal]

I wish I hadn't posted that response.... I was in a weird mood yesterday. There's probably no point deleting it now, is there?

I really hate theological or spiritual debates, and I didn't mean to start this thread down that path. I hope someone else can save the subject, and keep the discussion going in a positive direction.

[newburydave]

This is a post of my input to Brian's thread in the Sandbox.

Disclaimer: I was called to Asymmetric Evangelism, to take Gospel truth where Christ is not named (the same as my call to preach). So that's where I'm coming from.


Brian;

It sounds like you’ve laid out a very viable approach. God’s blessing and wisdom on your application of it.

I’ve had struggles about how subtle I should be in my stories; still wrestling with it. I’ve seen some subtle approaches that seem to be invisible, personally I’m not comfortable with that. It’s something that I included in my document about “Effective Critiques”,

I too am called to “preach the Gospel where Christ is not named” (except as a curse). That’s why I spent 25 of my 31 years in inner city mission work. When the Lord changed my direction into writing it led me to Science Fiction as my principle genre. A more God excluding, secular crowd you won’t find. But hey, you got to go where the fish are if you want to fish, right? Warming over backsliders in the church never struck me as a correct application of the great commission, work that needs to be done but not the primary calling.

My approach has been to write bang up Sci Fi with believable characters (I think I’m starting to do that) and make them Spirit filled Christians like me and my friends. Then throw the typical Sci Fi conflicts at them and have them react as real Christians would. I guess that’s more of an Appologetic approach, but that’s where I am as of now. Of course the active novelization project on my anvil right now is a near future novel about a Religious Anti-Terrorist Agent. (Dunno, I just write where He leads me.)

Not all churches are fossilized to the point of being Pharasee-like. Some are actively fighting to keep on the evangelistic firing line, whatever that takes.

One I know of is massively re-imagining itself because they stopped getting enough people saved in the US to grow their membership, and it’s not one of the small churches; worldwide I think it might be one of the largest evangelical groups membership wise. Unfortunately the non-US provinces (it’s not the Episcopal, just borrowing their terminology) are outstripping the US churches. (I guess they didn’t get the memo from the Left Behind establishment that the church is supposed to decline and stop growing before Jesus comes back.) That re-imagining church is the one that I’m referencing in that novel as an example of living, mainstream, orthodox Christianity.

We writers are called to be part of the cure; just look what Perritti accomplished within the church. Christianity is still the fastest growing religion in the world, we’re just being lied about in the “official” reporting. You know that thing about the whole world lying in the wicked one and all that.

Write on my brother.
Bear His Flame; Be the Light! (Mt. 5:14)

SGD
dave

[tris]

Not so much commenting on this thread, but adding a corollary to it.

As Christian writer we better be adding a depth of faith to anything we write because the world has ramped up its attack on Christianity and they aren't subtle about it.

I recently read two YA books, that while excellently written and enjoyable books, were pointedly anti-Christian. Several others I simply sampled were even more blunt.

Case in point: In the one series, the heroes are tracking down the equivalent to modern day "prosperity gospel" evangelists. for the One God. And the book portrayed the true believers as stupid peasants who couldn't tell true faith from false prophets. Perhaps someone not raised it church wouldn't get the connection, but it stood out plainly to anyone raised in the faith.

And that was one of the nicer books.

It's time we stopped girl thingy footing around. Tell your story. If Christian elements are important, leave them in. If those elements have a supporting role, do it subtly, but make no apologies.

The appeal to Christians and non-Christians alike is a good story. (Tolkien still draws audiences). A good example today is Karina Fabian's Live and Let Fly. ow.ly/aCOcp

Anyway, I just get really tired of picking up what looks like a good book only to be punched in the face by stuff I'd rather not read. I thought I could stick with YA, but it's made it's way there now, too. There's nothing wrong with wholesome and I wish more Christians would write it.

[brianc]

This topic was basically written for people who want to break into the secular market and try to acceptably teach about God. Christian writers who write Christian novels will of course play by slightly different rules, so this thread wouldn't be much help to you.

I don't want to be as subtle as Tolkein, personally. But I can't be too subtle either. There's a fine line. I'm trying to figure that out. It's difficult, whiich is what makes it a fun challenge. To teach God so that it's obvious, but not offend atheists...that's what this topic is about. I hope to encourage more writers to attempt it. I figure if enough writers try it, someone will get it right and help a lot of people.

- Brian

[brianc]

On point I'd like to make is that I think Christians have a potential to help/teach a lot more people, but they have limited themselves to only Christian novels and movies.

When is the last time you saw a blockbuster Christian movie that everyone loved? Can you even think of one? In other words, Christian writers may want to start thinking of new ways to influence the lost. Jesus went to the sinners not the saints. Paul was sent to the Gentiles. Paul said ihe would be all things to all people so that from many he might win a few. We are told to be as innocent as doves and shrewd as snakes. I think we were sent to the sinners moreso than the saints. However, some are sent to Christians.

This is a challenge to Christian writers to try and break into the secular market. How awesome would it be to influence tons of Atheists and actually win some for the Lord through our work? Just keep in mind that a Christian writer does not have to limit himself to just Christian novels. He can branch out, even under a new name, writing to a secular audience. Give it some thought and maybe pray and ask God if He wants to move you in that direction. We haven't done our job well till a really great film with strong Christian overtones makes it into the theaters and becomes a blockbuster film. That's my ultimate goal.

- Brian