Last month, I outlined the growing concern about Christian novels that push the envelope of propriety. Profanity, sexual innuendo, and questionable ethics increasingly mark the lives of characters who purport to be Christian, so that readers of Christian fiction wonder where they can find books that are truly inspiring and uplifting. How do we find “clean reads” in a marketplace that seems to favor irreverent, prurient stories instead of challenging us to live like Christ?
We authors have a couple of more fundamental questions: What standards of language and
behavior do our intended readers have, and what standards do their gatekeepers, Christian
publishers, have?
Peter Nikolai, publisher of Westbow Press, sounds a note
that most evangelical publishers would echo. “Titles should challenge people to
lead lives of moral excellence and virtue through content that is fair and
encourages righteousness,” he says. Essentially, Christian fiction should “raise
us up and make us more like Jesus Christ.” He then lists several story features
that would run contrary to this purpose and cause Westbow to reject the book
outright.[1]
Most Christian publishers are forthright in stating the
standards for their books. If you can’t find those standards on a publisher’s
website, ask for them. A publishing house may say that they give an author considerable
freedom in deciding what to include in the book. In that case, ask what purpose
the publisher hopes to achieve by publishing these books. This should bring
into clear focus what is permissible and what isn’t.
Back to the question at hand: How do we find “clean reads”
that are entertaining and inspiring, while lifting up worthy models for Christian
readers to imitate?
Seasonal Reading Lists. Evangelical Christian magazines such
as Christianity Today (https://www.christianitytoday.com) and World (https://wng.org) publish lists of new books for
Spring and Fall each year. These brief reviews of fiction and nonfiction books help
you identify authors and topics you would enjoy.
ECLA Website. The Evangelical Church Library Association (https://eclalibraries.org) serves librarians
of evangelical churches in the USA and Canada. Its website features reviews of
current and forthcoming books that most of us would consider “clean reads.”
Goodreads.com Christian
Reviewers’ Group. Thousands of readers share their book reviews on
goodreads.com, and a group of 2,100 reviewers specialize in Christian books (https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/193829-christian-book-reviews).
Not all of these are current books and not all of the reviews are favorable;
but if you’re patient to screen the posts, you can find innovative fiction that has not
yet been recognized by the mainline media.
Joe Allison writes both fiction and nonfiction, and has been a member of the Indiana chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers since 2010. His most recent book is Hard Times (Warner Press: 2019). He lives in Anderson, IN, with his wife Maribeth.[1] “Westbow
Press Editorial Standards,” https://www.westbowpress.com/en/why-westbow-press/editorial-standards,
accessed October 30, 2021.
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