Into the Fire

Presented to various authors/writers/publishing industry professionals:

Whether or not you like or dislike the label, in three sentences or less define “Christian Fiction”.

*Some of the following definitions/responses (and opinions) were only edited to confine them to three sentences. Most of them were left as received.*

In no particular order:

Christian fiction are stories written by authors who accept Christ as their Lord and savior. They are written either for like-minded readers or to entice others into the fold. They proclaim God’s truths through the plot or the actions and beliefs of their characters, either subtly or overtly.

Robert Liparulo (Author)

If the motifs and ideas an author works through in his novel derive from Christian theology, that's Christian fiction in my book — along with novels that write honestly about the Christian community and the experience of faith. Given this definition, a lot of things the label is never applied to actually qualify, and a few things it's often applied to don't. 

J. Mark Bertrand (Author)

Fiction that points to God's truths.

Gina Holmes (Author)

I think about this category in two ways: For me, capitalized "Christian Fiction" is an industry, a genre of storytelling that intentionally uses values held by Christians as a context for the story's themes. I more loosely define "Christian fiction" (lowercase) as any story that illuminates for any reader, whether the author intended to or not, the same Christian values. 

Erin Healy (Author/Editor)

Christian Fiction is a recently recognized genre comprised of stories written by Christians, primarily for other Christians (though some would claim that their goal is essentially evangelist). Its purpose seems to be to provide religiously safe stories for those of the same mindset, and it tends to be insular and stilted in its thinking and application of real life scenarios. The influence of "Worldview Fiction," on the other hand, would likely be farther-reaching and hit the mark for "serious literature" more readily, a mark all Christian writers should strive to achieve.

Chila Woychik (Author/Publisher)

Christian fiction is a genre that includes Christian themes and a worldview that is consistent with Judeo-Christian beliefs. Any story that shows the redemptive work of Christ whether subtle or blatant fits Christian fiction as a descriptor. A clean story is not a good enough reason to label a book Christian fiction.

Michelle Sutton (Author)

My definition is not the industry definition but it's how I define it. Christian fiction is a story told from a Christian worldview and the faith thread can either be subtle or overt, just like we see in the parables of the New Testament.

Susan Meissner (Author)

To me, "Christian fiction" is fiction that merely addresses or includes some aspect of the Christian life/walk. On the one end it is not necessarily synonymous with clean fiction and on the other end it doesn't have to include a salvation message. It can be written for both believers and/or unbelievers to encourage, exhort, equip, or evangelize.

Mike Dellosso (Author)

For me, Christian fiction is fiction for Christians. It reveals Christian ideals–fruits of the spirit, characters fighting to live or live fully against all odds, stories of maturing, of sacrificial love, or of the reality of evil to contrast and set the light in stark relief. It's both escapist and instructive and exists to bring God glory.

Mick Silva (Author/Editor)

Christian Fiction… is a fiction market where readers go to find stories that include stories with a Christian worldview or motif.

Tosca Lee (Author)

Christian fiction for me, whether with an overt faith message, symbolic, or subtle between-the-lines writing, causes me to examine my life against biblical principles to see how I might live differently. It is hard for me to define Christian fiction and put it in a box because I have read books that never mention God but whose characters’ moral code stems from a biblical foundation (even though the author may never have intended such a comparison). It is fiction where the characters and their belief system are so deeply woven together that you read the book and don’t think of the two things separately—which is very hard to achieve.

B. K. Jackson (Author)

Christian fiction can be filtered through many different genres, characters, and settings. It might never mention a church. Its protagonist might not be a Christian–even at the conclusion of the book. But the book should provide quality storytelling grounded in a biblical worldview.

Eric Wilson (Author)

Novels can't be "Christian." They can, however, contain elements that reflect Christian precepts, virtues, and beliefs. Stories that frame a biblical worldview and/or wrestle with spiritual themes, whether or not those themes are explicitly portrayed or representative of any one religious wing, should be considered as part of the spectrum of Christian art.

Mike Duran (Author) 

Christian fiction is a well told story from a Christian worldview.

Mary DeMuth (Author)

Christian fiction: A novel that is told from a Christian worldview, a story where the Christian faith of the characters is an integral plot thread, important to the story as a whole.

Robin Lee Hatcher (Author)

Christian fiction is our opportunity through story to show the grace, mercy and redemption of Jesus Christ. As He used story to teach and emulate sacrificial love which leads to God, so can Christian fiction whether as overtly as the story of David or as subtly as the story of Esther.

Dineen Miller (Author)

(to be continued . . .)