Into the Fire

I'm going to do my disclaimers first. I understand why certain Christian Fiction is labeled "clean" to insure readers they're not going to be presented with smutty literature such as can be found in the general market. Certain genres and sub-genres in the Christian fiction market naturally lean toward "clean" such as the cozy mystery category, but the descriptive label stamping any novels as "clean" reading is specifically for those readers who are typically demonstrative in their demands and requirements for their novels. Whether those demands are based on the desire to escape the depravity we often witness in the world or if it's from a self-righteous definition of what holiness should be in Christian reading, there are plenty of novels in the Christian Fiction spectrum to meet and satisfy those demands.

My question is this: Is the opposite of "clean", "dirty"? I cannot think of one book in the Christian Fiction genre that is "dirty". I can think of many that address difficult subjects, complicated characters who stretch between very good and noble to harsh and evil and everything in between – of course it depends on the genre. 

Some readers will not read thrillers or certain suspense or mystery novels because they object to violence, especially any kind of graphic descriptions. Other readers are enormously sensitive to realistic depictions of sexual attraction and temptation – even in romance novels. 

While some of us who write in the romance/love story genre prefer realism and addressing the challenges that romance/love entails, there are readers who prefer not to look at this from the world's point of view and just see it addressed from a Christian viewpoint. This limits any contrasts between the two and can sterilize the portrayals of types of characters. Plus, it can make the already formulaic romance genre even more predictable. Having said that, if this is what readers want to read, there are multiple options available to them. 

My point here is for those of us who don't necessarily meet whatever that "clean" attachment to fiction might mean, I refuse to tag the "dirty" label to our work.

Maybe what we need is a clearer definition of "clean" in reference to Christian Fiction – besides the obvious "no graphic sex or profanity" – and maybe "no graphic violence". Any ideas?

Father, we're all desperate for you. And we have much in common for being so different. The fact remains: Apart from you, we can do nothing. Thank you for so much grace and benevolence. As always, thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.