What Sets Christian Fiction Apart?

There's a difference between Christian and secular fiction. Do you know what it is?

A book, per se, can’t really be Christian. Christ came to redeem souls, not paperbacks. Yet being that fiction is written by humans, stories can’t help but convey what the author deeply believes, whether that's atheism, deism, buddhism, etc.

Christian fiction, in particular, strives to relate Biblical truth in story format. Why? Because a believer’s worldview is that this earth is inhabited by good and evil. Christians know that ultimately good will prevail, but not everyone knows that. In fact, there’s a lot of hopelessness happening in our world today. Christian fiction gives the clear message that there is hope to be found by anyone.

That’s not to say, however, the characters in Christian fiction are perfect. Nobody’s going to believe a perfect hero unless he happens to be Jesus himself. But the beauty of Christian fiction is that the stories show the changes that occur in a believer’s life, from sinner to saint. And ultimately, that glorifies God, doesn’t it?

Christian fiction strives to show how God's word and precepts can take messy characters and change them into something more beautiful. These are the types of stories that delight readers and bring honor to God because it points to Him.

Naturally, that means Christian fiction doesn’t include issues or topics that secular fiction glorifies. And, in fact, Christian publishers won’t put out a book that pushes anti-Christian agendas. That’s not to say you can’t have characters who struggle with horrific things, but neither can you present those vices in a positive light.

An example: you won’t find swearing in Christian fiction. No F-bombs to assault you. No torrid sex scenes to offend. Honestly, Christian fiction is a breath of fresh air in today’s environment.

And that's what sets Christian fiction apart.