Your point of view as a human being is going to come over in your work whether you know it or not. There's no way you can hide it. So if you are a Christian, your work is going to be Christian. There's no way you can hide that. If you're not, you can talk about Jesus all you like and it's not going to be Christian. . .. (145)
I have found L'Engle's words very reassuring as I have been writing. I tend to write more by the seat of my pants, and I have found comfort in the knowledge that my faith will show through as I write, even if I don't plan a specific message or theme for a particular manuscript.
I agree with Hannah, who says "there are pros and cons to each approach." On the one hand, writers like C.S. Lewis planned out specific Christian allegories, and on the other, writers like J.R.R. Tolkein thought that story should embody Christian values, but without overtly stating them.
Do you have a preference when you read? What audiences can you imagine being receptive to which type of writing?
Leave a comment and let us know!
Attributions:
http://www.madeleinelengle.com/uncategorized/biography-of-madeleine-lengle/
https://pixabay.com/en/fountain-pen-text-leave-white-442066/
Great post, Erin! I don't know that I have a preference. I love it when a Christian message is wrapped seamlessly into a page-turning story, but that's a tricky thing for writers to accomplish and messages that aren't specifically Christian can be equally powerful.
ReplyDeleteThought provoking. I love Madeline L'Engle and often agree with her -- no different this time.
ReplyDeleteI find it frustrating when people read a book but complain it was "too Christian" for them just because the main character was Christian. Nobody complains if he's Buddhist or Jewish.
It's difficult (at least for me) to weave a subtle Christian message into stories. But I know even though I read and enjoy Christian fiction, I enjoy the subtle messages more.