Should Christian Fiction Genres Exist?
“The world does not need more Christian literature. What it needs is more Christians writing good literature.” – C. S. Lewis
This quote, from one of the literary greats of the twentieth century, is one I’ve heard often in Christian circles. It’s a quote I generally agree with. Christian fiction has historically had quality problems and we need to emphasize the production of good literature rather than just literature with the Christian brand slapped on it.
However, some Christians take this quote in another direction. Not only should we de-emphasize the Christian fiction genre, but according to some, we shouldn’t even have a genre for Christian fiction in the first place. In the minds of some, “Christian fiction” is a retreat from the world where we insulate ourselves in closed communities with sub-par fiction.
Which leads to a question: should we really be avidly reading works of Christian fiction if the genre insulates us from the rest of the world?
