Tag: novel

Christian Romance Novels: A Wise Caution

~ Bob Hayton ~ 6 Comments

Jim Elliff of Christian Communicators Worldwide, drew my attention to this article on Christian Romance Novels. I thought it was a wise caution and could be a help to all of us who enjoy fiction of any kind, but particularly this genre. I’ll post some excerpts and encourage you to read the whole article.

Christian Romance Novels: Are They Our Harmless Little Secret?
by Susan Verstraete

…If you are like most believing women I know, at some point you’ve read [a Christian Romance novel], too. Obviously someone is reading them. One major Christian bookseller has over 2,000 current titles listed in this category….

So, is this a harmless area of Christian liberty? I’ll let you decide. But it wouldn’t hurt to look more carefully at what we are reading and how it might””just might””be a problem for some of us.

Have you turned off your intellect? When researchers asked women why they read Christian romance, an overwhelming majority said they valued the books because they inspired an emotional response. That’s not necessarily wrong, but we need to be discerning even when reading fiction. For example, whole series of novels are written that are “Christian” in name only. The characters are practical atheists who may attend church, but their faith does not impact their decisions. We don’t want to passively accept this as normative Christian behavior….

Does it teach idolatry? I know that sounds harsh, but hear me out. If the heroine in your novels is always saved by a lover, that’s a false redemption. Christ is our Redeemer, and God is our ever-present help in time of trouble. Our hope is in Christ, not in Prince Charming. No mere man can fix all our problems….

Is it changing your expectations?… Do you think that God will always wrap up all the loose ends in your life in a timely manner? Do you expect your life to always be exciting, or your work always fulfilling? Should you always be the center of attention? Do you fantasize about being rescued by a man from a situation in which you feel helpless? If so, you may have been influenced by reading Christian romances….

Is it a steady diet? Finishing a Christian romance novel is a little like taking the last bite of a hot fudge sundae. We usually feel a little sad that it’s over. The fantasy has ended and we return to our comparatively boring, unglamorous, meat-and-potatoes lives. The temptation is, of course, to immediately pick up a new book and immerse ourselves in a new fantasy.

In the same way that we should not allow a steady diet of hot fudge sundaes, we should not allow ourselves a steady diet of popular fiction. If we do so, we miss the chance to read material that will teach us good theology, help us grow as believers, and develop realistic expectations about relationships and spirituality….

Be sure to read the whole thing, and let me know what you think. Am I way off base in thinking this is helpful? Or does she have a good point?

I should add that some of the escapism she brings out applies to guys like me who enjoy epic, Tolkien-like fantasy books as well. This isn’t an anti-women post, or anything….

“The Sacred Cipher” by Terry Brennan

~ Bob Hayton ~ 1 Comment

The Sacred Cipher by Terry Brennan, was my first jaunt into the genre of Biblical archaeological fiction. The classic example is Paul Maier’s A Skeleton in God’s Closet. As a “Bible geek” , who enjoys studying biblical languages and following the history of Biblical texts, I thoroughly enjoyed this work. It’s hard to believe that this is truly Brennan’s first novel.

The story centers on a discovery, in an old New York mission building of an ancient scroll written in an unknown script. Tom Bohannon, the director of the Bowery Mission, gets swept up in the effort to decipher the mysterious scroll. Drawing on his journalistic background and his connections within academia, Tom begins to unravel the scroll’s secrets. Along the way it becomes more and more obvious that others are interested in the scroll, and they will do anything to possess it.

The fast-paced plot will keep you on the edge of your seat, as the story takes you from New York to Jerusalem and beyond. Along the way you’ll discover mountain hideouts and underground caverns, secret rooms and secret messages, ancient tunnels and very contemporary security measures. The book holds something for the average fiction reader, but especially thrills the arm-chair archaeologist. Anyone interested in ancient languages and historical puzzles will be intrigued by Brennan’s well-researched adventure.

When the story moves to Jerusalem, the scroll’s secrets threaten to undue the fragile peace of the region. When you pick up this book, you too won’t have any peace until you finish it! It’s that good!

Terry Brennan has had an extensive career in journalism, winning several awards, including the Valley Forge Award for editorial writing from the Freedoms Foundation. Terry served eleven years as the vice president of operations for the Bowery Mission in New York City and is currently a management consultant. You can learn more about Terry and his writing at terrybrennan.blogspot.com.

Disclaimer: this book was provided by the publisher for review. The reviewer was under no obligation to provide a positive review.

This book is available for purchase at the following sites: Amazon.com or direct from Kregel.