Is YA Christian Fiction Ever Christian Enough?

Have you ever read a book review where a critic slammed a work of YA Christian fiction for not being “Christian enough”? 

Lacks Biblical substance. Doesn’t mention Jesus even once. Fluffy entertainment.

Let me first say that, as a Christian, it is of utmost importance to guard the integrity of your faith and the purity of Biblical truth. Not every book that parades as “Christian” fiction is truly Biblical in its message, and—WARNING!—some even contradict God’s Word. (See 6 Red Flags to Watch for In YA Christian Fiction.)

But what about the rest of Christian fiction, those books for which the Biblical message is sound but not necessarily in-depth? Is Christian fiction ever Christian enough?

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY

As a teen, I was really into contemporary Christian music. Plus One, Jaci Velasquez, ZoeGirl, Burlap to Cashmere, Newsboys . . . These had the catchy beats and bright tones of pop music without the cuss words and racy, female-degrading themes. Safe, fun and fulfilling entertainment as far as I was concerned.

My father didn’t see it that way. In his opinion, the lyrics were shallow, vague, maybe even a little weird. I always joked that he would rather I listen to Queen—a decidedly unChristian band—than the Christian music station. 

Dad wasn’t completely wrong. By itself, one Christian pop song might contain very little in terms of Christian doctrine. Someone who sings “there’s a God who you can trust” (“If This World” by Jaci Velasquez) could be referring to any god. “I know right from the start your love was written on my heart” (“Written On My Heart” by Plus One) could be about a girl for all we know. And check out this lyrical gem from “Wherever We Go” by Newsboys: “​​Where we go, little glow-worms glow, little roadrunners run ahead. Gonna tell their friends, little mice, little men. Get ’em all excited, all invited.” 

Huh?!

If I were looking to replace time in church with Christian music—and time in the Bible with Christian fiction—then, yes, I absolutely agree. These types of media don’t cut it.

And therein lies our point.

YA CHRISTIAN FICTION IS NO REPLACEMENT FOR THE BIBLE.

That statement is so important, let me say it again: YA Christian fiction is no replacement for the Bible.

Instead, the best Christian fiction should send you back to God’s Word, eager to learn more and live more in him.

As with contemporary Christian music, some YA Christian fiction novels will dive deep into Christian doctrine while others focus on a certain emotion or circumstance. In my next post, I’ll go into more Red Flags of YA Christian Fiction, but as long as the overarching principles in the book are Biblically sound (and reading your Bible more will help you recognize when this is not the case), there’s no reason to think a novel is not “Christian enough” simply because it doesn’t go into great detail about Jesus’ death and resurrection.

JESUS USED SHORT STORIES TO TEACH LESSONS

Jesus was one of the best storytellers. He could make a lesson out of anything, but not every lesson had the same theme. The Parable of the Rich Fool is about guarding our hearts against every type of greed. The Parable of the Watchful Servants is a lesson about staying alert. And the Parable of the Lost Sheep reveals God’s heart toward each and every believer. The stories were as different as the lessons, and each spoke to a specific aspect of the Christian existence.

No one accused Jesus of not going deep enough simply because he didn’t mention his coming sacrifice in every single one.

ENTERTAINMENT AND ENLIGHTENMENT

You won’t get an entire lesson about salvation by grace in every one of my short stories, which have limited space and typically focus on a single issue. But this key element is an undertone in everything I write, and it’s a guiding principle for many other Christian authors.

Short Stories With Christian Themes

The following Christian themes are covered in my short stories:

The Day Hanna Hosanna Helped Cootie Judy

You + Me = Forever

Gwendolyn Grace And All the Other Chicks

One White Dark Night

The Green Grass Grows Again

A Time to Heal

A Time to Live

A Time to Wait

A Time to Tell

READ AND ENJOY!

Renowned author Robin Lee Hatchers makes a case for Christian fiction in Why Christian Fiction? I tackle this issue specifically for teen readers in Why Do We Need Young Adult Christian Literature?

I don’t know about you, but I like to read fiction to de-stress and take a break from my personal reality. I want entertainment I can enjoy without worrying about running into scenes that poison my mind and make me sympathetic to sin. 

YA Christian fiction does that well, so head on down to your local library and pick out a good book today!