Does It Have To Be Amish Romance?

Posted January 28th, 2010 by admin in "Culture" Blog, Archive, Christ & Culture Blog, January 2010, Reviews.

By Glynn Young

I recently read Robin Parrish’s novel Offworld, the story of a group of astronauts returning from Mars who discover that the world’s 10 billion people, or almost all of them, have disappeared. The novel was published by Bethany House, a well known and well respected Christian publisher. The author is a Christian. And the novel is, well, the novel is not an Amish romance.

It’s not even overtly Christian. No big gospel message. No struggles with faith. And an incredibly riveting and well-written story.

I didn’t think this was a big deal, until a few weeks later, someone commented on a blog about the novel: “I didn’t like it. Offworld didn’t edify me.”

I have all kinds of problems with that statement, not the least of which was the assumption that the novel’s purpose was to “edify me,” both an arrogance and a self-centeredness that the commenter likely didn’t intend.

A debate rages off and on about what is, and isn’t, “Christian” fiction. Some have offered these qualifications: written by a Christian author; published by a Christian publishing house; absence of cursing, sex, raw violence; some moral lesson; explicit goaspel message; good always wins in the end. Some go much farther than this. Novelist Ted Dekker recently ripped on the content guidelines of Christian romance publisher Steeple Hill; some pointed out that under those guidelines, even the Bible wouldn’t be published. Dekker eventually apologized, and everyone agreed to “move on,” a euphemism for acknowledging that the parties don’t, and probably won’t, agree. Another way to look at it, though, is to say Mr. Dekker knows his art and Steeple Hill knows its market. Publishing is a business, after all.

Suspense writer Mike Dellosso and writer Mike Duran have been utilizing their blogs lately to raise questions and invite discussion. Both go beyond the “defining guidelines” kind of controversy, and ask more pointed questions. What is “Christian” fiction? Is there such a thing? Can there be? For those who say that some write from a “Christian worldview,”  what does that mean? And the audience question: what is the purpose of “Christian” fiction – to evangelize or build up the church? Who do Christians write for? Who should we write for? If we’re writing only for other Christians, are we keeping ourselves not of this world and out of it?

The discussion, even with the occasional outrage, is healthy. And it’s important. It begins to get at the purpose of writing and fiction, of creation and art. It leads us to this “separate but equal” life and lifestyle we Christians often live in today’s world.

And it can point us in a different direction. Switchfoot singer Jon Foreman, writing in The Huffington Post just recently, called the artist “the bridge between hope and despair.” (Read the whole article.) I think Foreman is right. I’d add that this bridge, this essential function, happens most effectively when we Christian writers understand we are that bridge.

This blog entry was written exclusively for TheChristianManifesto.com. Please do not post elsewhere on the internet or quote extensively without prior written consent from TheChristianManifesto.com. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views and positions of The Christian Manifesto. All views expressed are solely those of the blogger.

Glynn Young is a writer who lives in St. Louis, MO. A native of New Orleans, he still can’t find the perfect fried shrimp poor-boy anywhere else. An award-wining speechwriter, he works for a Fortune 500 company where he leads the Online Strategy & Communications team. He loves Jesus, his wife, his two sons, his daughter-in-law, his grandson-to-be, his dog and biking.

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Comments (12)

    • Great article. Provocative message and it really made me think.

      Posted on January 28, 2010 at 8:58 pm by Brian

    • Glynn,

      Nice thoughts.

      Men and women seem to conceive and approach God differently. This is reflected in Christian fiction.

      Romance novels of any ilk … proceed cautiously.

      Posted on January 29, 2010 at 7:27 am by Russell Holloway

    • It’s it funny, Christian’s can’t even agree on what constitutes appropriate fiction. No wonder there’s so many denominations.

      There is room on the market for fiction that edifies and fiction that simply tells a good story. There’s nothing wrong with both and there are people who want both and read both. Neither side should waste their creative energies discrediting the other.

      I agreed with what Dekker said and did not understand why people were so upset with him, nor did I feel he needed to apologize. He wasn’t questioning their style as much as what their guidelines were truly saying about Christians. Priest should not be an excluded word simply because it would refer to Catholicism, which as much has Protestant might hate to admit, has a great number of Christians within their church.

      Russell, I disagree that it’s a man vs. woman approach. It’s individuals having different tastes. I would never pick up Amish fiction and rarely enjoy idealistic, traditional Christian fiction. It doesn’t mean either are bad, simply it’s not my preference, which is really what a lot of the debate amounts to.

      As a reviewer, I’m going to heavily promote the edgier, non-traditional writing because that’s an emerging market that I strongly support. However, my preference doesn’t mean everyone else is wrong. I might question the purpose of an evangelical message in a book read predominately by Christians, but if it helps one person, then it was worth the time spent to write it and the money spent to publish it.

      Posted on January 29, 2010 at 10:20 am by Melissa

    • It definitely is an issue of taste and the fact that all of us are wired differently and appreciate different stories for (sometimes) entirely different reasons. I write stories and novels, and while they are not explicitly Christian there is always an underlying theme present that illustrates some aspect of faith. We do not live in a G-Rated world, so I personally do not read or write chaste romances where the entire point of the novel is whether the man of her dreams will hold her hand by the end of the story, or whether someone will give in to God at the altar call at the end of the novel. It’s the same with music: Our world has Audio Adrenaline (which is fine for the youth group and Sunday School set) and P.O.D./Flyleaf (which are meant to appeal to a much larger, broader audience). They all have their respective audiences, and it’s okay if people like one over the others instead of all three (though I happen to enjoy all of them).

      Posted on January 29, 2010 at 11:19 am by Brian

    • First, thanks for reminding me about Offworld. I’ve wanted to read that for a while.

      I have many disjointed thoughts on this subject, but I think the crux of the issue is: what is the purpose of Christian publishers? They seem to think it’s to make money selling books that edify (their word) Christians. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, but it doesn’t interest me in the least as a reader. It also tends to create a bubble that looks down on everything that’s not inside it.

      Which makes me think of Flannery O’ Connor and her exquisite fiction that tries to shock people out of their comfort zone and see the world in a different way. That type of thing is probably always going to come from outside the Christian bubble, because it won’t sell to mainstream Christians, who are apparently afraid of a lot of ideas. I’d like to see that change, but it would take a massive cultural shift within mainstream U.S. Christianity to do that.

      Posted on January 29, 2010 at 11:59 am by Michael Pape

    • i suppose we must first agree on the word Christian. and then we might take in some thoughts on what is word. then we must discuss if words can be called Christian. do the words themselves believe in Jesus? is word alive? what is word? what are words?

      what if we had all the knowledge of word, what it really is, and the power of it?
      for good or for evil…what if we knew?

      Posted on January 29, 2010 at 12:44 pm by nAncY

    • Where does the principle of writing what you know fit into this? Could a non-believer write credible christian literature whatever that entails? Can we really compartmentalize our lives that completely? As Brian said above … very provocative article, Glynn.

      Posted on January 29, 2010 at 3:20 pm by Susan

    • You’ve got me thinking…and remembering. I remember – probably two decades ago – when I first heard a Christian artist sing what I labeled a “secular” song. At that time there wasn’t a place in my neat and tidy Christian heart to figure out where to put this strange new phenomenon. Now I realize that my heart isn’t all that neat and tidy, and neither – really – is anything else.

      Posted on January 29, 2010 at 3:27 pm by deidra

    • It has been said that Amish fiction sells and appeals to people because it hearkens back to a simpler existence. People defend it vigorously, yet defend it vigorously using means the Amish have abstained from (i.e. The Internet, blogs, etc).

      What has NOT been said in Glynn’s blog is that Amish romance appeals to some for altogether different reasons. While not a reader of the genre myself, three things immediately stick out to me.

      First, Amish fiction gives a glimpse into an altogether different way of life. Let’s be honest. We’re curious. I watched Steve Jobs deliver a keynote address about the iPad a couple days ago, even though I have no intention of buying one. Why? Because it’s another gadget that would make me more efficient in the busy life I currently live. But, I’m buying a new laptop first. I prioritize my electronic devices. But, the Amish way of life is the exact opposite of mine and carries with it no indictments of race or religion. For instance, a white person might not approach a story about an African-American protagonist, because that story might say some things about race relations in America that causes feelings of “white guilt” or general discomfort. But, most of us could sit and read Amish romance, be intrigued by their way of life, then go back to our iPhones and $14 cups of bad coffee at Starbucks.

      Second, another angle on that. There are thrillers with FBI agents, criminal profilers, etc. There are military novels with soldiers, spies, and black ops shadow operatives. There are gritty cop dramas with dark cities full of crime and malevolence. But, that is in a world we know. It’s not hard for us to imagine FBI agents, because we hear about them all the time. We hear about kidnappings and how the FBI has been called in to investigate while we all pray. Some of us know members who are in the armed forces or who have fought to defend our country’s interests. We all have seen the cops patrolling the streets and highways. Some of us may have first responders in our families. But, hardly ANY of us know someone who is Amish. So, reading about the Amish way of life, for some, can be like being immersed in Avatar‘s Pandora. It is a life foreign and intriguing.

      Third, Amish fiction seems to project a simpler form of love. The versions of love presented on televisionand in literature are often messed up. 52% of marriages end in divorce. So, the idea that “true love waits and wins” is an appealing one. It is the same reason we go to the movies to see things like Transformers and Star Trek. We all wish we had cars that turned into robots or wish we could beam down to some alien planet for a phaser fight (unless you’re wearing red…then you’re a dead man). And, we all want love to win. But, this world doesn’t always offer us that.

      While I choose to see the bad guy get caught by reading cop dramas and FBI thrillers (in a world where the bad guy isn’t always caught), there are those who choose to see a better world through a simpler way of life, even if they never get to live that life themselves.

      Just some thoughts.

      Posted on January 29, 2010 at 5:46 pm by C.E. Moore

    • Thanks for all the comments. I even received a couple via email.

      Russell, thanks for stopping by. And nAncY – you’re right, that word Christian is often overlooked in the discussion.

      Melissa and Brian, I’m finding myself reading more and more of the edgier, non-traditional writers, likely for the same reasons you are. I stumbled across T.L. Hines, for example, with his “Faces in the Fire” and I’m not reading everything else he’s done. Reading him is often like running your hand along sandpaper, but what a powerful experience it is. At the same time, I’m a real sucker for a good romance novel.

      Michael, one of my favorite Flannery O’Connor quotes is “for the nearly blind you have to draw large pictures, and for the nearly deaf you have to shout.” Another: “when I’m asked why Southern writers have such a penchant for writing about freaks, I say it’s because we’re still able to recognize one.” I think you’re right about the cultural shift. Most “Christian” readers today wouldn’t recognize O’Connor as a “Christian” writer,” yet I’ve learned more about faith and God from her writing than just about any other “Christian” writer I can think of.

      Susan and Deidra, the “compartmentalization” issue is what gave birth to “crossovers,” I think. We Christians walled ourselves off from the culture around us, and created our own, often a dim reflection of the secular culture. (They do rock, we do rock. They do rap, we do rap.) I found that at work, it was worse than that. We created our separation of self and left our faith at the door, or we overcompensated and hit our co-workers upside the head with it. I think we should have been just living it and being it.

      Calvin, I hope I didn’t suggest that Amish romance was something “less” than other kinds of fiction. But I will say this. Reading Marilynne Robinson or Flanney O’Connor is a very different kind of experience than reading a Christian romance novel. The latter might entertain, bring tears to my eyes, and satisfy me as a good story. The former do something else — they shake my preconceived notions, and force me to think about familair things in different ways. But I can enjoy reading both.

      Thanks again for the comments. I keep learning that comments not only extend a post; they also are usually better.

      Posted on January 29, 2010 at 11:46 pm by Glynn

    • Oh, Glynn, this is such a good conversation to have. I am a literary nerd, and my husband is a book worm, and one of the things discuss regularly is the lack of quality fiction written by Christians. It seems we either have to settle for well-written books that lack in morals or poorly-written books that are so preachy it makes me want to cry. Obviously, this is a sweeping generalization. But a lot of Christian fiction that I have read has been contrived, predictable, and just plain bad. I for one would love to see Christian publishers putting out books that tell a creative story, use quality writing, and don’t see the need to force the Gospel into every page. Once you’ve fallen in love with Dickens or Austen or whomever, Amish romance loses its appeal.

      Posted on January 30, 2010 at 10:04 am by Erin

    • Great article and a very provocative subject. It always seems to be turbulent waters where Christianity meets the free market. I try not to get too bogged down with definitions, but rather focus on trying to tell a really good story. However, for Christian authors, there often seems to be a dance of compromise with our publishers. They put up the advances and the marketing dollars, and so are entitled to recoup their costs, while we long to push envelopes and stretch our artistic wings. And hope people will be willing to read our stuff.

      There will be Amish romances as long as there are readers willing to pay for them. For those of us who like to write on the fringes… well, all we can do is tell the best stories we can, and pray like mad there will be people willing to pay for them. I tend to think there’s room enough for all.

      Posted on February 1, 2010 at 12:11 am by Tom Pawlik