Episode Details

Last month at Lorehaven, readers were buzzing about a two-part article series from Josiah DeGraaf, which we called Should Christians Cancel Woke Stories? In short, Josiah suggests Christians must watch our for our own propaganda, and approach stories not as “culture warriors” but as students. That raises a big question hiding behind many readers’ questions about the series. When we’re enjoying stories, who are we supposed to be? Before we talk about our added callings as story creators, evangelists, or even students, what is our one job?

Concession stand

• Effectively this is part 4 of our Fiction’s Chief End episode series.
• We’ll build on the “fiction’s chief end” series and lots of other articles.
• We’ll respond to some readers who have commented, though in general.
• We’re assuming mature Christian listeners here, not kids or new Christians.
• We assume a biblical view about the question “what is the chief end of man”?
• None of this speaks against anyone’s job as story creator or evangelist.
• Yet we do try to put first things first, which means: (1) God, (2) others, and (3) you!
• Unless we get this right, all our fiction happiness and holiness will go askew.

What is the chief end of fan?

• People in memes have showed examples of failure to say “you had one job.”
• Here’s our big question: What’s our one job when we enjoy stories?
• A more-recent meme phrase is “X does/doesn’t understand the assignment.”
• Our big purpose: we must understand our first assignment from God.
• Only when we get this can we better sort out propaganda and “clean” stories.
• Now let’s specifically explore our assumed first jobs: as author or evangelist.

1. Fan’s chief end is … to be an author?

• First, some “inside baseball.” (We got this a lot at the original Speculative Faith.)
• In articles, comments, and everywhere, people assumed author identities.
• When Stephen began editing more often, he began to push back against this.
• If we’re all authors, where are the readers? We’re stuck in an echo chamber.
• If we’re always talking “inside author baseball,” we kinda deserve obscurity.
• For practical and doctrinal reasons, Stephen resists the authorial-voice impulse.
• Even in secular views, if we aren’t fans first, we’re going to lose happiness!
• We’ll end up just manufacturing stories—raiding others’ stories for parts.
• That impulse leads to novels and movies that most fans simply don’t enjoy.
• Here’s one tell: when people speak of “telling” rather than “enjoying” a story.
• With Josiah’s articles, some people reacted not as fans but authors.
• Using his framing, people wanted to think as teachers but not as students.
• Good teachers, however, know they themselves can never stop learning.
• Or as Jesus said, he who would be first must be last. We lead as servants.
• That leads to the more spiritual version of this leader-obsessed approach.

2. Fan’s chief end is … to be an evangelist?

• We could have a whole set of new concessions about this identity.
• God does call us all to evangelism, just like he calls some to create stories.
• But is our prime directive, ou