Episode Details

What comes to your mind with the label “Christian fiction”? If you grew up evangelical or heard the stereotypes, you likely think negative assumptions. For example, we assume “Christian fiction” has predictable plots, shallow characters, and cheap evangelism. Even when some stories do, how can we avoid our own cliched notions about all those “bad” Christian-made novels?

Episode sponsors

1. Enclave Publishing: Lion Warrior by James R. Hannibal
2. Changelings: Insurgence by Liam Corley
3. Story Embers summit, May 23–25, 2024

Mission update

• Stephen announces his first novel, coming 2025 from Enclave Publishing
• Don’t miss Jenneth Dyck’s article about Prince Caspian onstage
• Last week’s review, Lion Warrior; this week’s review, Hybrid
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Concession stand

• We’ve already covered cringe evangelical stuff and mention bad stories.
• Stephen even recently referenced a very bad evangelical novel by name.
• Other books, like The Shack, may be cringe but carry harmful ideas.
• And we know you may have only heard Christian fiction cheerleaders.
• But we’re not talking about that! We’re talking about cringe criticisms.
• Based on Stephen’s older article: How to Be A Silly Christian Fiction Critic.
• Per our emphasis here, Zack rightly suggested a more positive spin.
• Instead of an original “Seven ways to be a silly Christian fiction critic …”
• We’ll base this on seven ways to be a good Christian fiction critic.

1. Clear outdated nonsense and read today’s books.

• Even today I hear people assume Christian fiction is all Amish romance.
• And/or coloring books, Left Behind books, spiritual warfare, or angels.
• Apart from one exception, these are all previous evangelical trends.
• (And even those were better than today’s top evangelical trend: politi