Like the proverbial quiet before the storm, we pause this week in our Best Christian Book of All Time Tournament (BCBATT). Nominations closed over the weekend, and the brackets won’t be announced until next week. This seemed an appropriate time to ponder the question:
What is a Christian book, anyway?
When I called for people to nominate their picks for the “best Christian book,†I expected there to be some differences of opinion about what constituted a “Christian book,†as well as questions about how to choose which book is “better” than another. The nominations reveal some significant differences in assumptions, and even great diversity within individual lists.Some people picked great works of theology, others of devotion, others stories that capture the essence of the Gospel. Some picked long, complex books that attempt to capture the totality of life and truth, while others suggested short, simple books, focused on a single theme.
What a Christian Book Is Not
One person suggested to me that we aim for the best book — period — and that would be the best Christian book as well. Perhaps, but I’m uncomfortable with the idea of claiming all good books as fundamentally Christian. (For the record, I don’t think that is what he was suggesting.) I support the idea that all truth is God’s truth, and some of the most influential books and other writing in my life are not generally considered “Christian.†For example, my awe for God’s Creation was tremendously expanded by Brian Greene’s Fabric of the Cosmos, which is an introduction to contemporary physics written for laypeople, and Michael Chabon’s Yiddish Policemen’s Union gave me insight into the various roles that religion plays in people’s lives, especially people who are looking for a savior. Should books like these be considered when talking about the “best Christian bookâ€? I don’t think so, for a few reasons.
We should respect the beliefs and world views of the authors rather than “hijacking†them as one of our own.
If an author would reject our characterization of her book as “Christian,†then we shouldn’t impose our label on her work, even if the book seems to reflect deeply Christian ideas. We can still regard the book as good, just not “Christian.†We must not fall into the trap of thinking that only explicitly Christian work has value. When I became a Christian as an English major at the University of Louisville, I went through a spell in which I wanted to read only novels and poems written from clearly Christian perspectives. I suspect others have similar experiences with music, art, business writing, etc., and it might even be necessary for young believers to go through a cleansing process. Still, I eventually came to realize that good novels and poems have something to teach me, even when I don’t agree with them in their entirety. [Read more…] about What IS a Christian Book? (A Working Definition)