Truth in Fiction
In college, I studied English Literature. My English department was at the big state university, known more for its football team than anything else. To say that my English professors resented that would be an understatement. My education there wasn’t bad, but it was definitely from a non-Christian worldview. Of every professor I had in my department, I doubt if even one of them was an evangelical Christian.
That’s okay. It’s good to learn from other people and their perspectives. This would serve me well in the future when I would end up spending the vast majority of my adult life in cross-cultural ministry.
The idea of truth in fiction wasn’t a big focus, but even though they wouldn’t use this vocabulary, I did have two professors who talked a lot about archetypes in literature. The big idea behind this is there are certain types of characters that exist across world literature. Whether you’re reading something from a previous century in Asia or a modern European novel, you’ll find similar characters represented.
For example, we all know that most stories have a hero. One of my favorite novels plays on this by naming the main character Hiro Protagonist. Other common archetypes are the Lover, the Sage, the Jester and the Everyman. They usually point to 12 major archetypes common in literature.
Christians should look at this and not be too surprised. There are common threads throughout human creation. Essential truths that tie us together. It is what allows us to relate to one another and when we read certain stories; they resonate with our being because of the truth that exists outside of the story.
I read a lot, including many non-fiction books on subjects that interest me. Non-fiction books, including the one I wrote, are helpful tools to reaffirm the readers’ beliefs and even help them grow and expand their faith in the subject matter. What they rarely do is change the skeptic’s mind.
The skeptic comes in with pre-conceived notions that act as walls to protect their beliefs from new information. We tend to read non-fiction that reinforces existing beliefs, not what challenges them. I’ve been writing for several years on various platforms (this blog, Medium, Substack, other blogs) and I enjoy the process of thinking through a topic and writing down information about it. One frustrating thing is that even if I think I’ve made a good argument about an idea, there is very little likelihood that it will change anyone’s opinion.
That’s true for me, with my miniscule following and it’s also true for those who write for millions. Mostly, we’re all preaching to the choir.
Years ago, I became convinced that a better way to talk to skeptics is through the arts. If you can submit your idea in a compelling narrative with relatable characters, it’s much more powerful. The first book to convince me of this was State of Fear by Michael Crichton. I was so fascinated by the story; I had to read the background behind it.
Crichton is one of my favorite authors and I’ve read everything he’s written. In State of Fear, we get a peek behind the curtain of environmental activism. What we learn in the story is that some of the people who are the most active in this don’t actually live their lives in a way that is environmentally friendly. In fact, many of their activities are actively harmful to the environment.
This reflected Mr. Crichton’s own experience and led him to write about it. I found it to be an interesting way to let the world know about this dark side of environmentalism. While he was alive, this author was very active in environmental causes and did his best to be pro-environment in the way he lived his life. He could have given speeches or wrote articles about that. Instead, he chose the literary form to tell us a story.
We see Jesus doing the same thing in the Gospels. He often used parables (stories) to convey the truth he wanted his audience to grasp. Whether it was the story of the Lost Son, the Wise and Foolish Servants or the Sower and the Seed, Jesus knew his audience and used fictional stories to proclaim Gospel truth.
In Seminary, I took a class on C. S. Lewis, taught by Dr. Calvin Miller. Dr. Miller is the author of The Singer Trilogy, a Gospel allegory. In the class, we talked about the way Lewis used different methods to communicate ideas, including fiction. Mr. Lewis is most famous for his Narnia series, but he wrote many other works of fiction, including his magnum opus, Till We Have Faces. Lewis was a professor of Medieval Literature and spent his life studying myths and legends. He was well versed in the concept of archetypes and Till We Have Faces is brilliant retelling of the story of Cupid and Psyche, filled with the truths of life and love.
I also wanted to try my hand at writing fiction for many different reasons, but the greatest reason is a desire to portray truth, even Gospel truth in fictional stories. I don’t claim to have the talent of the people mentioned above, but I’m committed to growing and learning and hopefully, in time, I can tell a story or two that will be effective to these ends.
I write this to encourage all Christians who read it to not abandon the arts. There are too few people of faith serving our Creator and Savior in this way. Many believers spend more time criticizing those who try than trying to create anything themselves.
If you would like to encourage and support my own efforts in conveying truth through fiction, please consider reading one of my books and sharing them with others as you so desire. You can find all of my fictional works at the Hunter Chadwick website or on Amazon under the same name.
There is power in sharing truth through fiction and the arts. Instead of complaining about the poor media choices available today, support authors and artists who are committed to the idea of truth in fiction and producing excellent stories that glorify our Creator.
Originally published at http://seeinggodclearly.com on July 25, 2023.