1. Galadriel says:

    Thanks for the post. It’s really interesting and worth reading

  2. Marion says:

    That was very encouraging to read.  The power of stories is undeniable and as Christians we should embrace it wholeheartedly.

  3. Nikole Hahn says:

    This really explains why I write fiction and why especially that I write speculative fiction. I want people to escape, but yet relate to the topics in the story to help them in their own livees deal with their own situations. Great job (as usual) in the guest blog.

  4. John Weaver says:

      Sorry, I just can’t take a guy seriously who believes that rape crisis centers are lesbian recruiting grounds. I’ve read Deadline and written about it as well (my chapter on it may be published in a book next year) and I just don’t see it as a particularly good book, though I grant that Alcorn does have a certain page-turning ability lacking in authors like Spenser Hughes. He’s hardly a re-incarnation of Schaeffer or Lewis though.

    • Kaci says:

      John,

      If you would like to participate in our discussions, that’s fine. However, your open insults and backhanded compliments toward our guest posters are inappropriate. You’re welcome to disagree and engage in spirited discussion, but this site isn’t target practice. If you’re only here to stir things up and insult people, then you’re not interested in discussion. Thank you in advance.

    • John, I think the best thing is to engage the content of the post. I know we get sidetracked in our comments, and if what someone says about an article leads to a subtopic, that’s fine. I don’t find it helpful, however, for someone to bring in information that 1) has nothing to do with the post; or 2) is information that no one can verify without extensive research — it’s a conversation killer.

      If your past interaction with something Mr. Alcorn has said or written has caused you to lose respect for his views, it’s of course your prerogative to skip this post and next week’s. No one faults you for having an opinion, though we are equally free to disagree. It’s a matter of creating a forum where all people feel free and welcome to engage in discourse around the topic about which our guests write.

      If you’d like to discuss Mr. Alcorn’s position about rape crisis centers, I’ll do the research and engage you on the topic via email. Feel free to contact me at rluellam at yahoo dot com.

      Becky

  5. I continue to be amazed at how many authors have been inspired by Lewis and/or Tolkien. That alone should show their caliber.

    Interesting look at the effects of story — for one, an author can never know where his book will end up or who will read it.

    May many more have stories like Randy’s to tell about God putting their book in the hands of an unlikely reader, only to do powerful things through it.

    We truly serve an awesome God.

    Becky

  6. #1. I LOVE knowing that Mr. Alcorn is a Star Trek fan. I could have stopped reading there, but I’m glad I didn’t.

    #2. I’m not pointing the finger at anyone here, obviously, but I think most of us have seen the topic of redemptive-Christian-fiction covered and recovered. For me, it’s almost like a thrice-microwaved cup of coffee. I really considered just skimming this once I saw those words appear. But again, I’m glad I didn’t. I absolutely love that you kicked this off by reminding us, via Schaffer, that for Christians our imaginations are really a measure of our liberty in Christ. Yes, most of us get that we don’t need to be afraid to write certain things, but even more so, that our allegorical, parab(olic?), metaphorical stories don’t need to be fit into some pre-approved redemptive arc. It’s simply a matter of getting someone to open the doors for the “Trojan Horse.”

    #3. On a personal note, I think one of the things that I’ve always appreciated about Mr. Alcorn is that it’s always good to see authors rabidly chasing after their own calling and convictions. Mr. Alcorn was introduced to me as the next Lewis. This isn’t to insult the pastor who introduced me to him, but after reading Deadline and the rest, I think it’s probably fair to say the most intelligent of us aren’t looking for the next C.S. Lewis or J.R.R. Tolkien. We don’t need a reborn, or a recycled, or a reincarnated founding father of fiction. Each man is successful when he tries to be a good stewards of his own gifts without trying to add or commentate on those who have come before.

  7. Christian says:

    I love fiction. Fiction can reveal great truths and pierce people’s hearts in a more natural, interesting and honest manner than non-fiction ever will. That said, I loved Randy Alcorn’s book ‘Heaven’ and found the weakest bits to be the excerpts from his fiction. Sorry, I don’t know what that says about me.

  8. […] E. Stephen has posted numerous times on Speculative Faith about what heaven will be like (such as: Heaven Will be the Happiest Place on Earth, The Top Six Myths we Believe About Heaven, When You Long For New Earth, Start Biblical and ‘Normal,’ Then Dream Bigger) His thinking has been influenced by Randy Alcorn’s book Heaven and Alcorn’s thought in general (as set forth for the public by Eternal Perspectives ministries) as evidenced by a post E. Stephen did on Heaven all the way back in 2011. […]

What do you think?