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What Makes Fantasy Work? Part 2

I hope our readers here at Spec Faith are thinking about the Christian speculative novel–fantasy, science fiction, supernatural, or whatever–they would like to nominate for the Clive Staples Award. Let’s find the books that work and pick the best of the lot to honor. · Rebecca LuElla Miller

Magic In The Story: Written In The Stars

Today we continue our series on Magic in the Story with a form of so-called “magic” I believe many are confused about. This post, entitled “Written in the Stars” is an exploration of the difference between Astrology and Biblical Star-Reading […] · Christopher Miller

Magic In The Story: The Two Faces Of Magic

This week we delve deeper into the mysteries of ‘Magic in the Story’ and find ourselves confronted by the fact that there are two faces of magic in Narnia. · Christopher Miller

Magic In The Story: What’s The Big Deal?

Magic — just the mention of it can cause many a “good Christian” to draw dividing lines, take sides and ready for attack. Are we being discerning or just overreacting? Join our new series: Magic in the Story. · Christopher Miller

Shallow Reasons To Support ‘Narnia’ 1

Flawed, over-“spiritual” defenses of the “Narnia” series are not only annoying, but ignore the stories’s central beauties and childlike wonder. Even worse, such approaches ultimately make readers worship God less. · E. Stephen Burnett

Speculative Faith Reading Group 4: Reality and Narnia

Why did C.S. Lewis write about four children coming into the magical land of Narnia? Why not two, or three, or even one, in order to write a simpler story with a more-focused cast of characters? · E. Stephen Burnett

Speculative Faith Reading Group 2: Meeting Mr. Tumnus

Week 2 of the “Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” reading group. Goat-men, tree spirits, naked Greek gods, a drunk on a donkey, and an evil White Witch — how are these things in a classic story Christians love? · E. Stephen Burnett

Speculative Faith Reading Group 1: Entering The ‘Wardrobe’

This week I’m starting a reading group at my church for “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.” You’re invited to join. How does this story honor God, and how can we learn from C.S. Lewis’s success at redeeming pagan myth for His glory? · E. Stephen Burnett

Magic Realism, Part 4

A writer cannot achieve his purpose. The reader must. So the purpose must be well communicated, then endorsed by readers. So why put a seeming out-of-place event in a story, or even base a story around one? · C.L. Dyck

Lord Of The Fantasies: Beholding Middle-earth

Because I first read “The Fellowship of the Ring” only days before seeing the film version, I did not have time to form interpretations of characters, or expectations. Thus, the film blew me away, no disappointments. But how might I have been disadvantaged? · E. Stephen Burnett

Magic Realism, Part 2

Stories with “magical realism” may show us that not only are there monsters in the mind, there are hopes and dreams. They also remind us that we cannot practice a form of divination upon our unexplainable moments — claiming that this must always mean exactly that. · C.L. Dyck

Magic Realism, Part 1

One speculative fiction genre points us to what truly matters, by refusing to draw a solid line between the everyday and the fantastical. Welcome to the world of magic realism. · C.L. Dyck

Dark Is The Stain: Hallow’s Eve

I began this series because I wanted to explore the dark themes of Christian fiction. I don’t want to just discuss it; I want to touch it. I want light so bright that anything dark distracts, and darkness so black […] · Kaci Hill

Dark Is The Stain: Chiaroscuro

Delving into Darkness Welcome to the new series! Church brat points to whoever knows which song “Dark is the Stain” comes from. I decided, in honor of the season, to go with a dark speculation of story. As Brian Godawa’s […] · Kaci Hill

‘Harry Potter’ and The Issues Beyond Fiction, Part 5

Five more ways “Harry Potter” helps us learn to discern: how did at least two Biblical saints handle actual bad stuff? And what about the “someone else used it to sin” objection, or “weaker brothers,” or personal preferences? · E. Stephen Burnett

‘Harry Potter’ and The Issues Beyond Fiction, Part 4

Another lesson learned from “Harry Potter” discernment: might some Christians only be on alert against bad Things like imaginary “magic,” while practicing their own favorite subtle methods of mysticism supposedly to keep life under control or avoid sin? · E. Stephen Burnett

‘Harry Potter’ and The Issues Beyond Fiction, Part 3

What are dangers Christians can fall into while they try to discern “Harry Potter”? One: acting as if made-up laws will protect us from sin and save the Church; and two: outsourcing our own discernment to Christian “media shamans.” · E. Stephen Burnett

‘Harry Potter’ and The Issues Beyond Fiction, Part 1

Does thinking Biblically about “Harry Potter” matter beyond story-discernment practice? At issue are how we define “witchcraft” the Bible forbids, where we believe sin really comes from, and whether we tell the truth even about perceived bad guys. · E. Stephen Burnett

Imagination: For God’s Glory and Others’ Good, Part 4

Does the Bible support reading or even enjoying secular imaginations with pagan elements? One doesn’t even need to answer that. After all, Scripture tells of one man who delved into far worse material — and with help from God Himself. · E. Stephen Burnett
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